CHAPTER THREE
Unfair Retaliation
The next morning at breakfast, Ginny spotted Heather Barnett sitting at the Hufflepuff table alone with her eggs and toast. The youngest Weasley bypassed the Gryffindor table to walk in that direction, navigating her way around the other early risers. Although the new girl was all by herself at the moment, Heather did not seem to need any company. She was pouring over a textbook and did not notice Ginny until the Gryffindor tapped her on the shoulder.
"Hey, I just wanted to say congratulations on…"
"No!" said Heather, jumping up to put some space between them. "Stay away from me!"
Ginny blinked in complete surprise. Even though she didn't know the girl very well at all, she would have never expected such a reaction from her. Heather looked as though she were standing in front of a dangerous animal. The mixed desire to fight or flight was clearly etched upon her stricken face. "Excuse me?" said Ginny.
"You don't come near me!"
"What are you talking about?"
Heather's voice trembled, but she remained standing. "I heard all about you last night! How you got mixed up in the Dark Arts your first year, and the fact that you're in love with Harry Potter! He's the reason everything's so messed up! He's the reason I'm forced to come to this stupid place!"
"I don't know what you heard, but you've obviously been misinformed," Ginny said, her voice low and sharp. The shock of the entire situation had now left her, and all that remained was her temper. "You have no idea what you are talking about."
"You know exactly what I'm talking about! I trusted you! I thought you were nice, but you were only trying to take advantage of me."
"I don't want anything from you! Merlin, I was just trying to be kind. I thought you could use a friendly face!"
"Go away," said Heather. "I hate this place, and I hate you."
"Fine," Ginny huffed. "Have a good first day of class."
She stormed off, but before she could get to the end of the table, someone grabbed her elbow. Ginny wheeled around, expecting a confrontation, but Hannah Abbott merely gestured for her to take the open seat next to her. She fell back against the bench, glowering down the row to where Heather Barnett sat all by her lonesome once again. There were tear tracks on her face.
"She's sharing a dorm room with Maisie Waters," Hannah told her. "That girl means well, but she has absolutely no filter, and Heather probably got a very quick and abbreviated version of the last five years."
Ginny frowned. "Someone told her that I love Harry. Do people still think we're dating? I need people to think it ended poorly."
"Well, Pansy Parkinson did a pretty good job telling people that you broke up, but not everyone heard, I don't think. You know how gossip travels around here. By the time it gets back to you, it's some twisted version that doesn't even resemble the truth."
Ginny just groaned in response.
"Look," Hannah continued. "I'll keep an eye on Heather for you. Maybe she'll trust me since we're in the same house."
"But we're friends…and you're friends with Harry," Ginny pointed out.
"Hufflepuffs don't rat on other Hufflepuffs. It's kind of like an unspoken rule."
Ginny nodded. It wasn't even eight in the morning, and she was already in pretty low spirits. "Thanks, Hannah. I owe you one."
"Restart the D.A. and we can call it even," the other girl replied.
"Trust me, I'm considering it," Ginny said.
She left Hannah to finish her breakfast and ended up at the Gryffindor table by herself. Since the schedules had not been passed around yet, and Ginny did not have her school bag to occupy her time, she picked up a muffin and nibbled at it listlessly. She did not have much of an appetite. It was a good ten minutes before anyone else joined her.
"Good morning," said Neville.
Ginny only scowled.
"It's too early for bad news."
She scoffed. "Someone told Heather Barnett that I still love Harry...so that's still a rumor. Also, she hates me now."
He reached for the eggs and bacon. "I said it's too early for bad news."
At the moment, Professor McGonagall was making her way down the table. Neville and Ginny did not speak again until she was close enough for conversation. Up close, their professor looked even more stressed than she had the night before. Not that it was a remarkably huge difference...she always looked as though she were about to hand out a stack of detentions. Professor McGonagall was fair and respectful, but Ginny would not have said that they were particularly close. One time, during her second year at school (when she had felt infinitely better than the previous year, of course), Ginny unlocked all the animal cages as a prank before Transfiguration class. It had earned her a week's worth of detention, and a sharp scolding that had ended with, "Your twin brothers should not be your role models!"
"Class schedules," said Professor McGonagall. "Mr. Longbottom, Professor Sprout wants me to tell you that she has approved your advanced Herbology classes, and that she expects you to come fully prepared to help teach this afternoon's lesson with the sixth years."
"Me? Teach?" said Neville, his face glowing. "I'd love to do that!"
"I'm very proud of you, I expect great things from you this year," replied Professor McGonagall. She gave him a rare smile, and then she turned to Ginny. "Miss Weasley, I've been in contact with your mother. So sorry to hear about your brother. I hope he has a speedy recovery."
"Thanks."
Professor McGonagall gave no indication that she knew anything more than what she had just said, but Ginny knew for a fact that her Professor was in on the whole scheme. She was a member of the Order of the Phoenix after all.
