First In Space

by procyon

Everything's stayed the same for 1995, except for one girl, who has realized a few things about her life. Will her change have been for the better, or is something not quite right with the whole scenario?

1. An Unordinary Beginning

A/N: I have no idea what this is doing being posted; if the computer decides to take over my brains again, there'll probably be another chapter up in a couple of days. Feedback is appreciated, since I'm attempting to write this without humour. It manages to creep into there, though, and this will likely end up in both the 'Humour' and 'General' sections. Oh well, that's what you get for having a life as insane as my own. I think my spellcheck was made by a Malfoy; it persists in calling Ron 'Weasel', thinks Colin Creevey is 'Colleen Creepy', and replaces Hermione with 'Herman'. Bizzare.

R/R for feedback or I will personally sick Buckbeak on you.

And I wonder what it's like; to be the first in space

And I wonder what it's like; to be inside your head, behind your face

Beyond a shadow of a doubt; to have the whole thing figured out

I wonder what it's like

First In Space

Chapter One: An Unordinary Beginning

For a very long time, Ginny had dreamed of what lay beyond the world she knew. Sometimes she would sneak down to Fred and George's room when they were at Hogwarts so that she could pore over the collection of Muggle items they had stashed away. Everything was a wonder to her; she would ask herself a dozen times a day how Muggles could get along so well without magic. They did so much more work to accomplish what Ginny could do in the flick of a wand, yet she had never felt the rush of discovering magic for the first time. Magic was something that had always been in her world, had always been taken so lightly.

Memories of items she had found passed through Ginny's mind like light fog as she watched bright green fields race by her window. There she was, looking out the window of the Hogwarts Express, entering fourth year already. A quick glance to her left showed that Ron was fast asleep beside her; the others had wandered into different compartments, leaving Ginny unusually quiet with her thoughts. Ever since she'd had the realization that it was time to give up her dream of marrying Harry Potter, who considered her no more than a friend, Ginny's shy personality had faded away and left a girl full of ideals who spoke her mind. Rarely did Ginny look back on that rainy March day when she'd seen her "relationship" with Harry for what it was and wonder what it would be like if Harry were in love with her; fate had been accepted, nothing could change it.

Hermione Granger was the closest thing Ginny had to a best friend. The two girls talked incessantly about the Muggle world, Ginny because it fascinated her, Hermione because she loved to share knowledge. Her love of teaching was so great that her friends often called her 'Professor Granger' and laughed at the idea of Hermione winning the Defense Against the Dark Arts position over Snape.

'Wonder what the secret of our Defense professor will be this year?' Ginny mused aloud. 'We've had an impostor, a werewolf, a self-absorbed looney, and an insane Voldemort supporter.' Unlike the rest of her family, Ginny didn't feel scared by the Dark Lord's name. As Harry had once told her, it was just that: a name. Silly thing to be afraid of after facing Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets.

'I don't know,' came a quiet voice from the doorway. 'My bet's on vampire, and it's sure to win over Neville's guess of Hinkypunk.'

Ginny turned away from her window to see Seamus Finnegan, one of Harry's roommates, leaning against the open doorframe and grinning at her. The two knew each other well enough, seeing as how Ginny had spent the better part of three years tracking both Harry and his friends around the school.

'Hello, Seamus. Harry's down the hall somewhere ... I think he said something about Fred and maps.'

Seamus gave a halfhearted shrug. 'Think I'll wait here for him rather than search through half the train. You don't mind, do you?' he added, sitting down across from Ginny, who leaned back and stretched.

'I don't mind. It's got to be better entertainment than sitting here and talking to myself.'

'Why didn't you come down to the Patil's compartment with Harry and Hermione?' Seamus asked. 'Could've seen a spectacular loss of chess on Neville's part.'

Lowering her eyes and looking away, Ginny cleared her throat a bit. 'I didn't want to be a bother.'

'You're worried about Harry thinking you're a pest, aren't you? Look here, Ginny, you're not that much younger than us, and I certainly don't mind you hanging out with us. If Harry does, then that's his loss.'

'Thanks,' Ginny smiled. 'Glad to know I'm not quite as much of a nuisance as I made myself out to be. Hey, Seamus, you're part Muggle, right?'

'On me dad's side.'

'Can you tell me anything about rugby? I hear it's a great sport.'

*

After hearing so much on the topic of sports that she thought her brain might combust, Ginny excused herself from Seamus and left the compartment for a bit. The halls were peaceful, putting her in a dreamy sort of mood. Just as she was about to head back, a door in front of her slid open to reveal the smirking face of Draco Malfoy. The older boy stepped into the middle of the aisle, flanked by two enormous bodies.

'Well, what do we have here, it's a poor little Weasley. And I use the term poor loosely.'

'Better shut your trap, Malfoy, before I make you!' Ginny retorted. She felt a bit proud of herself for that, especially since she was getting increasingly better at fighting ever since Fred and George learned she kept a diary underneath her pillow at home. Keeping two older brothers away from your things was bound to teach you something, and Ginny could hit as hard as Ron could, sometimes better.

