SUMMARY: A day like no other, while Ginny is being chased by the Slytherins she encouters something very strange and when later returning to seek she finds that what changes her life and possibly the course of the war.
ERA: The story ignores Deathly Hollows completely and I started it about 6 months before DH was published. So it's set after Half-bloodprince
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
AUTHORS NOTE: Right! Next chapter! Thank you whomever has read the prologue so far... I had already finished this one before writing the prologue and I'd really better get started on the next chapter... But well... I'll do it tomorrow because this lucky girl is going to Cirque Du Soleil! YAY!
« Are you sure? » The one on the left asked, Ginny didn't really care at the moment who it was. Fred or George? They were the same anyway, and she loved them both to death. Especially now! They were standing in a pretty big shop though most of the space was taken by the hundreds of cages surrounding the three of them. There were owls, rats, cats and many other creatures. The floor was dirty, it used to be white, Ginny thought, but now looked more like grey, wheat and feathers alike where all over the shop as well. Ginny and her two favourite brothers stood in a bit of a secluded corner of the shop and Ginny was staring at one of the glass cages with a lovesick look on her face. The two brothers looked at each other for a moment before sighing. « Fine then. » George said « Mum's going to freak though. » Ginny's face lit up like a candle and she hugged both her brothers. « Thank you! »
George lifted the glass container and walked to the shop owner, lifting the case. During the five minutes that George kept bargaining with the owner Ginny's smile never left her face and she had to laugh when seeing the strange face Fred was pulling. Ginny knew it was bothering him, the pet she had chosen. George and the owner finally agreed and he walked towards them, handing Ginny the cage and a small book with the title: « How to take care of your new pet snake? »
Harry sat at the table looking over his OWL-results again in the kitchen while Ron was eating as much as he could and Hermione was nowhere to be seen when Ginny came in. She carried her glass cage, which was covered with a dark cloth, carefully as she put it on the table. Harry looked up and smiled « Hey, Ginny. » she smiled back and nodded happily « Hey Harry! Look! » and she removed the cloth. At first he wondered what he should see when he gazed at the glass container but then he noticed the long black snake coiled up inside the cage. He just stared at it for a moment.
« WHAT THE HELL GINNY! » Ron suddenly shouted as he stared at the creature. Ginny glared at him for a moment before opening the cage. « Fred and George took me to a pet shop today in London, for my next birthday and so I got her! » she smiled at Harry and he just nodded. Looking at the animal, he thought it was quite a nice snake, really. She was entirely black but a silver V on her head. « You bought a SNAKE!? » Ron cried. Harry glanced at Ron who was looking slightly red before turning back to Ginny. « Poisonous? » Harry asked staring as Ginny lifted the animal out and put it around her neck. The girl shook her head.
« What's going on? » a voice said from behind them and Ginny smiled at Hermione as she made her way to the table. « Look! I got her from Fred and George! » Hermione stared at the animal for a long time before putting a step back. « I don't really like snakes… » Ginny's smile faded a little but then came back « Don't worry about it! She's completely harmless and she's real nice! » Hermione looked a little doubtful and then sat at the table, leaving two seats between her and the snake. Just then Molly Weasley came in and she stopped when she saw her daughter and smiled. « Back from London? » Ginny nodded happily « What did you buy? And it wasn't to expensive, was it? » Ginny shook her head « Only two galleons, mum! And look! »
Hr mother let out a small shriek when she saw the snake around her daughters neck. « Ginny! » she said angrily « What did you buy!? » The girls smile faded for a second time and she looked at her mother worriedly « A snake, mum, she's really nice and not poisonous! » Mrs. Weasley held her hand over her heart « What won't your father think after that accident last year! » surprise flooded Ginny's eyes and she looked at the wooden floor « Oh, right… I forgot that… » She looked positively sad. Her mothers eyes softened as she watched her only daughter. She sighed softly, Ginny was pulling that face again and Molly just couldn't deny Ginny anything when pulling a face like that. « Maybe you should talk to him, when he comes home? But if he says yes, you will have to promise to take good care of it! » Ginny beamed « I will! » she said cheerfully and practical pranced out of the room.
Harry continued to read his OWL-results once more and Hermione started eating, after a minute passed Ron, who had sat frozen, finally spoke up « She bought a snake?! »
« So that part is over. » Ginny said, falling on the bed in her rather small room and smiling at the black snake in front of her. « Over? Your father… Has yet to… » Ginny's smile turned into a proud smirk « Don't worry, I just have to give him my puppy eyes and he'll say yes! » the snake made a chuckling noise « If you… Say so. » Ginny quickly got up and started to make room for the glass container. « I know you don't like this, » she said « but I'll have to take it with me to Hogwarts, you know, for show you won't have to sleep in it. » The young girl waited for and answer while putting the container on her, now empty, desk when she didn't get one she turned around and saw that her snake had fallen asleep. She smiled softly and grabbed one of her books while humming a soft tune and sitting next to the serpent getting ready to read for a few hours but before opening her book she thought of something. « Do you have a name? »
« My name is Yceran, » came the sleepy reply.
Ginny sat on the train looking outside, bored while caressing her snake's head softly. She traced the silver V softly and wondered what it was. She knew the snake was tired and wasn't going to say anything during the journey, for fear of someone over hearing as well as the creature's tiredness. The compartment door slid open and two girls walked in. « Hey Ginny! » a girl with long brown locks said, her name was Charis and she was Ginny's dorm mate. The other was Lysandra, a Ravenclaw with pale blond locks and green eyes. The girls smiled at the redhead. « Hope you don't mind? » Ginny shook her head smiling « No, I'm happy to have some company! » Lysandra smiled too as she sat down opposite of Ginny.