She turned to leave.
"Professor McGonagall, who is the Quidditch Captain?" Ginny blurted out. Professor McGonagall turned back around. Although Ginny had tried to keep her voice even, she was unable to hide a note of desperation. She was ashamed to want something that rightfully belonged to Harry, but he obviously wasn't around anymore to hold the position. Next to him, she was the obvious choice. To her dismay, however, Professor McGonagall's mouth had become very thin. That was never a good sign.
"I'm afraid Headmaster Snape has decided that Quidditch is inappropriate during wartime. There will be no matches this year, Miss Weasley."
Ginny's mouth dropped open. "He can't cancel Quidditch!"
"Yes, he can. He brought it up to the Governors, and there was a vote. I assure you, this was a very well thought-out process...despite the lack of fairness."
"But, Professor...I'm only two hundred and eighty points away from breaking five thousand. I needed both years for that."
"I'm terribly sorry, Miss Weasley," came the reply. Maybe Ginny imagined it, but she rather thought her professor's expression had softened. "Perhaps next year."
Professor McGonagall turned to continue passing out schedules to the fifth years further down the table. Ginny, angry beyond words and appropriate action, shredded the remainder of her muffin until was nothing more than a pile of crumbs on her plate. She wanted to scream; the prospect of Quidditch had literally been the only thing she had left to enjoy at Hogwarts. The sport was part of her identity. Without it, she was just that stupid girl who nearly killed several students during her first year at school.
"I'm sorry," said Neville quietly.
She glanced up. He was looking at her, waiting for her reaction. Beneath the surface of her skin, her blood still boiled. "Why do you care? You don't even like Quidditch."
"I care because you care," he said. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't speak to me like that...because the only way we're going to get through this is if we stick together."
"Oh," Ginny replied, feeling abashed. "Sorry, Neville."
He nodded to accept the apology. "Trade schedules?"
Ginny hadn't even looked at hers properly yet, so she placed it on the table for both of them to read. She had Transfiguration, Charms, and Herbology today (all professors she liked), with a free period after lunch. Unfortunately, however, she had the Carrows double period back to back on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Her heart sunk in her chest, and it was already pretty low to begin with. That was nearly six hours of Death Eaters, with only a thirty-minute lunch break in between.
"Yikes," said Neville. Obviously, he had also noticed her misfortune. "The good news is that you will have me as a student teacher in Herbology this afternoon."
"Thank you, Professor Longbottom," she replied. "Could you write me a pass to get out of the next ten months of The Study of Practical Magic and Muggle — wait, why am I even taking Muggle Studies. I didn't sign up for that one."
Neville put his schedule on the table next to hers. "I'm also taking it, and I used to have Care of Magical Creatures instead. Looks like it's mandatory this year."
Neville's schedule was a lot less cluttered than hers, but it was certainly more rigorous and focused. The amount of time that he would spend in the Herbology classroom totaled ten and a half hours each week, which sounded far too extreme for Ginny's tastes. On the bright side, however, two of his periods overlapped with hers. She had never been in a class with Neville before, nor had she ever seen him in a teaching position, but Ginny did not doubt his abilities.
The biggest downside to his schedule, however, was the fact that he had Study of Practical Magic first thing on Monday mornings. Ginny checked her wristwatch; classes would start soon.
"Well, we might want to get this party started. Are you done with breakfast? I don't think you want to be late to a Carrow class on your very first day."
"Agreed," he said.
"We'll get our stuff, go to class, and then meet back here for lunch. I want a full report on Amycus Carrow. I'm hoping he's a joke."
Neville pushed away his plate of food. He had barely eaten. "And I'm assuming that he's not."
o – o – o – o – o – o – o
Ginny had been secretly hoping that her classes would easier this year, but Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick both started out the year just as they always had...with a roll call and a multi-page syllabus of class expectations. Everyone always said that sixth year was a breeze after taking O.W.L.s, but all the talk about nonverbal spells definitely suggested otherwise. It wasn't that she particularly minded; Ginny was a decent student when she actually cared about her marks, but it was still a lot of extra energy that she would have rather spent elsewhere, like on the Quidditch pitch. Even when she was supposed to be copying down notes from the blackboard in Transfiguration, Ginny found herself daydreaming of flying. If she couldn't play an actual game, there was no reason why they would stop her from organizing a few pick-up games with her old team members. She was sure Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote would be up for it if she did all the hard work.
When it was finally time for lunch, Ginny joined the mass of students walking downstairs to the Great Hall. She casually looked around for Luna and Neville, but she did not find either of them. The Ravenclaws had not been in either of her first two classes, which meant that there was a greater chance of them sharing lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Luna was not the best study buddy; her notes rarely made sense to logical people, and she often skipped around in the source material...but if Ginny had to sit through two classes taught by Death Eaters, there was no other person she would rather have by her side.
