I'm so sorry for taking so long to update! I wonder if anyone will want to read my stuff now, I'm sure that's not likely, but I do apologize to anyone that cares. Here's chapter 2 to those that reviewed and those that didn't, but read it anyway, thank you!-Sparrow

Chapter 2: A New Friend

That night, after the three other girls sharing her dorm quieted down, Ginny pulled out her diary. She hadn't written in it yet, she had waited until she had begun school, a new tradition.

Today had been, in a word, completely and utterly horrible. Ok, not one word, but still, that's what it was for Ginny. She'd spent the day alone on the train, in a compartment containing two snogging couples and an oddly smelling boy who spent his time reading, what Ginny thought to be, some very questionable material. She was nearly drowned on the boat ride to the castle, then-of course- there was the sorting.

She still couldn't understand what had possessed the hat to put her here.

Deciding that she couldn't do anything about that now, she pulled out her one new quill, and opened the diary to the first clean page.

Dear Diary, my name is Ginny…

She lifted he quill to think about what to say next. When she looked down at the page though, a new line had already appeared, but it was in place of the one she had written down. She blinked, trying to see if this was yet another figment of over active imagination.

Hello Ginny, my name's Tom…

Not understanding where the mysterious source of the writing was, and this being the first truly friendly thing she'd heard all day (aside from her brother's of course) she didn't think twice about talking to this Tom.

Hello Tom. So you're my diary. I never expected to actually have a conversation with my diary.

Well, I never was one for predictability, so, tell me about yourself. How old are you? Do you go to Hogwarts?

I'm eleven, and yes, I go to Hogwarts, I'm in Slytherin.

Slytherin eh? Many great wizards come from that house, no doubt some day you'll be one of them.

Oh I don't think so, I'm not supposed to be in Slytherin, I'm supposed to be in Gryffindor. That's where all my family is, and was for that matter. I'm just the misfit.

Ah, but isn't it good to break with the ordinary Ginny? Haven't you ever wished to be something more then you're family? This is your chance

I guess you're right…It doesn't change the fact that everyone in my house hates me though. They don't like my last name, especially Malfoy, he hated us before, but ever since my brother Ron became friends with Harry…

I'm sure you can change their minds. But tell me, who is this Harry?

OH! Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. He's known all around the wizarding world for somehow defeating You Know Who. I'm sorry Tom, I'm tired, I think I'll go to sleep, classes start tomorrow.

Don't worry Ginny, I understand, sleep well, and I'll talk to you tomorrow, and maybe you can tell me more about this…Harry Potter…Goodnight.

Goodnight Tom.

Ginny closed the diary with a sigh, and tucked it under her pillow for safe keeping. Scooting under her covers she closed her eyes, tired from the trying day. She wasn't looking forward to her first classes like she had been that morning, but since she had Tom, she didn't feel nearly as bad about them as she had that evening at dinner.

The last thought she had before her mind drifted to sleep was, I'm glad I'm not alone…Tom is such a nice friend…

The day of Ginny's first classes dawned in a lively splash of colour which seemed to only mock the way Ginny was feeling.

The night's sleep hadn't changed her housemates' opinion of her it would seem, and it took her twenty minutes to find her way out of the dungeons and then another ten to reach the Great Hall.

She sat in the spot from the evening before, sliding into it as quickly as possible. Reaching for food before anyone would notice her, she dug in. Her first bite was welcomed with the sound of the owl post flying in. She was embarrassed when her family's old owl Errol just barely missed dive-bombing her porridge, and dropped a small roll of parchment in front of her, taking off once more in Ron's direction. She had barely picked it up to read it when she heard her mother's voice yelling from the Gryffindor table. Intrigued, she looked up and watched as a bright red letter yelled at her brother.

"…stealing the car, I wouldn't have been surprised if they expelled you. You wait till I get a hold of you! I don't suppose you stopped to think what your father and I when we saw it had gone...letter from Dumbledore last night. I thought you father would die of shame! We didn't bring you up to behave like this! You and Harry could have DIED…Absolutely disgusted! You're father's facing an inquiry at work! IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE, WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME!!"

Ginny snorted. It was always funny when someone else was being yelled at by Molly Weasley. Her infamous temper terrified any that had ever been on the receiving end of one of her tirades. Ginny tried to stifle the giggles that were wracking her body, and had to duck her head to avoid making her actions obvious. She didn't notice the interested stare she was getting from the middle of the table, where surprised grey eyes watched her reaction very closely.

Ginny rose, pocketing the letter she could only assume was from her parents, and left the great hall. She had about ten minutes to find the transfiguration classroom for her first class, and she had no clue where she was going.

After nine minutes of trying to follow classmates, she finally found the room, and a seat. That was a trial in itself, and so she eventually settled in one at the very front of the class, where no one seemed to want to sit, and had the entire bench row to herself.

"Good morning class, I am Professor McGonagall, and I will be teaching you Transfiguration during you stay here at Hogwarts." The woman was exactly as Ron described her. Tall, skinny, and with hair more gray then brown, she was a severe looking woman, and as severe in voice. "We will begin by calling the roll."

Ginny sat in silence as her professor called the names of her classmates, and dreaded the time that it would be her turn. Alas, as unwanted things are wont to do, her name was eventually called.

"Ginevra Weasley," Ginny raised her arm, and waited to be acknowledged. When she heard McGonagall's prim, "Ah," she looked up to see her professor glaring at her in a way that made the youngest Weasley wish she had chosen to stay in bed that morning.