Chapter 2: Back to Hogwarts

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley called through the bellow of the Hogwarts Express final whistle. "Ginny! You forgot your lunch!" Ginny hurried back to her mother from boarding the train.

"Mum! Way to call me back for such a minor thing! I have to go or the train will leave without me!"

"I know dear, but," Mrs. Weasley paused, "I suppose you are a little old for remembering lunch. Now hurry onto the train." Ginny turned, but then stepped back and gave her mother a quick squeeze goodbye. She knew her mother was being sentimental.

Ginny walked onto the train, and headed back along the aisle looking for her brother Ron, Hermione, and Harry. As she passed the next compartment, she saw their familiar faces and walked in.

"Oy! What took you so long?" Ron asked her as she took a seat next to Hermione.

"Mum called me. I forgot my lunch," Ginny answered.

"Well, where is it then?" Harry asked her, grinning slightly.

"Oh, well, I forgot it again." She said to him rather meekly. Harry rolled his eyes and sniggered. Ginny smiled to herself. She liked to see Harry happy.

"Well anyway," Ginny began, "I can't believe youlot are starting your seventh year! What am I going to do next year without my best friends?"

"I know what you'll do," Ron said. "You'll come to school and make new friends."

"I have friends other than you guys. Luna's one of my friends. And I know some other girls from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw."

"Good. You're all set for next year, then," said Ron. Ginny turned to Hermione.

"But I'm still going to miss you all so much!" she said.

"And we'll miss you too! But we still have this whole year ahead of us, so don't get all emotional now," Hermione said to Ginny.

Hermione's words comforted Ginny some, but she still thought about her friends' last year at Hogwarts. She looked over to Harry, who was silently looking out of the window. This year would be her last chance to prove to him that they were meant for each other. Harry believed that she had moved on from him. True, she had dated some over the past few years, but her feelings for Harry always ended up getting in the way of her relationships, in which all were ended by Ginny. She looked at her brother now, who was beginning a conversation with Harry.

"I can't believe how fast summer went by! It seems like just yesterday we were sitting in here going home!" Ron said to Harry.

"I know! And summer holiday was great this year, I wish it could be a little longer," said Harry. He was right there. Summer holiday this year was very fun. Ginny remembered it, too.

Harry had stayed for most of the summer, and he and Ron spent most of the time just hanging out. But, the three of them also practiced Quidditch. Ron had improved greatly over the last year, and with Ginny as one of the new chasers, they were almost unstoppable, and that was without the rest of the team. Ron, Harry, and Ginny would spend at least two days a week practicing together outside, flying around on their brooms, and using the new set of Quidditch balls Harry got for his birthday from Hermione. That summer was great fun, but Ginny didn't get the ending she wanted. She wanted her and Harry to be together, but that didn't happen, so now she had all year to get the message across.

Harry and Ron were deep in conversation about the new moves they would be using this Quidditch season, when their compartment door opened. It was Neville Longbottom. The past two years had done Neville good. This summer, especially. Ginny was surprised when he walked in. Last year he had dropped some of his old chubbiness, but this year it looked to be almost all gone. He had lost his boyish look, and had grown, to Ginny's amazement, quite handsome.

"Hi, guys!" Neville said to the group. Hermione looked up, and her eyes widened some.

"Neville! Wow! You look, so, so—"

"Good? Yeah, well," Neville's cheeks flushed pink. "Gran said I was 'turning into a man'." They all laughed at the comment. Neville sat down next to Ron.

"You know, Neville," Ron began, "You clean up pretty nicely."

"Yeah. You shouldn't have any trouble finding a girl this year," Harry laughed. Ginny smiled, too. She had always felt sorry for Neville, but now seeing him all grown up made her feel better. Maybe his new appearance would boost his confidence some.

"So did you have a good summer?" Neville asked them.

"Wicked!" exclaimed Ron.

"Hermione got me this fantastic Quidditch ball set for my birthday, so we got to practice with that," Harry added to Ron's statement.

