Chapter 1
The clock struck midnight in the courtyard's tower of the finest school in the country. If anyone were awake to hear the bells, they would have immediately noticed the difference between tonight and any other night, but no one was awake to hear the thirteenth chime that night.
The first day of classes would start tomorrow and curfew had been changed to an earlier time due to the late night fights and midnight adventures of the previous year. Silence followed the bells and the grounds looked even gloomier than usual. A mist of fog had taken over the grounds and rain drizzled lightly against the stone walls of the castle until early the next morning when the thunder and lightning took their turn.
Students were jolted awake by the storm early that morning. The time was seven o'clock. The storm was a perfect wake up alarm for the first day of school. A young woman with red hair rolled out of her bed in Gryffindor tower and promptly took a shower before the rest of the girls in the dorm. Her school uniform showed off her toned legs without showing too much. The next step was to put on her makeup and straighten her hair. All she needed was a simple spell or two and then she would be able to greet the world looking perfect just as she did every day. It did not matter that her family could barely afford their bills or food. She had decided long ago that she would make her own way and make her way she had. How else would she have become one of the hottest girls in the school, or one of the smartest? Her grades were perfect enough that honor roll was the lowest accomplishment that she would ever receive. Many girls were jealous of her because of this. After all, her boyfriend was the famous Harry Potter, and she had him wrapped around her finger. Anything she wanted, he would get for her. She smiled into the mirror before bouncing her way down to the Gryffindor Common Room.
He stood by the fire place talking to his two closest friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. A few moments later, she was by his side. He pulled her close and kissed her deeply. Pulling away, she made sure to keep his hand in hers and he did the same. His smile grew as he realized how much he loved the girl who stood beside him. Breaking his thoughts, Ginny asked, "So what were you guys talking about? I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"
Two minutes earlier, Hermione had been extremely happy, but now her perfect morning had been crushed by the one and only Ginny Weasley. "No. You didn't interrupt anything," she sighed. "We were just talking about what classes we are taking today. As seventh years we have the ability to take two elective courses that will prepare us for the jobs that we are planning on going into after we graduate."
"Oh yeah. I heard about that. It's a new thing this year isn't it?" Ginny responded.
"Yes it is," Hermione responded shortly.
"We find out who the head girl and boy of the whole school are today," Ron informed Ginny. "I wonder who they will be. I hope I get picked."
Ginny rolled her eyes at her freakishly tall brother. "Your grades aren't good enough to be the head boy. I, on the other hand, will hopefully become the head girl of my year." Hermione kept her mouth shut, but she could not stop thinking that Ginny was anything but a stupid whore. How she earned her grades, Hermione had no idea. "Who wants to go to breakfast?" Ron continued, oblivious to Hermione's thoughts.
"Sounds like a good idea. It'll be served in ten minutes anyways," Harry responded. "Let's go."
"I just need to grab something from my room and get a book from the library," Hermione said.
"Alright. We'll meet you down there," Ginny answered swiftly. Hermione's jaw clenched as the others started the walk down to the Great Hall for breakfast and left her behind for the second time in two days.