huge thanks to my beta-friend Lisa!
I'm just Charlie when JK is mr. Wonko from the Chocolatefactory
2. About talking and boring
-All kinds are good except the kind that bores you.-
Voltaire
It could be said that Horace Slughorn knew a lot of famous people and was eager to tell everyone about this fact.
It could also be said that Ginny Weasely had never judged or liked people based on their social contacts or lack thereof. Therefore, even a first-year could conclude that Ginny wasn't enjoying herself very much. Or, in other words: Slughorn was boring her to death. Slughorn himself, however, didn't seem to notice anything.
"…and then of couse I introduced him to the captain of the Wasps, where he was accepted right away. They hadn't even seen him fly!"
Ginny raised her eyebrows, quasi-surprised, and made sure she was smiling when Slughorn looked her way. She felt like a hypocrite for doing so, but this man was a teacher and could make it a bit difficult for her if she was rude to him before the term had even officially started. She really wished Dean was here…or anyone else, for that matter, if only for the sake of keeping her company.
Then someone knocked at the compartment door, and it slid open. It was as if fate had purposely misinterpreted her wish – someone entered, but it wasn't one of the people Ginny had meant when she'd wished for someone to keep her company. It was Blaise Zabini, looking smugger than ever and a smile plastered on his face. (It was weird to see a Slytherin smile, Ginny thought. There weren't many occasions in which a Slytherin would smile when she was around. Especially not after she had mastered that Bat Bogey Hex.)
"Hello professor."
"Blaise, m'boy!" Slughorn said enthusiastically. "Come in, come in. You are the first one who has responded to my invitation. Miss Weasely here wasn't formally asked for this dinner, but after seeing her spell work, I couldn't help myself! Have you two met before?"
Blaise's smile disappeared for a moment, but when Slughorn turned back to him, he plastered the fake smile back on and said, "Only in the corridors, sir."
"Yes, and lucky for you," Ginny mumbled with her teeth clenched. She hadn't forgotten how Blaise and some other Slytherins had made Hogwarts a living hell with their Inquisitorial squad the previous year
"Oho, it is indeed lucky for you, Mr. Zabini! You would not want this girl as your enemy. Well, let's not wait for the other ones to eat, shall we?" He grabbed one of the trunks out of the luggage net and opened it. With a poof of red smoke, the trunk opened and revealed as what looked like huge parts of a Hogwarts feast.
But eating what could only be described as one of the best scones in Great Britain didn't lessen Ginny's uncomfortable feelings. She had begged fate to bring some other nice people, but fate had played a cruel joke again; it seemed as if Slughorn had only invited the most cocky (and somehow related to famous people) students to his gathering. But when Slughorn was busy with his third story about another famous Quidditch player he knew, however, fate seemed to be a bit bored too, because now it actually brought some interesting people.
Neville and Harry entered, and Ginny had to wonder which one looked more uncomfortable. Slughorn looked at them (especially Harry) as if Christmas had come early this year, and started to introduce everyone to them. Ginny, having heard at this point far too many introductions to count and already knowing the people in question, zoned out, and was looking out the window. She wondered if Hermione was right about the DA. Sure, they had only done it to annoy Umbridge, but she was sure that Harry had enjoyed teaching them as much as she had enjoyed learning from him. It wasn't every day she got the chance to conjure a Patronus on her third attempt.
"— and this charming young lady tells me she knows you!" She heard Slughorn saying and looked up, to see Neville's uncertain face and Harry's bemused one. Harry looked as though he might be laughing at her. She pulled a face, wondering if he would be laughing once he realized how boring this whole thing was. When Harry and Neville had seated themselves, Slughorn went back to his food, asking everyone questions all the while. Ginny listened with half an ear: apparently, Zabini had a famous mother whose wealthy husbands tended to die rather mysteriously, and McLaggen's uncle was friends with the Minister. It was inevitable that Slughorn would eventually turn to Neville, and when he did, she could not help but feel extremely sorry for Neville, who was being forced to explain to a bunch of people he didn't know that his parents were insane and incapable of remembering his name.
"Did they ever tell you that I taught them both?"
Ginny couldn't help but snort indignantly. She had "met" Neville's mother herself, if that term could be used when the poor woman hadn't even been aware of her. Considering that Mrs. Longbottom and her husband had been tortured into that condition when Neville was quite young, she doubted very much that Slughorn had ever come up in conversation. But before she could even dare to make a remark about it, she felt an elbow in her ribs, demanding she be quiet. She looked at Harry, but besides the frown visible between his eyebrows, he didn't show any emotion. Slughorn, in the meantime, went on.
"Oh, yes, they were exceptional, exceptional! I introduced your father to the Head of the Auror Department, and the rest you of course know that they went on to become quite famous!"
Neville shifted about as though trying to escape Slughorn's hungry gaze. Ginny had been lucky enough to grow up with a family that was whole, but she would gladly share it with the shy boy sitting in front of her.
Fortunately, after ten excruciating moments, Slughorn turned to Harry. Ginny looked at the boy next to her, whose expression was closed, as if he was building a shield around himself. She shot a smile at him and instantly knew that Slughorn would have quite a task getting information out of Harry.
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Next chappie is about Hermione! To see how she copes with her hormones...