Lavender, Seamus, and Parvati all sat down at once. Ginny picked up her half-eaten sandwich and hurried down the row to join them. Maybe it was just her imagination, but all three of them looked as pale as ghosts. Upon closer inspection, Parvati appeared close to tears, with Lavender trying her best to provide comfort. Seamus looked as though he had been forced to witness unspeakable things.
"What happened?" Ginny asked.
Parvati shook her head, so Seamus answered for her. "Do you remember when Professor Moody taught Defense Against the Dark Arts, and he opened the class with a demonstration on the Three Unforgivable Curses?"
"No," Ginny replied. "They cut the demonstration off at the third years. They said we were too young to see that, but Ron told me about it anyway."
"Well, Amycus Carrow gave the same presentation...only he did it on this poor, deformed kitten that he found in a broom closet somewhere."
Ginny's mouth fell open in horror. "All three?"
"Yes," Parvati whimpered. "Poor thing. It never even had a chance. He said he was doing it a favor because it was never going to survive anyway."
"Where's Neville?" Ginny said, with a horrible realization. Neville actually had a legitimate reason to hate the Unforgivable Curses.
"He walked out of class," Seamus replied. "He fuckin' got up and walked right out of class. It was beautiful."
"No, seriously...where is he now?"
At least Lavender seemed to understand Ginny's sense of urgency. "He didn't show up for History of Magic...not that he missed anything important. I heard he went to go see Professor McGonagall."
Ginny quickly abandoned her sandwich. She swung her school bag over her shoulder and left the Great Hall nearly at a run. The Transfiguration classroom was not far from her current location. It was on the first floor, but on the opposite side of the building facing the courtyard. Ginny knocked on the classroom door, but when she received no answer, she continued straight on to Professor McGonagall's office.
"Come in," said a voice this time.
Professor McGonagall was half out of her seat when Ginny opened the door. "Oh, Miss Weasley," said the Professor. "I thought you might have been someone else."
"Neville…" Ginny started.
His seat was facing the opposite direction, but he turned around at the sound of his name. He looked perfectly fine, other than the fact that his face was quite red. It was hard to tell if he was angry or sad, but Ginny figured that it was probably some combination between the two. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
"Hey, sorry I missed you at lunch," he said, not quite meeting her eyes.
Professor McGonagall conjured an extra chair for her. "Please do join us, Miss Weasley. I just got done telling Mr. Longbottom that he looked as though he could use a decent meal, and you are in the same boat. Have you not been eating or sleeping?"
Ginny placed her bag on the ground and sat down. The chair was very comfortable, and Professor McGonagall was offering her a biscuit from a full plate of them on her desk. Cognizant of her mother's voice in her head telling her that she ought to be polite, Ginny took one and smiled. "No, I'm eating. Maybe not real food...Fred and George sent me back to school with an entire bag of sweets. I've just been very distracted."
"I could tell this morning in class. The window had more of your attention than I did."
"Sorry, Professor," she replied.
Professor McGonagall arranged a few of the items on her desk. "No matter, Miss Weasley. I'm quite glad that you joined us when you did. I think you need to hear this conversation as well."
Ginny glanced at Neville. He did not look at either of them, but rather stared ahead at some spot on the wall. She noticed that he was chewing on the inside of his mouth, a habit that Ginny knew from previous experiences meant that he was not far from tears. Her heart broke for him, and she would have reached for his arm if she didn't think it would embarrass him in front of their Head of House.
"Now, I know that both of you are very aware of what is going on. Hogwarts has been infiltrated, and I suspect that our new Headmaster is in direct correspondence with...with someone in higher power."
"What would he want with a bunch of schoolkids?" Ginny asked quietly. She did not need to clarify who she meant.
"You are the future, Miss Weasley. He is probably wanting to influence the next generation of wizards before they are old enough to form an opinion for themselves."
"Well, he won't influence me," said Neville.
Professor McGonagall looked at them over her square spectacles for a long moment. "Have another biscuit."
"No, thank you," Ginny replied.
"I insist."
Caught off guard, Ginny obediently took another cookie. Neville did as well, although he did not immediately bring it to his mouth. He was still chewing a hole through the inside of his cheek. Professor McGonagall gave them a look that might have been pity if Ginny thought she was capable of such an emotion. "Look, what I'm about to say will be difficult for you to hear. Both of you were in the middle of the war at home, and I promise you that Hogwarts is just as dangerous right now. We are in this for the long run, and I don't think any amount of protesting or pranking or running illicit study groups is going to make this any easier. In fact, I think it will only make things worse."
"So," Ginny said. "We just sit here and take it?"
