Disclaimer: I must not tell lies! I'm not J.K. Rowling and I do not own any part of Harry Potter.

This was written for round one of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition.

Ron Weasley dug frantically through the pile of rocks that blocked the path to the Chamber of Secrets. He was glad to have something to do; he didn't know if he would be able to stand it if he just had to sit there and wait with only Professor Lockhart for company (if you could call it that).

How long ago had Harry disappeared into the Chamber to look for Ginny? It felt like days to Ron, though more likely it was only an hour or two. He could feel his eyes start to well up with tears. He had faith in Harry, but what if he was too late to save Ginny? There was no telling what the Chamber of Secrets monster had done to her.

Lockhart tapped on Ron's shoulder, causing him to jump. "What?" he snapped, a little more harshly than he intended. Lockhart was unfazed by his tone, however.

"Why are you crying?" he asked kindly.

"I'm not crying," Ron replied. But Lockhart continued to stare at him pointedly. Ron sighed in resignation. "It's just that I might've lost both my best friend and my sister tonight and I never got to say goodbye... And I think it's my fault."

It was true. If he hadn't been such a horrible brother to Ginny, she probably wouldn't have wandered off by herself and gotten caught by the monster. Ron thought of all the times over the years that he'd brushed Ginny off without a second thought.

"Look, kids!" Arthur Weasley said proudly as his six children entered the hospital room at St. Mungo's. "It's your new baby sister!"

Everyone gathered around their mother's bed, exclaiming over the tiny girl nestled in her arms. Everyone, that is, but Ron. He hung back, his arms crossed and a sulky expression on his face. He hadn't believed the baby was coming until she was here, and now it was official. He was no longer the youngest one in the family, so all the attention he got would go to the baby.

"What's her name, Mum?" Charlie asked.

"Ginevra," Molly answered. "Ginny for short." Catching sight of Ron, she misinterpreted his attitude as feeling left out. "Would you like to hold her first, Ron?" she said.

"No," Ron said forcefully.

Molly's smile faded. She'd thought everybody was happy about having a sister, but now she wasn't so sure...

"Play with me, Ronnie!" four-year-old Ginny begged, holding out one of her dolls.

"I'm busy," Ron said shortly, twisting the knobs on his radio. "Isn't anyone broadcasting the Chudley Cannons game?" he muttered to himself.

"But no one else will play with me," Ginny pouted.

"Well, that's too bad for you. Why don't you try playing by yourself for once?" Ron said.

"Fine. I guess I will." With one last glare at her brother, Ginny gathered up her dolls and swept out of the room.

"Ron? Can you teach me how to climb a tree?" Ginny, now six years old, requested.

"Not right now, Ginny," Ron said impatiently. "Didn't you hear Mum? She's going to Diagon Alley and she wants us to stay inside while she's gone."

"Okay, so how about when she gets back?" Ginny persisted.

Ron shook his head. "Nope. Dad asked me and Fred and George to de-gnome the garden, remember?"

Ginny sighed in frustration. "Sometimes I swear you make up excuses so you don't have to spend time with me."

"Oh, you finally caught on," Ron said sarcastically. "Now go away."

"Ron, have you seen Ginny anywhere?" Molly asked her youngest son.

"No, why?" Ron said.

"I've been looking all over and I can't find her anywhere," Molly said worriedly. "Could you help me look for her, please?"

Ron groaned. He had been on his way out to the shed so he could fly on his broom one last time before he had to leave it behind for the school year. "Okay," he said.

They searched high and low, calling out Ginny's name repeatedly, but to no avail. Finally, Ron decided to check in his room, as unlikely as it was that she would be there.

"Ginny?" he called, peering into his room. There was no response, but Ron thought he heard a muffled thump coming from his school trunk. He tentatively lifted the lid and, to his shock, there was Ginny.

"How did you get in there?" he cried. "Get out, now!"

"Take me to Hogwarts with you," Ginny said. "I don't want to be home by myself."

"You won't be by yourself. Mum and Dad will still be here."

"But they're always busy," Ginny complained. "I'm going to be so lonely."

"You can't come, Ginny. You're too young. You have to wait until next year. All right?" Ron said firmly. "Just go tell Mum you're okay."

Dejectedly, Ginny climbed out of Ron's trunk and went to find her mother.

"Ron!" Arthur said. "Might I have a word with you, please?"

Ron stopped dragging his trunk to the front door and turned to Arthur. "Yeah, Dad?"

"Look, I wanted to remind you that it's Ginny's first year at Hogwarts, and she's really excited about it. So I need you to keep an eye on her and make sure nothing happens to her."

"I already had this speech from Mum," Ron interjected.

"Okay, I won't give it to you again then. But just remember, your sister looks up to you. So you have to set a good example for her and take care of her," Arthur said.

"Yeah, yeah," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"Promise you'll look out for her?"

"I promise."

"That's my boy." Arthur smiled and clapped his son on the shoulder. "Let's get you off to Hogwarts."

"I broke my promise," Ron said in a hollow voice. "And now she might be dead."

"Pardon?" Lockhart said.

"Never mind," Ron said, shaking his head. Just then, he heard a yell.

"Ron! Ginny's okay! I've got her!"

Ron shouted in relief. He sank against the rock, but quickly got back to his feet as Harry's footsteps approached. "Ginny!" he gasped, reaching out a hand to pull her through the hole he'd made. She was alive. Everything was all right.

Later, back in the Gryffindor common room, Ron approached his sister. "Ginny?" he said cautiously. "I - I wanted to apologize."

"Why?" Ginny said in confusion.

"It's just that... I've been a really awful brother to you in the past. I'm supposed to help you and take care of you and be nice to you, and I haven't always done those things. So I'm sorry. I'll try to be better from now on."

Ginny gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Ron. I love you."

Ron hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and enveloped Ginny in a hug. "I love you, too."