Ginny Weasley had always been a Gryffindor at heart. Always had been, always would be. Even before she began her first year at Hogwarts, she was brave and true and courageous.
You would just look at her and know. Her rebellious, flaming red hair, her cheeky grin, her solid determination - and a Weasley? Everybody expected - no, knew - that she was a Gryffindor.
That was why when she saw Harry Potter for the first time, she knew that he was the one for her. His tousled black hair, his olive green eyes, (that hid so much more behind the first sparkle) his amazing courage - he stood up to You-Know-Who, for crying out loud!
Yes, Harry was a Gryffindor, everybody could see it. With parents like his, there was no other place for him.
So Ginny knew that he was the only one that would understand her, that would love her. They were both Gryffindors until the very end, and lions stick up for each other, you know?
That was her justification for being mildly interested in Harry. (Not obsessed, like everyone else seemed to think. But, she had to admit, he was worthy of an obsession.)
Harry was just...different. In a really good way. Ginny knew that they were the two shining (no, flaming) Gryffindors because they were both bravehearted and gallant and courageous.
That was why when Harry Potter made the D.A., Ginny was one of the first to join. Yes, she was his friend, but also because this was a test of bravery and Ginny knew that she could and would ace it.
Only the most courageous could join an organization that went against Umbridge. Out of those, only the top most, bravest ones could be the leaders.
Ginny was one of the leaders; she knew it the night she joined Harry in helping Sirius escape. She was a heroic person; she knew it.
She was a lion, and everybody would hear her roar.
Harry was out with Ron and Hermione, finding Horcruxes, and Ginny was jealous. It was the adventurous feat of a lifetime, and she wasn't there. Why not? She thought she was one of them.
Even so, she convinced herself that the job they had left her was just as important. As a self-proclaimed leader, she would have to remain in charge of the D.A. at Hogwarts and make sure everybody was ready for the upcoming and inevitable battle.
She was ready. She was dauntless. Even if Hogwarts had been taken over by Snape and the Carrows, she would remain strong and unflinching. She would be a role model for all the struggling students; a shining light in these horrible times of darkness.
And it was in these dark times that Ginny herself almost flickered out.
"Hurry!" Ginny ushered a third year up the stairs and out of the hallway. It was after hours, and just like the Slytherins were patrolling for roaming students to turn in, she was patrolling for roaming students to save.
"It's so boring. We never catch anybody in this hallway."
Ginny heard voices and flattened herself against the wall amongst the shadows. They'd never find her there.
"Hey, did you hear about Harry Potter? Heard a rumor that he was getting closer to the castle."
Ginny gasped. Harry? Her Harry was coming back? She had to get ready!
"Did you hear something?"
Ginny's heartbeat quickened and she covered her mouth. Oh, she was such a fool, giving herself away just because she heard Harry's name...what had she done?
Still, they might not find her here. They hadn't before, why should they now?
A cold hand clamped onto her shoulder and over a mouth, and she forced back a scream.
She stumbled into the light of the candle to find a smirking Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini. "A nice catch today, huh? Ginny Weasley, Harry's little girlfriend."
Ginny wanted to claw her eyes out. She would never understand, since she wasn't Gryffindor. She was a Slytherin.
They dragged her to the Carrows, all the while passing mean remarks about her. Ginny refused to show any emotion, simply biting back any kind of sassy reply she wanted to make.
"Professor Carrow, we found Ginny Weasley after hours." They shoved Ginny into the room with Alecto, mouthing something foul before shutting the door behind them.
"Ginny Weasley..." Alecto began to pace around her, mumbling under her breath. Ginny stood her ground, glaring angrily at the woman. "You've done quite a lot of unwise things these past few months, haven't you?"
Ginny said nothing. Alecto continued.
"You're always out after dark, and standing up for Harry Potter," Alecto spat. "You continue to defy us even after we've placed so many restrictions around you."
Ginny fought the urge to smirk. She was a troublesome girl to them, wasn't she?
"I suspect you're up to something else too, something we don't know about..." The D.A. They didn't know about it, and Ginny swore on her life that they never would.
"You're a sneaky Gryffindor...a Slytherin dressed in red and gold." Ginny froze, her heart beginning to thump painfully loud. Her, a Slytherin? That was so far from the truth!
"You're reckless, not brave. And recklessness is cowardice." Ginny seethed, the blood flowing into her cheeks.
She was brave! She was not a coward! She was sticking up for those below her, for what she believed in, for who she believed in. Whatever measures she had to go to, she would. That was not being reckless, that was staying true to your values.
"I think that it's high time that you have a punishment, don't you think? You shouldn't run around for so long with the wrong ideas," Alecto said, sitting at her desk. She flicked her wand, and Ginny thumped awkwardly into a chair that hadn't been there before.
"I know you're a smart girl, Ginevra. So why use your intelligence for the wrong purpose?" Alecto purred. "You could be of great use to us, on the winning side."
"No! We will win! Voldemort will die!" Ginny burst out, unable to contain herself. Suddenly, ropes bound her to the chair.
"What was that, Ginny? You think the Dark Lord will lose?"
"Yes, yes I do. Harry will come back for us and win for everybody." The ropes tightened to a suffocating extent, and Ginny was soon squirming.
"It would be wise, to think before you speak." The roped snaked around Ginny's neck, and she yelled in alarm as they began to squeeze her windpipe.
"Take it back."
"Never," Ginny choked out.
"Take it back!" The ropes strangled her, and Ginny screamed, her face purple as she gasped for air she could not take. "Take it back!"
Ginny squeaked, writing in pain as black spots swam in front of her eyes. She kicked in her seat and gripped the armrests and saw images flashing in front of her.
If she was going to die, she wanted to die like a hero. Not like this, when the person she hated most saw her in her most vulnerable state.
"Take it back, I said!" Ginny wheezed, her lungs burning.
The ropes loosened for a split second, and Ginny gasped a lungful of air. "Don't test me, Weasley!"
Ginny glared, biting her lip. She was going to pass out. Her head throbbed, and suddenly, falling onto the floor in a dead faint didn't seem so bad anymore.
"Had enough, Gryffindor?" Alecto smiled cruelly, the ropes leaving and the chair vanishing, dropping a heavily panting and disheveled Ginny to the floor.
"Good, very good. Just don't forget what you have learned, or you might have to come back for another...lesson."
Ginny took that as a dismissal. Without looking up from the floor, she dashed out the door and slammed it.
Outside, the tears began to stream. Before she knew it, she was leaning against the wall, far away from Alecto's room, sobbing into her knees.
How was she so...so weak? Why was she crying? She had survived, she had stood up to Alecto.
Ginny hiccuped. She knew, deep down. She knew that, no matter how brave she was, she was still scared of the Carrows. She just didn't let it show, because lions aren't terrified, are they?
Ginny wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and stood up. She may be a weak lion, but she was a lion all the same.
Ginny was a Gryffindor. And being that much was bravery in its self.
A/N: Ew, this is really weird.
Done for:
King of the Fanfics Competition
Key Signature Competition-F minor