Chapter one finds us on the eve of the great escape.
Ginny awoke suddenly in the middle of the night to the sound of a strange noise coming from the kitchen. It sounded as if someone had tripped over a stool. Ginny sat up in her bed and listened carefully.
"Ron, you clumsy git. Be careful!"
"Yeah. Mum'll freak if she catches us."
"Okay, okay. Sorry guys. Let's just hurry."
Ginny, her curiosity piqued, got up from the bed, put on her robe and slippers, and quietly tiptoed down the windy stairs of the Burrow.
"And what do you three think you're up to?" asked Ginny to Fred, George, and Ron as she walked into the kitchen. The boys were in the process of sneaking out the back door when they heard their sister.
"Shhh! Be quiet Gin!" whispered George.
"Mum can't know we're leaving," said Fred.
"Where are you off to anyway?" questioned Ginny.
"None of your business, Ginny!" whispered Ron harshly, "Now go back to bed."
This made Ginny very irritated. For years Ginny's brothers had been excluding her from doing anything fun with them, be it playing Quidditch or something a bit more mischievous. Ginny was fed up.
"Let me come with you," said Ginny assertively.
"No way!" said Fred and George together.
"Why not?"
"Because it's, uh, too dangerous," said Ron, not even convincing himself by his own response.
"Dangerous?" asked Ginny excitedly, a grin forming on her face, "What are you guys planning on doing?"
"We can't tell you, Gin," said Fred.
"Oh, come on. I'm not Percy, you know."
The three boys all looked at each other, frowns on their faces. They then walked over to a far corner of the kitchen and began quietly discussing Ginny's request. Ginny stood and watched anxiously as her brothers talked over what her plans for the rest of the evening would be: departing with them or going back to her room.
After a few moments of furtive discussion, the boys walked back to her.
"Fine, Ginny," sighed Ron, "You can tag along."
"Excellent!" said Ginny jubilantly.
"Shhh!" whispered the three boys.
"Sorry," squeaked Ginny through a sizable smile.
"Now let's get going," said Ron frantically, "We have to be back before Mum wakes up."
"Right," said Fred, "I'll start the car."
"The car?" questioned Ginny as Fred ran outside, "Dad's flying car? How far are we going?"
"Surrey," replied Ron.
"Why?"
"We'll explain in the car," said George, who was standing next to the back door, "Now c'mon. I can hear that Fred's venture was successful and we'd best be off."
As Ron and Ginny moved towards the door, they could hear that George was correct. Their father's Ford Anglia was purring like a cat, well, like a very old cat.
The three promptly ran outside and climbed into the car, George in the front seat next to Fred and Ron and Ginny in the back. As soon as all the doors were closed, Fred took the car up towards the night sky.
"Now please tell me," asked an excited Ginny, "why are we going to Surrey?"
"We're gonna rescue Harry!" said Ron gleefully, happy he didn't have to whisper anymore.
"Harry Potter?" asked Ginny, growing very pale.
"Who else?" said the twins together.
"Um, on second thought, could you please take me back, Fred?"
"What?" exclaimed Fred, turning around to face her, "Why?"
"I'm actually feeling a bit tired," said Ginny, not looking her brother in the eye, "I think I'd better go to bed."
"Wasn't it you who was just pleading with us to let you come along?" asked Ron indignantly.
"I know," said Ginny, feeling much more ashamed than she was tired, "Could you please just take me back though?"
"All right, if that's what you really want," said Fred, slightly suspicious.
Luckily, Fred hadn't gone too far from the Burrow yet, so it didn't take him too long to turn around and fly back home.
When the car was firmly planted on the ground near the Weasley's dilapidated garage, Ginny opened the car door and stepped out. Fred and George rolled down their windows and stuck their heads out the car.
"Goodnight, Ginny!" called the twins with a little too much enthusiasm.
"Yeah, see ya Ginny," said the more subdued Ron from inside the car.
"Bye," said Ginny sheepishly.
As the car took off for the second time, Ginny could faintly hear Ron saying, "I'll never understand girls."
Ginny walked somberly back into the kitchen and then navigated her way up the stairs and back to her bedroom. After she closed the door, she slid her back down it and buried her face in her hands.
"What's wrong with me?" she thought, "I would love to see Harry Potter. Last year, when I met him, I barely even got to speak to him and this could have been my chance to properly introduce myself. So why did I have to open my mouth and ask to be taken home?"
Ginny thought about this for a while. She came to a conclusion after asking herself this question: "What would he have thought of me?" That's what she was scared of, his opinion of her. What if he didn't like her as much as she liked him?
"Well, that's almost certain to be the case," she thought solemnly, "I mean, he's so incredible. He's done so many amazing things."
Ginny had grown up listening to the story of the Boy Who Lived her whole life and thus had gained a large fascination with him that had evolved into quite a substantial crush. Luckily for her, after Ron returned home from Hogwarts, he had wasted no time in telling Ginny all about Harry's extraordinary exploits during the previous school year. Listening to Ron describe Harry's triumphs in Quidditch and his second victory over the Dark Lord made Ginny even more infatuated with the boy than she already was.
That's why she was so apprehensive about seeing Harry that night. She was scared to death of not being interesting enough for him.
"What's so special about me?" thought Ginny as she climbed into her bed and fell asleep.
...
Several hours later, Ginny woke up for the second time after hearing the familiar sound of mum preparing breakfast. Temporarily forgetting the events of the night before due to morning drowsiness, Ginny ran downstairs wearing only her nightdress and slippers. When she reached the kitchen, she immediately realized what had caused all those dreams about Harry Potter the night before. She quickly let out a small squeal and ran back upstairs.
Ginny stood in the middle of her room, panting, heart racing, both thrilled and terrified at the same time.
Quandary.