Their professor looked conflicted, as though she were refraining from speaking what she truly wanted to say. Ginny wondered if her office had been bugged — as Harry would have called it. "Not exactly. I only ask that you seriously consider your actions. You two are some of the most influential students in this school — yes, Mr. Longbottom, I meant you as well — and the younger students are going to look to you for guidance. I just hope that you will not lead them into possible danger, because they are always looking."
"You can't," Neville protested. Ginny could see that the words were nearly killing him from the inside out. "They are horrible, horrible people, and you can't expect me to just sit there and listen to them lie...and twist the truth...and say such horrible things!
"Perhaps not...but I do expect the both of you to listen because I want you to report back to me what they are saying in class."
Ginny blinked. "Report?"
"Yes, Miss Weasley," she replied. "I need you to let me know if they say anything of interest. A certain group needs detailed reports of what is going on in these classes."
Ginny understood that to mean the Order of the Phoenix. "Like what?"
"Hints of possible danger, changes in the way they discuss certain topics...that's all I can say, but please know that I take the safety of my students very seriously. Please don't go looking for danger because there are others who are not so concerned with safety."
"I hate him," Ginny said, speaking of Snape. "I hate him almost as much as his stupid boss. He did this to us, and I want him dead."
Professor McGonagall pursed her lips but did not comment on that particular sentiment. Instead, she rearranged her plate of cookies so that it was directly in front of the two students once again. Ginny wondered if she had baked them herself, and she found that she could not picture their strict professor doing anything as domestic as baking cookies. "Will you consider my request?" she asked.
Neville nodded, and Ginny said; "Whatever I can do to be helpful."
"Thank you. Please don't hesitate to come see me if something is amiss. Mr. Longbottom, remember what we talked about. I'm sorry that you had to witness that. Now, if you hurry along, you will make it to your next class before the bell rings."
"Bye, Professor," Neville said, and the two of them picked up their bags and left.
Out in the hallway, Ginny turned to Neville. She had a free period, and he didn't seem to be in any hurry to get to his next class anyway. His entire posture alarmed her; his shoulders were slumped forward, his head bowed. She reached out to put a hand on his arm, but he turned away.
"What happened?" she asked.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Neville, look, I know Carrow demonstrated the Unforgivable Curses. Seamus told me."
He glanced up at her, but only to glare at her for a second or two. "I said I don't want to talk about it."
"So you're just going to ignore me?" came Ginny's sharp reply. "I've met your parents, remember? I understand."
"How could you understand? You don't know anything."
Ginny put her hands on her hips. To anyone in her family, this would have been a warning sign of her famous temper, but Neville did not know her as well as they did. He was oblivious to the signs of danger. "I care because you care. And yeah, Neville, I'm quoting you directly from this morning. You can't just push me away because it hurts."
"That was Quidditch. Completely different!"
"No, not entirely. Cancelling Quidditch was intended to hurt me...like a weapon. Just like this is a weapon against you."
"Gee, Ginny," he replied sarcastically. "Did you just figure out that it's sensitive to me?"
"If you want coddling, go see Luna. I'm going to tell you like it is, because that's who I am; what happened to your parents is a weapon against you because you let them have that power. It's so obvious on your face that you might as well go up to everyone and tell the world."
He looked hurt by this, but Ginny continued:
"You can't let them hurt you, Neville. You can't let them take away the best part of you."
"And what's the best part of me?" he asked.
"That you care! And that you are the kindest, bravest person I know."
Suddenly, Neville's anger was gone. Ginny watched it rush out of him like air from a balloon. He leaned against the stone wall opposite Professor McGonagall's office, and stared at her from underneath a blond fringe of hair. Although he was taller than her, this made him seem much smaller. "No, I'm not, Ginny. I'm Neville Longbottom. I'm a joke."
Ginny reached out to him again, but this time he didn't turn away. "The worst thing that ever happened to me happened right here in this castle. Everyone always said that Hogwarts was supposed to be the safest place in the world, but I almost killed a bunch of people along with myself. That shouldn't have happened, but it did. Your parents shouldn't be in St. Mungo's right now…but they are. Those things are in our past, and it still hurts. There is no sense in trying to pretend that we are okay, but we can't let the Death Eaters use that as a weapon against us. We're stronger than that. We're on a broomstick that only goes up, Neville."
"I hate flying," he replied, but there was a small smile on his face.
A loud bang reverberated from down the hallway, and it made both of them jump. It sounded like a wand back-firing, probably in one of the classrooms. Ginny turned again to Neville. "We have to find a way to fight them."
"Did you not just hear Professor McGonagall? She told us not to do it."
"No, what she said was to think very carefully. She never actually told us not to do anything. I think her office was bugged or something."
Neville's eyes met hers. "You might be right."
"I know I'm right. Maybe she can't say certain words or phrases..."
Another loud noise echoed from somewhere upstairs, and the sound of feet followed soon after. Ginny could hear several people moving around the castle rather quickly. She checked her watch. "Hold on, the first bell was supposed to ring six minutes ago."
