Back to School
Chapter 1
My name is Ginerva Weasley, most know me by Ginny. I am finally 16 and attending Hogwarts for my sixth year, I'm so close to finishing that I can taste it. I'd like nothing more than to leave this place and start over somewhere fresh. I've probably changed in appearance quite a bit from what everyone knows. I've lost a lot of weight and my hair is a lot darker. I'm just not the same Ginny Weasley anymore.
My life was fine up until about a year ago, and then everything changed. It proved to be a tough year for me, with more challenges than I was willing to face. I was never an outgoing person, and in fact I was quite shy, being around Harry Potter proved this fact to everyone. But the night before school started, I stood in front of my mirror and made a promise to myself, I would not be bashful this year, I was starting over and becoming a new person. Things were going to be different for me because I was tired of being the meek Gryffindor mouse.
As I boarded the train to Hogwarts I turned one last time to wave my family goodbye. Albeit it was only my mother and father now because all of my siblings had all moved away, except Ron who had already disappeared with Hermione and Harry. I boarded the train and took the lonely cab in the back; the busy cabs near the front were just too chaotic for me. With only my black cat Mikoo to keep me company I took a seat and opened my journal. When alone, I had a habit of daydreaming and at the moment I was far off in some big city full of people shopping at some high fashion boutique, when suddenly I was awakened by the door sliding shut.
"So sorry," said a high trill of a voice. When I looked up a very blond girl had just walked in carrying a small grey cat in her arms. The cat looked as if it was fighting for its life to get away from the slim girl holding it. "I just had to get away from this bumbling oaf of a guy who was trying his hardest to push me into the cabin with him. Honestly, the nerve of some people." She flopped down onto the seat in front of me; she seemed to have no worries of whether or not I wanted her there.
"No problem," I replied simply. I wasn't thrilled about a bunch of people being around me but this girl was some what intriguing to me. She had a funny accent, possibly American. She didn't have any robes on and she didn't seem to know me as my brother's shadow, or at least she was vocalizing it yet. "So, do you have a name?" I asked quietly, not really looking her in the eye. The blonde girl giggled and spoke in an overly excited voice "Oh god, I completely forgot myself didn't I?" she smiled kindly and the room was suddenly radiant. Maybe she was part Veela or something. "I'm Isla… like island only shorter, it's strange I know. I'm new to this school, I'm from New York."
"Really. I'm Ginny Weasley." I replied half heartedly. It wasn't that I didn't care; I just wasn't much of a conversationalist. "Cute cat, does it have a name?" I asked. "Oh, this is Simple. He's kinda hyper active." She replied matter-of-factly. The entire time we had been talking Simple had been running circles around poor Mikoo and howling like he was in such great pain. Isla pulled the gum she was chewing out of her mouth and snapped it in half. She fed one half to Simple and he smacked away happily on it. Like something about spearmint was a sedative for him.
A very odd couple indeed, I almost smiled at the entertainment. But I wasn't going to say anything. Soon we were pulling up to the train stop at Hogsmeade. As the students poured out of the train, Isla and I moved toward the carriages, only first years had to cross the lake in boats, the older students were lucky enough to go by carriages along the road. As luck would have it, we were stuck in the last carriage with Malfoy and his gang of ridiculous lumbering fools. Before we entered the cart though, Isla leaned in and whispered in my ear, "That's the oaf I was telling you about." She pointed at Goyle and I had trouble keeping a straight face as he was staring blankly with his mouth open at a nearby tree.
We climbed into the cart, rather awkwardly I might add because none of the terribly friendly Slytherins would budge an inch. We quickly headed on our way towards the safe haven of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. "Weasley," said Malfoy in a sarcastic tone as if it were some sort of greeting, he very nearly spat the word as if it were foul tasting. "And who might you be?" He asked Isla in a sickeningly sweet tone, it was amazing how very schizophrenic he seemed. He took her hand and brushed his lips against it in a "gentlemanly greeting". How I wanted to hurl, I turned my face out of the window and watched the scenery go by.
Suddenly I was snapped out of my daydreams by some one shouting. The words were incoherent at first, but I looked up and everyone in the cart was staring at me, wide eyed. "Ginny… your eyes?" stuttered Isla, she was ghostly pale. Suddenly Malfoy blurted out in too loud of a voice, "Blimey Ginny!! Your eyes, they are almost black!!" Pansy had pulled out a compact mirror and shoved it in my face. I didn't really have to look; I knew what they were talking about, it had been happening a lot lately. My emotions had gotten to me again and so my eyes were changing colors as if they were mood rings. But I looked in the mirror anyway and feigned shock.
"Oh my god!!" I squealed, afraid I was sounding rehearsed. I blinked over and over, while on the inside I was calming myself so that my eyes would return to normal. I didn't have to wait too long and all was copasetic. Then suddenly we were at the school and I wouldn't have to worry about explaining anything… yet. I thankfully bailed out of the carriage and into the crush of people trying to lose myself to the group who had witnessed my freakish nature.
As I stood in front of the castle-like academy, I shook in my furry little boots. Frankly, I was terrified, but determined not to let it show for anyone. I stepped into the main hall and as soon as the big oak doors slammed behind me, everyone got silent. It was like the whole school was staring at me. I took a deep breath and stepped forward… I knew word traveled fast, but this was ridiculous.