"Miss Virginia Weasley?" Professor McGonagall's voice carried across the Gryffindor Common Room. Ginny glanced up from her chess game with Harry Potter, at the open portrait hole where McGonagall was standing. "Please come to my office immediately," Ginny nodded her acknowledgment, and stood up. She took one last look at the chessboard. "Knight to F7. Checkmate," she said, triumphantly, "Harry, you may be the boy-who-lived, but you suck at playing chess.

* * *

As soon as Ginny walked through McGonagall's office door, and sat down, she launched into her prepared story

"Professor, if this is about those cherry bombs, I had nothing to do with it. I didn't even know they would blow up. They're a Muggle thing the Twins sent me. If I had known they would explode, I would never have thrown them at Malf-"

McGonagall interrupted Ginny's speech, "This is not about the incident in the corridor yesterday. I have called you here today to tell you that you have been allowed to take the TOAD's."

"What are they?" Ginny asked.

McGonagall pursed her lips at the disruption. "The TOAD's are the Tests Of Acute Difficulty. They are seldom offered, and in fact, you are only the second student at Hogwarts, presented with the opportunity in over twenty years. Now, this year, while the sixth years are taking their OWL's, you will be able to sit for the TOAD's with them. Should you pass, you will have the choice of staying with your year-mates, and, next year, become a sixth year, or, bypassing it altogether, and returning as a seventh year,"

Ginny stared at the Transfiguration teacher, as if she had just grown an extra head. "Skip sixth year? Finish a year early…if I could pull this off, I would be in the same year as Harry!" It was a fairly well known fact, that Ginny had had a crush on Harry Potter for a good eight years, before she even knew him.

The Professor, wrongly interpreting her silence, added, "You do not have to decide immediately. Your parents have been informed. You should discuss it with them."

"Could I tell anyone else?"

"That is to your discretion. As I said, this is only on the condition that you pass them completely. If not, you will just stay as you are, and complete your studies as normal."

Ginny sat mutely, trying to comprehend everything. "So, *if* I pass them, I still have a choice between going ahead or staying where I am?"

"That is correct. Over the next two terms, immediately after these Christmas Holidays, you will receive private tutorials for each subject to get you up to sixth year level, this year. At any time, if we feel that you are falling behind, with your current or future schoolwork, you will be removed from the program. Do you understand?"

Ginny nodded her head, numbly.

"Good, then you are dismissed."

"Thank you, Professor." Ginny stood up, and went to leave, before she remembered something. "Professor?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"You said, I was the second in twenty years, right?"

"That's right, yes."

"Who was the first?"

"I cannot divulge that information, though she is in Gryffindor. I'm surprised she didn't mention it. I believe you two are friends."

Recognition flickered over Ginny's face. She thanked the Professor again, exited her office, and returned to the Gryffindor Common Room.