"That's great to hear," answered Neville. They continued the conversation, and Neville told them about his summer. After about fifteen minutes, Neville stood up. "Well I should get going now." He turned to the compartment door.

"Bye, Neville," Ginny said to him. Neville left, and the three of them looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Bloody hell," murmured Ron. "I can't believe that was Neville." Ron shook his head. Ginny and Hermione were exchanging looks when their compartment door opened again.

This time, a white blonde head peeked in. It looked around, and a nasty smirk drew across its face. It was Malfoy. He walked in.

"Well, well, well, look who's grown up this summer." Malfoy purred.

"Shove off, Malfoy!" Hermione shot at him, glaring straight into his steely eyes.

"I wasn't speaking to you, Granger," he sneered. "Good God do you really think I would actually say something like that to a mudblood like you? I was speaking to the Weasley girl. My she is looking good this year. All grown up now, aren't we?" Ginny felt her face heat up with anger and embarrassment.

"Don't you talk to my sister like that, Malfoy," Ron threatened, his fists clenching and his ears reddening. He stood up.

"Come off it, Weasley. I was giving her a compliment. But I suppose you aren't accustomed to receiving them very often, given the state of your things," Malfoy drawled. His eyes narrowed, and he turned for the door. "See you around, Weasley," he said to Ginny, grinning, and then left.

"Yuck. I feel unclean. The nerve of him to talk to me like that," Ginny groaned. But in a way, Malfoy was right. Shehad changed this summer. Apart from growing a little but taller, she now had more of the body of a woman. And as much as she loathed Malfoy, she was a little happy somebody noticed she was growing up. She just wished Harry would see it, too. Ginny knew that he still thought of her as Ron's baby sister, not the woman she was growing into.

Ginny and Neville weren't the only ones to have matured over the last year. Ron had finally outgrown his awkward stage and had muscled up some from Quidditch training. Harry too had lost his boyishness, and grown even better looking. Hermione, underneath her bushy hair, was very pretty; she just didn't take the time to allow others to see it as much. Ginny once tried to convince her to tie her hair back, that it would show off her pretty face, but Hermione just said "who really cares about looks anyway?" and Ginny dismissed the subject. Ginny looked out of the window, and watched the extensive green fields roll by. The clouds in the distance had threatening look about them, and fine raindrops began spitting softly on the windowpane.

The train pulled up to Hogwarts around 7:00. It was storming now, so Ginny pulled the hood of her robes over her head so that she wouldn't get wet. As the four of them got off the train, they heard the familiar call of Hagrid.

"Firs years, this way!" He called. As he beckoned, a flash of lightening lit the sky and a roar of thunder quickly followed.

"Do you suppose it's safe for the first years to be crossing the lake in this weather? What if they get hit by lightening?" Ginny asked Hermione.

"It's perfectly safe," Hermione told Ginny, "I read about it in Hogwarts, A History. There is a spell on the lake to refract electricity, so if the weather is bad like this, nobody crossing the lake will get electrocuted." Ginny nodded. Trust in Hermione to know something like that.

Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Harry walked together up to the school, saying hello to their friends along the way. They made their way into the school, where Hermione was stopped by Professor McGonagall.

"Miss Granger, Head Boy and Girl need to meet with Professor Dumbledore before the feast starts. Would you care to follow me quickly to his office? You'll be able to join the rest of the table after Professor has his word with you both. Justin is already with him." Hermione left with Professor McGonagall to Dumbledore's office.

Ginny knew that Hermione would be picked Head Girl this year, but was surprised when she found out Justin Finch-Fletchley had been picked as Head Boy, and not Harry. Ron was also a little disappointed that he had not been picked, seeing as he was a Prefect. But both of them agreed that anyone was all right just as long as it wasn't Malfoy, whom they had speculated could have been chosen.

Without Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Harry continued to the Great Hall, where students were beginning to take their seats at their houses' tables. Ginny followed Ron and Harry to the Gryffindor table. Harry and Ron sat next to their friends Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, and Ginny sat across from them, saving a seat for Hermione.