"Really? What's going on?"
From what Ginny could see of the Grand Staircase, several students had stopped to talk with one another in the rush that usually followed lunch. Many of them were whispering urgently, although she couldn't tell from this distance if what they were saying was good news or bad news. Ginny made to walk toward them, but a couple of Gryffindor fourth years conveniently chose that moment to hurry past. Ginny recognized a few of them as friends of Dennis Creevey (Colin's younger brother).
"Nigel!" she called.
The boy turned around at the sound of his name. His eyes grew large when he realized who had called for him.
"What's going on?" Neville asked.
"Didn't you hear?" Nigel said in a rush. "Harry Potter broke into the Ministry of Magic and killed the Minister!"
Ginny spun around; Neville's face was white with shock. She took his hand, and together they ran toward the Grand Staircase and down to the Great Hall. Although they weren't sure what they would find waiting for them there, perhaps a newspaper or a professor with some information, the only thing Ginny could think of was the fact that rumors moved faster than the truth in this school. Harry couldn't have killed anyone. Nigel must have heard some naive first year prattling on about things they would never understand.
"Attention," said a magically magnified voice as Ginny and Neville reached the ground floor landing. "All students and faculty please report to the Great Hall."
It was Snape. Ginny recognized his voice almost immediately, and it was with a sickening dread that she completed the last leg of their journey to the Great Hall. The benches were practically empty; there were a few confused students still waiting for the bell to ring, but most people, like Ginny and Neville, were doubling back after leaving. They found Luna moments later as she casually strolled inside, wearing her famous radish earrings.
"Do you know what's happening?" Ginny asked her. She released Neville's hand to grab the Ravenclaw by the shoulder.
"No," said Luna. "Somebody said Harry broke into the ministry. I was on my way to Divination."
"We heard he killed somebody," Ginny whispered.
Luna shook her head in certainty. "Harry wouldn't do that. That's nonsense."
At this point, the chatter of voices had reached an almost deafening level as students continued to pour in through the door. Ginny heard wild versions of the same story, including one where Harry had marched into the Ministry with an army and proclaimed himself Minister of Magic. Normally, Ginny would have found the situation hilarious, but not a single one of the stories contained any information about her brother or Hermione. If Harry had indeed broken into the Ministry, then she knew without a doubt that her brother was right there with him. Plus, no one mentioned any sort of outcome to the incident, so intent they were upon the subject of the wild tales. For all she knew, the three of them had been caught and thrown in prison.
Professor Snape hurried inside, and almost at once everyone stopped talking (aside from the few unfortunate stragglers at the back who could not see). With a wave of his wand, the four tables vanished. The few people who had been sitting on the benches comically fell backwards onto the stone floor, but no one laughed. Instead, they faced the angry headmaster as though they had been given a death sentence.
"Line up according to house," he shouted at them. "Professors, make sure everyone is present!"
There was a scramble. Ginny exchanged a nervous glance with Luna, but they separated and went back to their respective houses. The students at Hogwarts were not accustomed to lining up for anything, and their lines instead resembled four giant clumps. Professor McGonagall hurried in, looking frazzled but still composed. Ginny tried to meet her eye, but the older woman was too busy counting students.
Seamus dropped in line next to them. "What's going on?"
Ginny just gave him a look.
"Silence," Professor Snape said. He didn't raise his voice any higher than what it had been just a moment before, but the anger was still noticeable. Everyone fell completely silent. Ginny imagined that even the drop of a pin would have been audible. "Mr. Filch, track down any student not in attendance. Heads of Houses, I want a list of absentees on my desk by seven o'clock this evening."
Ginny watched Professor McGonagall take a long breath, as though she were steeling herself for something unpleasant, and then she conjured a quill and parchment out of thin air.
The headmaster turned to address them. "Now, I don't know what silly nonsense you've been spreading around the school, but it stops right now. I just received word from London that Harry Potter has broken into the Ministry of Magic for unknown reasons. He assaulted some very valuable members of office, released a bunch of dangerous criminals, and stole an item off Senior Under-Secretary Dolores Umbridge's possession."
Ginny released a breath she hadn't known that she was holding. Harry had done some supposedly horrible things, but he wasn't a killer. Professor Snape continued, stepping down from his spot by the Head Table to walk about the room.
"I know Harry Potter used to go to this school, and I know that some of you may have…fond memories of the time he was here but let me make this very clear: Harry Potter is a dangerous criminal, and he is wanted for the murder of Albus Dumbledore and now for an attack on the people of our government. If you have any sort of allegiance to this boy, there will be consequences…especially if it is discovered that you are withholding information that may lead to his capture."
He paused in his speech. Although he was on the opposite side of the room from where Ginny stood, she could feel his eyes burning a hole right through her. She continued to stare at him, her face blank with neutral curiosity.