« Another year, huh? » Charis said. Ginny nodded again « We'll make it a fun one! » she said happily. Lysandra smiled too but then her smile slid of her face « Oh my god, Ginny! What is that! » Ginny frowned in surprise before she noticed the girl was looking below her face. « Oh, this is my new pet! » the youngest Weasley lifted the snake and showed it to the two girls. « Her name's Yceran, cool huh? » two girls didn't say anything but just stared at the redhead. « Well, it's a little weird… » the Ravenclaw then said but a smile crept on her face « but nice! There's never been a Gryffindor with a snake before! » and the girl laughed, Charis soon joined in while Ginny patted Yceran's head.
When the train started moving two Ravenclaw boys came in and joined them. They two were shocked at seeing a Gryffindor with a snake but they thought it funny and shrugged it off. Soon the conversation turned to Weasley Wizard Wheezes and Ginny they all laughed at the most hilarious products coming from her favourite brothers' place. Then Harry Potter came up.
« I think it's rally arrogant of the Prophet to suddenly start hero-worshipping Potter, » the dark haired Ravenclaw said. Ginny thought his name was Tom « I mean they wrote all those awful things about him last year… » Ginny shrugged « Did you expect any less? » Charis agreed « When I get out of Hogwarts I'm thinking of starting my own paper. » everyone stared at her, Ginny raised her eyebrows « Well, I'd like a paper that combines things like Witch Weekly and the Prophet, even crap like that in the Quibbler, wouldn't that be great? » Ginny shrugged.
« Maybe you should ask Loony to work for you? » one of the other Ravenclaw boys said, laughing. Lysandra frowned and Charis glanced at Ginny. « Don't laugh at her. » the Weasley said angrily. The boy stopped laughing and gave her a surprised look. « Luna is my friend, so don't laugh at her. » Lysandra quickly changed the subject to a more common ground, namely; Quidditch.
The remainder of the train ride was uneventful until Ginny decided to go and search for Dean and his friends. She got up and said her goodbyes to the Ravenclaws and the one Gryffindor. They all smiled politely the two girls friendlier then the boys and off she went. She walked through the train at a slow pace, almost strolling.
« Hey, look at that, it's a Weasley » she heard from behind her, she turned around and stood face to face with Draco Malfoy and one of his two cronies, behind the bulky boy stood a mean looking Pansy Parkinson. Ginny cursed inwardly.
'What's wrong?'
That's Malfoy and his Slytherin friends, they're usually trouble.
Yceran didn't answer but Ginny felt the snake's feelings of caution and it's unusual state of awareness. Draco Malfoy came closer. « So, I see you haven't changed yet. » he said smirking darkly « Those hand-me-down robes certainly fit you. » Ginny glared at the blond boy. « Look, she's angry, what's wrong Weasley cat got your tongue? » his smirk widened. « Oh, right, you can't afford a cat. » Ginny stood completely still while she waited for Draco to come closer, she couldn't help but feel delighted when feeling Yceran move around her neck. Malfoy stood very close to her now.
« Do you feel insulted, Malfoy? » Ginny said, smirking back, he looked startled « I mean, I don't think they have so much luxury in Azkaban, but I'm quite certain your father adapts well to his current life condition. » Draco paled and then moved his hand upward, he was going to strike her. But then his hand stopped in midair as he heard a hissing sound and pricking at his neck. « I'd watch it, Malfoy, she's poisonous and oh, I didn't forget the antidote, did I? » Parkinson shrieked and Malfoy stared at the snake who was ready to bite his neck. Very slowly the black snake closed her mouth and Malfoy tensed but then the snake withdrew. Ginny gave him a victorious smile. « Well, Malfoy, it was nice to see you again! Have a nice train ride! And you should eat better, you're a little thin and my! So pale! » she laughed and walked away leaving the flabbergasted Slytherins.
Thanks Yce.
Yceran didn't answer and Ginny had a feeling the snake had already gone back to sleep. The rest of the train ride passed rather quickly, without further incidents.
« Is that thing going to sleep in our dormitory!? » A black haired girl said loudly in the common room as she pointed a finger at Yceran, who was coiled around Ginny's neck. The youngest Weasley nodded not impressed with the girls' antics, Sarah had a habit of exaggerating and complaining about the smallest of things. « No way! » she shrieked loudly and a few first years quickly ran towards their appointed dormitory. « She isn't going to bite you! » Ginny said, holding back her laugh « and she'll be sleeping in my bed, which is on the other side of the room. » The girl stared at Ginny for a moment and then turned around with a huff, walking towards her dormitory « You're mad! It must be against the rules! » Ginny giggled and Charis soon joined her.
« Come on, Ginny, » she said with a smile « Tomorrow we're going to get up bright and early! » then very cautiously Charis extended her hand and stroked Yceran's dry scales before pulling her hand back, looking a little frightened. « Don't worry, » Ginny smiled « she doesn't bite people she likes! »
That night when Ginny pulled the red curtains around her bed and fell down with a sigh. She was a bit tired, especially after eating as much as she did. Yceran coiled herself up next to Ginny's pillow and both fell asleep.
AUTHORS NOTE: So that's it! Hope you enjoyed it... :-) Oh, right, um, I realize things are a bit confusing right now but it'll all be cleared up later on so bye bye!
