"So," I said, coming to sit at the table after I took my shower, "you guys are gonna come back to Hogwarts?"
"Well, we need our NEWTS," said Hermione, who had joined the table in my absence.
"Yeah, plus why start work any earlier then we have to?" added Ron, tipping back his chair.
"Ronald, school is a lot of work." Hermione looked him over. "Well, for those of us who do our work, and don't just copy it." She said loftily.
"Hey! I do-"
"Plus this year might be relatively normal" interjected Harry. "For the first time."
He grinned at me, a hint in his eyes that I may be part of this "normal" life.
"Don't worry," I said, in a consoling voice, "I'm sure you'll find some trouble."
Harry glanced back at Ron and Hermione, who were still bickering.
"Oh yeah?" he asked with a smirk, "How are you so sure?"
"You, my friend, are now in the same year as the sister of the founders of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, and you have yet to make up for this morning."
He looked astounded. "This Morning?" he asked incredulously. "You do realize who started that, don't you?"
"I've told you Harry, it was all in the name of fashion."
He gaped at me, and shook his head. "You are impossible," he said shortly.
"Why's Ginny impossible?" Ron cut in, apparently bored of his and Hermione's conversation, and therefore had to interrupt ours. Oblivious oaf.
"'Cause I grew up with you for a brother."
"What?"
"Dimwit."
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I stared at my closet. And stared again. I moved a few hangers. And stared.
"Hermione," I whined, twirling around and sitting on my bed, "I don't know what to take." I'd never really had to narrow down my clothes before, but since Ron started getting all these awards, including an Order of Merlin, and Dad got his promotion, Mum's started letting me buy more and more clothes and other things too.
"Just pick your favorites Ginny," she said, as if it were the easiest thing to do.
"Ok" I said, determined now to start packing. I looked at my closet, then whirled back around to look at her. She peered up at me. I put on my best pleading face. She sighed and stood up.
"Alright, what don't you like?" she asked, coming to stand beside me, looking into the closet.
"Um, well, these are kind of old," I said hesitantly. I've never been obsessed with fashion, and trends and everything, but I didn't want to take too much, and of course I wanted to look at least presentable, just in case I happen to see a cute boy. You know, a tall, dark and handsome one, not mentioning names.
"Okay" she said, "so don't bring those."
"But I need them for quidditch!" I cried.
"How many outfits could you possibly need for quidditch?" She asked, crossing her arms.
"A few."
"As in…"
"Maybe three?"
"Alright. Choose three quidditch outfits." I did as she'd ordered, throwing them on my bed.
"Now, get rid of the other old outfits, and we'll start narrowing it down."
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I sat on my trunk, and snapped it shut.
"Thanks Hermione," I said as I watched her pile in all her books. She seemed to be taking her own library.
"Need help closing that?"
She shook her head and waved her wand. The trunk, though it was overflowing a bit, snapped shut immediately. And I had worked so hard to close mine. I waved my wand at my trunk again, I would take a while getting used to being able to use magic. Hermione was already out the door and partway down the stairs. I sent my trunk halfway out the door, and turned to see if I had forgotten anything important. I felt a tug on my magic and my trunk thudded to the ground. I turned to see Harry sitting on top of it, tracing where my name had been scratched into it.
"You made my trunk fall." I told him, my hands on my hips.
"Ginny," he said with the air of an exasperated teacher, "you have to concentrate." I lifted up the trunk, now prepared for the added weight, and tipped forward, still in a sitting position, a few feet in front of me.
"That wasn't kind," he said sadly from the floor.
I stepped past him, trunk aloft. "You'll live."
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"Mum, you're going to make me miss the train," Ron complained, his voice muffled.
"I know, I know, I'm sorry." Mrs. Weasley let go of her youngest son, sniffling. She had already said goodbye to the other three, but Harry knew that if they didn't start moving soon she would want another round of hugs.
"Go on then. Don't get in any trouble dears. Study hard. Ron, that includes you."
"Yes Mum," replied Ron, as though he had said it fifty times in the past twenty minutes (which he probably had).
"Goodbye Mrs. Weasley!" shouted Hermione out of the window.
""Yeah," Harry followed up, "thanks again!"
Mum nodded, attempting to smile. I shouted a farewell to her just a the train started to move.
"Gracious," I said, slumping back into my seat, "you'd think it was the first time we'd ever gone away to school."
"Hello." I looked around for the source of the dreamy voice and saw that Luna had just come into our compartment.
"Luna!" I rushed up to give my friend a hug, before we sat down on either side of Harry, which gave me a good excuse to sit closer to Harry. Not that I was thinking about that.
"So," she said, addressing the other three, "you decided to come back. I was so hoping you would." She fingered her earring, it looked like she had gotten a pair of purple radishes and was wearing one purple and one red. Oh dear. She smiled at everyone happily.
"Well," Harry broke the silence, "we decided it would be fun. I guess we're in your year now."
"Oh good," she said merrily "we may have classes together this year.
"Yeah," cut in Ron, "So how was your holiday?"
"Oh splendid. Father took me with him to look for quipets. We saw a quedagle too. I wonder if he mentioned that in the article," she said, undoubtedly reaching for the latest copy of the now popular Quibbler.
The compartment door opened once again, and Neville peered in. We invited him to join us, and he sat down on the other side of Hermione.
"Good vacation?" asked Hermione.
"Yeah, it was great. Gran's really proud of me, she shows me off to everyone. Bit annoying really. But she let me get a new plant. Look!" He pulled out his newest plant. It was a lavender flower with a bright orange center. The stem was almost perfectly round.
Hermione immediately recognized it as some plant whose named sounded like "aunge klafe" or something.
"Watch" Neville continued, excitedly, "not only does it have hundreds of healing powers, it can keep precious objects safe." He stroked the flower gently. The stem seemed to open up, reveling that it was hollow. "If anyone but me had done that they would have gotten injected with enough poison to knock them out until I found them."
"Wow," Hermione looked intrigued, "I wonder how it knows how much. I mean, to much and they could die, but to little and it would be pointle-
Ron cut in, "Anyone for a game of exploding snap?"
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AN: Sorry, I know nothing much happens here, but I hate transitions that are too fast, so I really try to avoid those. More excitement in coming chapters. Well if I get reviews. 4 out of 220-some is rather disheartening. Please review. Even if its just a happy face or a sad face.