"I want to encourage anyone afraid of sharing information to come to my office. You will not be punished if you help capture this criminal…"
"What a load of…" Seamus whispered angrily. He never even got to finish his sentence, because the students around him flinched, catching their headmaster's attention.
Professor Snape stalked forward, "Mr. Finnegan, do you have something to say?"
Neville's face had gone white, but Seamus seemed completely unconcerned. "No, sir. Just speculating what my dangerous roommate is up to these days."
"Professor Carrow," Snape said. Amycus Carrow stepped forward, a giddy look undisguised on his face. "Can you show the students what happens when students show loyalty to Mr. Potter?"
"Crucio!"
Seamus did not scream, but he still gave an exclamation of pain as he doubled over. His knees hit the floor, and his arms clutched his midriff in absolute agony. Ginny shook with fear. She watched Professor Carrow's face, waiting for some sort of sign that he was going to let up, but she knew in her heart that she would have to say something before it got too bad...before Neville intervened because she knew he would. However, it was Professor McGonagall who came hurrying forward first.
"Stop!" she yelled. "That's enough! You've done enough!"
Amycus Carrow released the spell. Seamus stopped twitching on the ground, but when he looked up at them, shaking, Ginny saw that he had bitten his lip. He quickly put up a hand to stop the bleeding.
"Professor McGonagall," Snape said warningly.
"That's quite enough," she replied, her face white with anger. "We talked about this. If you want to punish him, put him in detention."
Amycus Carrow stepped in between them. "You think you know better than we do?"
"That need not be necessary," said Professor McGonagall. She also had her wand out. "Children do not learn this way. It will only make things worse. The approved method of discipline at Hogwarts is to take away privileges and assign detention."
Professor Snape smiled, or rather his lips curled up to reveal his teeth in a poor imitation of what should have been a friendly gesture. "You are quite right, Professor. That was my mistake. I should have warned you on the change in protocols. It is now permissible to punish students using magic. Although, I think your suggestion of a combination of both works just as well."
"You there," Professor Carrow said, pointing at Seamus. "Detention every night this week starting at eight o'clock."
"Yes, sir," Seamus said. He struggled to stand up. Neville moved as though he were going to offer him a hand, but Ginny met his gaze. Her eyes were wide in the attempt to keep him still. If Seamus could stand, then he was well enough to make it through the rest of this meeting. Nobody said a word throughout the Great Hall, but everyone had seen the exchange.
"This meeting is over," said Professor Snape, his voice echoing loudly. "Anytime I call you down here, this is how you line up. There will be no talking or fidgeting. This task should be so easy that even the simplest of you can accomplish it, and if not, we will do it over and over again until you can get it right. Am I understood?"
They all mumbled varying forms of agreement, and then they were dismissed. Ginny immediately jumped forward to check on Seamus, but Professor McGonagall stopped her with curt shake of her head. "Miss Weasley," she said. "I believe you have Herbology next, don't you? Might as well be early. Hurry along."
Ginny glared at her. Even though she knew that her Head of House was doing the best she could under the difficult circumstances, she couldn't help but feel angry. Part of this was McGonagall's fault; how could she have agreed to serve under that man? She hoisted her school bag higher up on her shoulder, and then she turned away. Luna met her in the hallway.
"Are you okay?" Luna asked.
Ginny shook her head; she didn't trust herself to speak yet. Anger, fear, and worry pounded through her veins like poison, and it consumed her thoughts as they hurried through the castle. Only by force of habit did she find herself correctly exiting the side that faced the Greenhouses. She didn't go down the path, however. Professor Sprout would not be there yet.
Unlike yesterday, the sky outside was bright and relatively clear. A breeze rustled the trees that outlined the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and Ginny could see Hagrid walking out his front door to meet the third years for class. The castle cast long shadows across the grounds, and things didn't look nearly as bad out here as they had inside. Ginny leaned against one of the stone walls. She sort of felt like crying, but it had been a long time since she had had a proper cry. Now was not the time to start.
The door to the castle opened once again, revealing Neville. Ginny and Luna ran back up the hill to meet him. "How's Seamus," Ginny asked at once.
"He's fine. A little shaky, though."
"We haven't even been here a full twenty-four hours, and someone already got tortured. Now I'm going to Herbology class like nothing happened."
"I've already sort of given up on school," Neville laughed humorlessly. "Out of my three classes so far, I've missed two and a half."
"That's quite a record. I think Fred and George would be proud."
Neville rolled his eyes. "Trust me, my intention was not to please them. I'm not happy about this, so let's just be early to Herbology. If I completely fail everything else this year, I want to be able to point to the one thing on my transcript that might get me a job."