"I'm starving!" Ron said enthusiastically.

"Me too," replied Harry. The rest of the school seemed to have made it in safely, minus the fact that they were wet from the rain outside. Everyone was now taking his or her seats, and the hall was filled with the excited chatter of a new year. After a few moments, Ginny saw Professor McGonagall's stern face at the entrance of the Great Hall, followed closely by the new group of terrified looking first years. Hermione was seen squeezing through the bunch of them, and Ginny waved to flag her over to the seat she had saved for her.

"Thanks," said Hermione. "Professor Dumbledore was just informing us about our responsibilities now as Head Boy and Girl. I was almost worried that we wouldn't be back in time for the sorting, but Dumbledore does need to be present for it." Just as Hermione said this, Dumbledore had appeared behind the teachers' table, and Professor McGonagall was placing the Sorting Hat on the three-legged stool. As McGonagall returned to the first years, Dumbledore stood up. The hall immediately quieted. He cleared his throat, and spoke.

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!" he exclaimed jubilantly. "I see we have all made it here safely. Wet, but safely. It is a pleasure to see the familiar faces of our students back again, and the new ones of the first years who will be sorted in a matter of moments. I know you all are hungry, but hold on to your appetites for just a while longer. Now! Let the Sorting begin!" With that, Dumbledore sat down, and the Sorting Hat broke into its yearly song. After it was finished, it was applauded by the school, and McGonagall began announcing the names.

"Anspache, Daniella," she called from the long roll of parchment. A small, bouncy looking girl with blonde braids and very pale skin skipped up to the stool, picked up the hat herself, and plopped it atop her head. Ginny laughed at her eagerness. After a few seconds the Sorting Hat shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!" The Hufflepuff table exerted whoops of welcome and loud clapping as Daniella hopped over to her new house.

"Caveign, Arlen," was called. Arlen was lean, with dark chocolate colored hair, and as he walked up to the stool, the little girls in line gaped at him. Ginny could tell he was going to be popular amongst the younger girls. The Sorting hat was put on his head, and it yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindor table erupted into clapping and cheering for the first Gryffindor called that night.

The sorting continued, and Ginny was reminded of her own sorting. She was one of the few who weren't scared. She was confident that she would be placed in Gryffindor, because her entire family was in that house. She remembered distinctly that as the Sorting Hat was placed on her head, it said to her that she was obviously another Weasley, and the baby of the family. Then it shouted Gryffindor, and she walked excitedly to her new house that was clapping wildly for her. Ginny watched as McGonagall called another name.

"Paige, Stefani" was called, and girl with long, red hair almost the same shade as Ginny's walked timidly to the stool. The hat called "GRYFFINDOR" again; she was one of about four that had already been called.

"Reedmond, Thomas," was next, and was put in Ravenclaw, followed by "Soubrette, Scarlet," who was placed in Slytherin. The sorting finished about ten minutes later with "Younge, Derin," who was called "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"We've got a good amount of first years this year, I'd say about what, fifteen? Twenty?" asked Ron to Harry.

"I guess. First years are so…"

"Small? Easily convinced? Yes, we are going to have fun with them this year, Harry!" Ron and Harry laughed, but Hermione didn't find it amusing.

"You two are so immature! Don't you remember when you were first years? Nobody was dreadful to you? So what makes you think you can treat them horribly?" Hermione scolded them.

"Lighten up, Hermione," Ginny said. "They could use some, er, discipline, sometimes. Haven't you ever noticed how much they think of themselves and how they think they know everything? As cute as they are, they can be a real pain, you know." Harry and Ron continued talking about ways they could manipulate the first years, when Dumbledore stood up again.