'Ooh, look here, it's got spunk.' Beside him, the two lumbering bodyguards Crabbe and Goyle were wearing smirks identical to Malfoy's.

Clenching one fist to her side, Ginny spoke quietly. 'Just move out of my way, Malfoy. I don't want trouble, but if you ask for it you'll be sorry.'

'That's right, Malfoy. Just one wrong move.' Malfoy's expression changed dramatically, and Ginny could see someone standing behind him, holding their wand to his back. 'Get going.'

With a few angry comments about the idiocy of impure wizarding blood, Malfoy stomped past Ginny and back into his compartment. Crabbe and Goyle followed, then slammed the door behind them with an impressive thud.

'Are you okay, Ginny?' Harry put his wand back into immaculate robes.

'I'm just fine,' Ginny snapped. 'I didn't need you to look out for me, Potter.' She was a bit surprised that she'd called him by his last name, but any surprise she had was quickly chased away by the fact that here was her knight in shining robes, asking if she was alright.

His eyes widened. 'Okay ... '

But he was half a year too late. 'Excuse me, Harry, there's someone I have to get back to.' Against everything she'd devoted herself to for three years at Hogwarts, Ginny turned away from her knight in shining robes. There was always Seamus and Hermione to talk to about Muggle things; enough friends in her own year; people who took her the way she wanted. At the moment, Harry Potter was none of those.

And so she walked back to the compartment, feeling a bit dizzy but relieved to be back where she belonged once more.

*

Nothing was said between Harry and Ginny when he entered the compartment forty-five minutes before they reached Hogwarts. She continued her conversation about Muggle music with Seamus and Dean Thomas, who had ambled in shortly after Ginny's episode with Malfoy.

'Alright, we're nearly there,' Hermione said by way of greeting as she and Crookshanks joined the group. 'Everybody ready?'

'Yes, Professor Granger,' Ginny mocked.

Dean stood up. 'I'll go make sure everything's in my trunk. Seamus, you coming?'

'Yup.'

Ginny stood as well. She meant to reach for her own trunk, but the train gave a heavy lurch just as she got up, causing her to fall off-balance. Something hit her back as she collided with someone, likely Dean, and fell underneath the seat. From the compartment's other side, Ron used words that Mrs Weasley would have cursed him for knowing.

'Are you okay, Ginny?' The person to her right side asked. Ginny's first thought was that she had squished Harry against a wall and now he was being sarcastic, but the voice was Seamus'.

'I'm not badly bruised or anything,' she replied, climbing out from under the seat. 'Thanks for asking. Did you break anything?'

'Of course not. You're as light as a feather,' Seamus chuckled.

'Hopefully that's the only stop this train's making, since I won't be able to take another surprise like that,' Dean muttered, a small bump swelling on his forehead.

Wondering briefly why she was so mad at Harry when she'd thought herself completely over him, Ginny shook out her red hair. Looking about, she saw that nothing of hers had taken a beating, so Ginny said goodbye to everyone but Harry and made her way off the train with as much composure as she could muster.

*

The setting sun was obscured by heavy clouds as Ginny walked through the rows of carriages, trying to find her friends. At last she found Diana West, a Hufflepuff she'd shared Herbology with in first year. The two girls found an empty carriage and climbed inside, soon to be joined by Colin Creevey and Diana's little sister Jade.

'How was your summer, Ginny?' Diana asked. 'Mine was just wonderful until my mum decided to take me into London to see the Muggle shops. She said it'd be a learning experience, but I really hated it there. Seems so dark and creepy. Don't you think, Jade?'

'Oh, absolutely. Hey Colin, can I see your camera?'

Ginny had never felt as alienated as she did during that carriage ride. Even though both Diana and Colin were her age, she found herself wishing for Hermione to explain the finer points of Arithmancy. The company of older children was all Ginny had had when she was younger, and obviously nothing had changed.

'Well, nice to see you all again. Bye!' As soon as the carriage had stopped, Ginny leaped down and headed as quickly as possible for the safety of Gryffindor table. She knew that Colin's short legs wouldn't be able to work as fast as her own, which practically guaranteed the company of fifth-years, and probably Fred and George.

In her anxiety to get away from Colin, who had a bit of a crush on her, Ginny arrived almost first at the Gryffindor table. Hermione and Ron arrived soon after, followed by a sullen-looking Harry. Seamus, Dean, Fred, George and Neville Longbottom wandered in and took seats around the table. Colin opted to sit at the far end of the table and wave at Ginny, who groaned inwardly and gave a quick wave back.

'Alright then, Finnegan,' Dean was saying. 'I'll bet you eighteen Sickles that young boy with the blonde hair gets into Hufflepuff.'

'Not all blondes are automatically sorted into Hufflepuff, you know,' Seamus said.

'Just like not all Gryffindors have red hair, right?' Fred asked innocently, motioning to his own tomato-paste colored hair.