He made to walk down to the Greenhouses, but Ginny stopped him. The rest of her classmates were staring at them, not even bothering to hide their pointed looks and whispering. She didn't acknowledge them, and there was fierce determination written all over her freckled face. The wind picked up, tugging at her long red hair as she pulled her two best friends even further away from their peers.
"I want to be serious now," she said.
"How serious?" Neville asked in a resigned voice. He seemed to be preparing himself for something particularly unpleasant.
Ginny raised her eyebrows. "As serious as it gets! We just have to be very, VERY careful."
"I knew it!" Luna said, her blue eyes sparkling with energy. "You want to get the D.A. back together, right?"
"Damn right I do."
o – o – o – o – o – o – o
Ginny met Luna at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. The Ravenclaw was wearing Muggle clothes, and she had tucked her long hair up into a knitted cap. Thankfully, she had also chosen to leave her radish earrings behind. Ginny pulled her over the threshold in the Gryffindor common room and they hurried across to the staircases. Nobody paid them any attention. Luna had been here once before, on a dare from Neville, and Ginny had likewise once been in the Ravenclaw common room. It was easy if you acted natural, and the older students couldn't care less as long as it didn't involve spying on the Quidditch teams. The only reason Ginny's heart beat frantically in her chest was the fact that Snape would probably think they were up to something if he found multiple houses conspiring together...and that was exactly what they were doing. She wasn't scared though; she had long since made up her mind.
There were voices from within the boys' dormitory, but they were too muffled to make out anything but the rise and fall of speech. Ginny knocked, and the door opened to reveal Neville. He stepped aside to let them pass, and then he quickly closed the door once again. There were several people gathered around the room. Seamus was sitting up in his bed, pale but otherwise okay. Lavender and Parvati occupied the space at the foot of his bed, and Hannah Abbott hovered awkwardly by the boiler in the middle of the room. Ginny knew which bed used to be Harry's, but she didn't want to appear lovesick, so she took a seat on the edge of Ron's old bed.
"Okay," said Neville. "We're all here."
"Ernie says he's sorry he couldn't come," Hannah started quickly. "He says that he has to pick and choose which rules to break if he wants to stay in good favor. It's not like Daphne Greengrass will look out for the first years."
"No, it's perfectly fine, Hannah. Besides, we like you here," Neville said brightly.
Hannah blushed. "Well, as long as I don't get caught…"
Ginny exchanged a glance with Seamus, who winced at the effort it took to hide his laughter. He was putting on a pretty good show, though. Lavender kept making sympathetic faces for his benefit only. Ginny rolled her eyes and looked down at her brother's old comforter beneath her. It was cold and untouched. She ran her hands over the fabric and tried to imagine what it had looked like when Ron had been at school.
It had probably been on the floor, in all honesty.
"So," Parvati said, looking at Ginny. "What are we going to do?"
Ginny stared at them. "Why are you looking at me?"
"You're the one who had the idea, remember?" Neville said.
"I'm not the only one, you know! All of you were thinking the same exact thing!"
"But you probably know Harry the best out of all of us. What would he do in this situation?" came Seamus's voice.
"Just because I dated the guy doesn't mean I'm the expert on all things Harry Potter," Ginny replied, briskly. "Besides, we weren't even a couple for that long. I doubt I know him well enough to say what he would do in a situation like this."
"If we could ask Ron and Hermione, we would," said Hannah.
Ginny glared at them for making her think about Harry. As much as she pretended otherwise, he was still a sore subject. She thought about his green eyes, and the crease that formed between his eyebrows whenever he was particularly mad about something. Harry's anger was a cold fury. He was a quiet individual until it was one thing too many. Of course, he would have been furious about Snape. She imagined him sitting in a cave somewhere, dwelling on the fact that his enemy was in charge of Hogwarts while the love of his life was trapped under tyrannical rule. It was a little dramatic, but Ginny thought that maybe she deserved a little bit of foolish romance in her life. In all honesty, Harry and his friends were probably more concerned about whatever had gone down in the Ministry that morning. She hoped they were safe. All they knew was that they had not been caught.
"He would have agreed to it, but only on the requirement that we be absolutely careful," she finally relented.
"It's not like we're going to be stupid about it," Seamus replied.
Neville raised his eyebrows. "You're one to talk. Shouldn't you be going to detention?"
"I still got fifteen minutes before I have to leave."
"You don't think he'll try to hurt you again, will he?" Parvati asked nervously. "Shouldn't someone go with him just in case?"
"Nah, they put me with Filch...who, let's face it, can only daydream about hurting students."
Neville rolled his eyes. "Alright, can we get back on subject? The D.A. has three major barriers this year that we didn't last time, and we should really discuss this...with or without Seamus."
"Hey, I want to be a part of this conversation!"
"Then I suggest you be quiet."
Ginny had put the list together in her head during Herbology. She cleared her throat. "One: Snape is not afraid to torture students. Two: We're not the only ones who know about the Room of Requirement. And three: We don't have a leader anymore."