"So now we may truly begin! Congratulations to the first years on their sorting! I know how dreadfully hungry you all are, so I will save my words until after the feast is complete, so for now, please do tuck in!" Dumbledore was seated again, and the food appeared on the plates and in wonderful amounts. The first years marveled in this, and took delight in asking around to each other "did you see that? It just showed up out of nowhere!" but the formers of the school took no time in digging into the marvelous food on their plates. Soon the hall was noisy again with talking and eating and discussions about summer holidays.

The feats concluded around 9:30, after all the students had had at least two helpings of meals and desserts, (Ron had more like five helpings of each; Ginny didn't know where he was keeping all of that food) and Dumbledore stood again for the final time.

"The food was splendid, was it not?" he asked. The hall erupted in cheers again for the food. "Yes, yes. Anyway, there are a few things I would like to remind you all before you head back to your houses. The first years should know, along with some of our older students, that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students, unless directed by a member of our staff. Also, Mr. Filch would like me to remind you that magic in the corridors is prohibited, and to view the list of items that are prohibited in the halls you should visit his office. Also, I would like to introduce our younger students to our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher, Remus Lupin. He is joining us again after a four year hiatus…"

"Lupin's back? Why didn't he tell us?" Ron asked Harry and Hermione.

"Why didn't he tell us?" Harry repeated to Ron, "Why didn't he tell me?" Ginny knew he had been in contact with Harry more since Sirius had died, so she wondered too why he didn't tell him.

"…With that, I think now it is time that we head off to bead. I ask the Head Boy and Girl to help direct the students, and prefects help, too. I am sure tonight is the start of a wonderful year! Goodnight!" A rush of students all got up at once, and the prefects tried to keep everything under control, but weren't doing a very good job at it.

"Hey! You there!" Ron tried calling at younger boy who didn't seem to know what he was doing had completely ignored Ron's efforts. "Oh well," he said. "I tried." As they walked, Lupin found Harry.

"Harry! It's good to be back here!" He said to Harry, shaking his hand. He nodded at Ron and Ginny.

"What are you doing back? And why didn't you tell me?" Harry interrogated Lupin.

"Firstly, I didn't really know I was coming back until about a week ago. Dumbledore contacted me and said that they really needed a new Defense teacher, and that he knew I was the best man for the job. At first I was hesitant, but I eventually gave in. It is nice to be back, though."

"Yeah, we're glad to see you someplace other than at our house sometimes to check in for the, er, you know what," Ron said. Lupin said his goodbyes, and the three of them climbed the stairs to the get to their house.

They walked to the portrait of the Fat Lady, and one of the new prefects gave the password. The group of Gryffindors piled into the common room. Harry, Ron, and Ginny took their favorite chairs by the fireplace, and waited for Hermione to return from her duties as Head Girl. As they waited, Harry and Ron went deep into conversation about Lupin being back, and how much fun this year was going to be, especially since it was their last. Ginny didn't join, but rather watched Harry. He looked especially good next to the fire. The flames echoed in his green eyes, and Ginny felt herself falling in love with him all over again, just as she always did when she looked into his eyes. Ginny fantasized about she and Harry for a while, when Hermione came back.

"That sure took you a while, Hermione, what did you have to do, pull a first year out of a suit of armor?" Ron teased her.

"Close," Hermione said, almost breathless, "We had to stop Peeves from dropping one, as in a suit of armor, on a first year. He is so terrible! Doesn't he realize he could seriously injure one of them?"

"Yes, and that's why he does it," Harry answered. They all laughed. Hermione sat down, and they all talked for another hour. The common room was almost completely empty when Hermione decided that if they didn't get to bed, they would all be late for their classes tomorrow morning. So, they said their goodnights to each other, and went to their dormitories.

Ginny went to her bed, were she noticed the other three girls who shared the same room as she were already asleep. She quietly changed to her nightdress, and climbed into bed. Ginny was still full from dinner, and still thinking about Harry. She was also thinking about the future.

Ginny sighed. Everyone was growing up, and everything was changing. In one year from now, she would be here by herself. She didn't want things to change and was perfectly content with her life right now. But, like Hermione said, it was one year away. Ginny would just have to make this year something great, really a year to remember.