With a glare at Slytherin table, Ginny added, 'Yeah, but most Slytherins are either blonde or black-haired. Then you look at Ravenclaw, and - is that boy's hair blue?'

The boy had indeed dyed his hair in Ravenclaw house colors, silver and blue. He was immensely enjoying the attention it attracted, although McGonagall no doubt would make him wash it out.

'Hey, the Sorting's started!' George exclaimed. Everyone clammed up as the Sorting Hat began it's yearly song.

'Uncounted many years ago

There lived the founders four

Wizards wishing for a school

Where wizards learn for evermore

Away from prying eyes they built

This castle proud and true

Listen close and I shall tell

Their stories four to you

Bravery was key if 'twas

Gryffindors you seeked

Hufflepuff love working hard,

Acting kind and meek

Ravenclaw are sharp of wit

Solving tasks for fun

Cunning, slick and trickery

Are marks of Slytherin

Whichever house I choose for you

Fits perfectly to your mind

So set me up atop your head

And destiny you shall find!'

Everyone in the Hall burst into applause as the frayed old hat gave a meager bow. Professor McGonagall approached the Hat, smiling thinly, and raised a long parchment full of names.

'Abbotsford, Andrew!' The short boy stepped forward and meekly set the Hat on his head, making sure it fit perfectly over his eyes. Silence echoed through the room until a loud shout of 'HUFFLEPUFF' came from the Hat, causing another burst of applause.

Johnathan Atherton came next, followed by a number of equally nervous young students. There was an enormous amount of applause as Bridley Count was made the first Gryffindor, and equal amounts of heckling when Malfoy cheered Ariel Judley for becoming a Slytherin.

An odd hacking sound came from McGonagall as Chent Layman stepped down after nearly ripping the hat in his hurry to put it on. The professor quickly recovered and called up Lydia Park, a tall girl who looked as though she would drop dead from fright. Pale as a ghost, Park put the Hat on more carefully than Victoria had, and sat there for what seemed an eternity to those watching her. At last the Hat opened it's brim, hesitated, and called 'GR-RAVENCLAW!'

Puzzled looks crossed the faces of the students who weren't cheering wildly. Fred leaned over to his twin and whispered, 'Did the Hat just say Gravenclaw?'

"I don't think it's ever stumbled before ... " Harry commented.

'How would you know, you weren't even here in your second year and barely paid attention to the Sorting in your third!' Ginny retorted with a nasty tone. She pushed the mistake away from her thoughts. After all, a thousand years of Sorting was bound to make you stumble.

Once the last student (David Zilworth) had been tucked away safely in their house (Hufflepuff), Dumbledore stood and raised his large goblet.

'Welcome to another year here at Hogwarts! I trust you've all caught up on missed sleep during the summer and are ready to begin studying again. A few reminders for you, the Forbidden Forest is off limits for anyone without permission ... or those serving a detention. Also, those who venture anywhere near the Whomping Willow will have a dear price to pay, as it is becoming increasingly aggressive as of late. Now, on to the food!'

'Finally,' Ron muttered. Beside him, Fred's identical red hair bobbed up and down in agreement. As Ron made a grab for some ham, Hermione shook her head in amazement.

'You Weasleys are all alike,' she said, causing Ginny to stop gathering food and stare at her. 'Well, you are. I'm surprised you don't weigh two hundred pounds each by now.'

George shrugged. 'Weasley genes. Hey Harry, can you pass me that gravy?'

With a roll of her eyes, Ginny ignored the fact that Harry would have to drag his sleeve through mashed potatoes if she didn't slide the gravy boat over a bit. Instead she began talking to Seamus, who was on her left side, about how football could be improved on if the players used broomsticks.

'But then it'd just be Quidditch without the Snitch,' Seamus said.

'I always thought the Seekers were rather useless,' Ginny commented airily. 'The games would be a lot shorter and more entertaining if everybody wasn't watching the Seeker to see if the game was going to end soon. Or if the Hogwarts teams got some proper Seekers. Either way.'

Hermione gave a strangled sound as Harry, sitting across from Ginny and to the right, turned bright red. Dean looked as though he wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry as Ron kept blinking heavily, as though he were having a very odd dream.

'What's so wrong with the way I play, Ginny? We've hardly ever lost a game,' Harry muttered.

'Anybody could beat the kind of competition you play against. I mean, look at Malfoy, who bought his way onto the team. Then there's whatever Hufflepuff comes up with this year, not to mention Cho Chang. Odd little bunch they are.' Ginny felt a bit sick a with the way she was acting, and she could tell that Fred and George felt the same way. She didn't really care; her summertime habit of speaking her mind hadn't gotten her in any trouble so far.

'What's wrong with Cho?' Harry demanded.

'She's too full of herself. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm fairly tired.' Thanking her luck of Hermione the Prefect having told her Gryffindor's new password, Ginny got up and left the Great Hall. Although Harry didn't know it, Ginny heard his comment as she walked away.

'D'you think she's been possessed by Tom Riddle again?'