"Well, the Room of Requirement is easy," Luna piped up. "You just have to be very specific when you tell it what you want. If we make it impossible to get inside, then they cannot find us. Harry knew that."
"What about the fact that we could get tortured?" Ginny asked. "I don't know if everyone is prepared for that. What if someone wants to back out?"
Seamus shuddered. "Trust me, you can never be prepared for it. I thought my blood vessels were going to burst."
"Then we'll let them back out," Neville said. He was pacing the floor. "Only we should try to copy Hermione's list so that no one can rat us out. Anybody know how to do that?"
There was silence. Ginny looked around at her friends, but she already knew that nobody present could ever match Hermione Granger in intelligence. That girl was capable of so much more than any of them could ever imagine. It was no wonder that Ron had harbored a crush on her for years. Ginny knew about that little secret, of course. He wasn't exactly very adept at hiding it.
"Well," Luna said. "I might be able to figure it out. And I'm sure Terry or Padma or Anthony would help me, right?"
"Of course!" Parvati said. "Just let Padma know why you need it. She'd help in a heartbeat."
"Wonderful! Then that just leaves the question of a leader," Hannah said.
Ginny immediately looked to Neville. In her opinion, he was by far the bravest and most natural choice for a leader, but he was staring at her in anticipation of an answer. Glancing around the room, she saw that everyone expected one of them to say something. She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Fine, we'll put it to a vote come our first meeting. No sense in deciding that until we have a complete list of members."
"What about the D.A. coins?" Hannah asked.
Neville continued pacing up and down the dormitory. "I thought of that one. Unfortunately, we don't have the master coin."
"Another brilliant Hermione invention that we can't use," Parvati said crossly.
"I wouldn't immediately dispel the notion," Luna said. "There might still be a way to create an additional master coin. Either way, we need to create a new method for communication."
"So when's our first meeting?" asked Seamus.
"Well, we don't have Quidditch practices anymore to conflict with meetings, so that opens up a lot more opportunities," Ginny said sarcastically.
"How about Thursday at six?"
Ginny thought about it. "Yes, but make it start at six thirty so people can take their time and stagger in after dinner."
"Alright," said Neville, looking at them seriously. "This is word of mouth only for right now. Do not tell anyone you wouldn't trust with your life, and definitely do not let this slip in front of teachers or untrustworthy people. Understood?"
Ginny nodded. There was a part of her that felt very distant from this decision, as though she did not have much of a choice. She and Harry were, of course, no longer dating, but she was ready to go down with the ship if it came to it. The minute he walked into battle would be the minute she abandoned all caution. The D.A. was just one step in that direction. She leaned backwards up against Luna, who simply acknowledged her presence with an affectionate pat on the shoulder.
Seamus stood up. "So, are we done? Because I have detention."
"Be careful," Neville said, by way of confirmation. "We'll see each other on Thursday."
The group dispersed. Parvati and Lavender went to sneak Hannah back out through the portrait hole, while the three of them (Neville, Ginny, and Luna) stayed behind. For the first time since she had arrived, Ginny allowed her eyes to wander over to Harry's empty bed. The curtains were open, tied against the bedposts indefinitely. Like Ron's, it was neatly made. The corners of the comforter were tucked carefully underneath the mattress. Ginny had once ripped apart this room looking for her old diary, so she was accustomed to the layout. She had loved him even then...or rather, she had loved the idea of him. Ginny had been absolutely mortified by his attention, and yet still oddly possessive of the fact that he actually knew her name. It had been a confusing time for her, only worsened by Tom's possession and influence.
Sitting on Harry's pillow was a lump of dark clothing. Ginny sat up to get a better look and realized that it was one of her mother's famous knitted sweaters. It was dark green with black yarn in the purl stitches, probably given on a Christmas several years ago. She looked at Neville, who had noticed the object of her attention.
"What's that?" she asked.
"One of Harry's. I accidently took it home at the end of last year. I thought I'd wash it and bring it back just in case he showed up this year."
Ginny stood up and walked over to Harry's bed to get a better look. It was definitely one of her mother's creations; the love and care she put into her knitting was unmatched by anything but her cooking. Everyone loved Mrs. Weasley's sweaters. This particularly one had been worn and washed many times, judging by the faded color and thin stitching. When she picked it up, Ginny noted that it would have fit her rather comfortably, due to the age of the sweater and the fact that Harry had always been rather skinny. She turned back to Neville.
"Do you mind if I take it?"
He had a knowing smile on his face. "It's just going to sit here…"
She pulled it on over her button-down oxford, taking care to pull her long red hair out from under the collar. It fit quite nicely, perhaps a little loose, and even though it didn't smell particularly like Harry, there was something comforting about wearing one of his old sweaters. It was as if, for just one moment, she could pretend that they were still together.
