A/N: Essentially, what you recognize belongs to the goddess that is J.K. Rowling, and what you don't belongs to lil' ol' me.
•~0~•
When the school letters arrived detailing what supplies they'd need that year, Genevieve couldn't help but notice all listed books but her Standard Book Of Spells, Grade Four were authored by Gilderoy Lockhart, an all too cocky wizard who wrote novels with obnoxiously alliterative titles bragging about his accomplishments, and who most other witches swooned over, something Genevieve never quite understood.
She was also concerned about the price. Lockhart's books were unreasonably expensive, considering the mediocre content within. Her father's job at the Ministry paid well enough, and she had more than enough money to cover the supplies and leave funds for Hogsmeade visits, which she had skipped the year before due to her packed schedule. The Weasleys, however, were not so rich. She knew money was too thin to buy all these new books for five children.
"I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things secondhand," Mrs. Weasley reasoned.
"No, you won't." Genevieve was surprised to find herself speaking, but she continued. "Er - not from Diagon Alley, anyway. I still have all my books from first year, and I don't reckon I'll be needing them anymore; I don't fancy reviewing spells like Wingardium Leviosa. I'd be more than happy to give them to her. And they're all in good condition, I promise, with the added bonus of insight into my mind - I've annotated them all, see."
"That won't be necessary, Genevieve, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, turning slightly pink. "We can manage well enough."
"I insist," Genevieve countered. "You've been too kind to me these past few weeks, Mrs. Weasley. Consider this my way of giving back."
Mrs. Weasley relented. "Oh, all right, but only a few. That's all," she finished with a stern expression.
Genevieve grinned at Ginny. "Come on, you can pick them out." And with that, the girls raced from the room, colliding with Percy on the way out. He appeared highly offended, by Genevieve simply laughed. He really could be a prat at times.
In the end, Ginny had chosen Genevieve's old Herbology and Astronomy books - subjects that hadn't come as easily to her as the rest and had therefore been more thoroughly noted. Meanwhile, the Weasleys had decided to go to Diagon Alley the following Wednesday so Ron and Harry could meet Hermione there. She was looking forward to it.
•~0~•
When it had come time to go, Genevieve had Flooed just after Harry, but when she arrived, he was nowhere in sight.
"Where's Harry?" She asked Fred, George, and Mr. Weasley.
When the entire family had arrived and still no one could find him, they began to assume the worst. They encountered Hermione and finally Harry, who was with Hagrid.
"Where did you come out?" Ron demanded.
Hagrid answered for him. "Knockturn Alley."
"Excellent!" The twins said in unison. Genevieve swatted them.
"We've never been allowed in," Ron explained with a hint of jealousy.
Once Mrs. Weasley and Ginny had caught up with them and they'd all gotten their money out of their vaults, they went off in their separate directions, Genevieve going with Fred, George, and Lee, whom they had seen. They replenished their supply of Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks before buying ice cream and chatting.
An hour later, they'd met back up with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and, to general disgust, Malfoy. The horrors didn't end there, however. Draco's father had caught up with his son, and was insulting Mr. Weasley ruthlessly. It wasn't long before Mr. Weasley lunged at him, and a full out brawl began, stopping only with Hagrid intercepted.
Mr. Malfoy shoved Ginny's textbook back at her, sneering that it was the best her father could give her. Genevieve felt her fists clench in anger.
As they left, Mrs. Weasley admonished her husband for his behavior, but Genevieve herself didn't know how long she'd be able to take words like that before resorting to violence herself. The Malfoy family was truly rotten to the core.
•~0~•
"You need to get rid of it, Ginny, I don't trust it, or this Tom character."
"Nonsense, he's the sweetest boy I've ever talked to. I feel like I can tell him anything."
"Ginny, never set that much store by someone you've never met!" Genevieve knew how hypocritical she was being when she said this; she herself had only figured out how to use the Marauder's Map with encouragement from its Messrs, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. She really didn't know why she hated the diary so much, but something about it just gave her an unexplainable feeling, like it was about to attack her.
"I mean, don't you think it's a bit suspicious that you're corresponding with someone in a bewitched diary? You don't even know who he is, really."
Ginny's eyes narrowed. "I know who he is. He's Tom Riddle. And you can leave me be, not tell anyone about this, and stand with me as my friend for my first year of Hogwarts, or you can ruin everything for me. Choose."
Genevieve stood shocked. The girl standing in front of her now was vastly different from the carefree, fierce girl she'd met years ago. But, she supposed, Ginny had a point. If she didn't tell anyone, at least Genevieve could keep an eye on her herself. She bit her lip, and nodded. "Okay."