Ginny sniffled loudly as she tried to hide her tears by wiping them against her sleeve. She was so preoccupied with herself that she didn't notice when Cedric walked up and sat next to her on the bench. When he asked what was wrong, she jumped up and stammered, "Nothing."

Cedric nodded and said sagely, "Yes, I often find myself crying about nothing."

Ginny glared at him as she sat back down.

Cedric leaned back and leisurely crossed his legs. "Want to talk about it?"

Stubbornly, Ginny shook her head, but then took another look at the compassionate Hufflepuff. "Fine," she mumbled. "Cho was being mean to me."

"Cho?" said Cedric, confused, "She's usually so nice – what happened?"

Ginny rolled her eyes; everyone loved Cho. "She didn't actually do anything in particular," she confessed. "She was just bothering me. I don't like her."

Cedric raised his eyebrows.

"Fine, she was asking how I was, but she was being very superior and snotty," Ginny trailed off, realizing how ridiculous and nasty she sounded.

After a minute, Cedric asked, "I don't suppose this could have anything to do with how Harry likes her?"

Ginny flushed bright red. It seemed like everyone in the whole wide world knew about her crush on Harry. Everyone except Cho, who kept asking her inane questions and trying to be best friends.

Cedric waited until she spoke in a mumble, "Yeah, maybe."

Kindly, he smiled as he put an arm around her shoulder. Ginny leaned into his hug; if she hadn't been so hung up on Harry, she just might very well have fallen in love with this kind, handsome boy. Ginny sighed; love was too difficult.

Cedric spoke after a moment, "Perhaps we can talk about it." He laughed softly when she shook her head violently no. Cedric knew what a stubborn girl she was, she was a Weasley after all; getting her to have a heart-to-heart with her "enemy" would be like asking Hagrid to stop loving strange monsters. Ginny sat up slowly as Cedric asked, "What do you think you should do about it? Or you could just let it be."

Ginny's eyes widened, as she stated, "I've already done something about it."

Cedric smiled, "what's that?"

"I bribed the house elves to put cayenne pepper in all her food for a week, charmed her clothes to be itchy and too small, and stole all of her homework." Ginny looked much better as she revealed her pranks.

Cedric choked, "Ginny! You can't do that!"

Ginny shrugged, "too late."

"Ginny! You're really going to hurt her. She can't help it if Harry likes her."

"Well, she'd better stop returning the favor." Ginny was unconcerned with Cedric's horror.

"Ginny, I'm appalled. You know two wrongs don't make a right. What would your mother say?"

Ginny shrugged again, "She won't find out. You're not going to tell her – you're too much of a good boy to tattle. No one else would think it's me either. I'm the good little girl, so sweet and brokenhearted after her little run-in with Riddle three years ago year. No one thinks that I could do anything." Ginny smiled to herself maliciously. Then she jumped up, "Bye, Cedric, thanks for the chat. I feel loads better now, knowing my plan worked."