Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

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Ginny sat aboard the Hogwarts Express amongst the other second year Gryffindor students, each of them buzzing with excitement in regards to what the new year would bring. Thankfully she was already aware of what most of her studies would entail, having many older brothers and one very enlightened pen pal had ensured her that she would be more than prepared for the theory which would be coming her way.

Throughout the rest of the holidays, other than the time when the both of them had been in different parts of the world, Ginny and Hermione had remained in contact with each other giving Errol a workout the elderly owl likely hadn't been through before. Although considering how old their feathered pet was, she had to consider the miles Errol had travelled.

Her attention was brought back to reality when one of her fellow students asked her what she had done over the holidays. Immediately she brightened up as she began to break down the holiday to Egypt and how much fun she had had. She wasn't sure if it was through her constant communication with Hermione but she was using a much broader vocabulary than she would normally use and it was clear her descriptions of Egypt were drawing more people's attention.

Either that or they were surprised to see her so full of life after the previous year.

Whatever the case, Ginny allowed a broad smile to cross her features as she got her peers laughing as she explained how Fred and George had done their best attempt to lock the Gryffindor Prefect inside of a pyramid. She also went on to explain how different the magic across the world was and when someone asked her if she had seen any flying carpets Ginny astounded them by telling how she had actually ridden one.

The screeching of brakes caused the conversation going on to immediately cease and curiosity to peak before the lights went out, several of the young students unable to suppress a small screen. A couple of the calmer students did their best to assure the rest that it was merely a bit of trouble with the engine and everything would be alright soon. Ginny meanwhile couldn't help but feel that this was merely the beginning of something far worse than engine failure.

The inquisitive mood was shattered however as the glass to the locomotive began to freeze over and the young girls began to panic, scrambling to get as far away from the outside as possible. Arguably since the train ride was miserable to look at considering the absolute downpour that was happening it had become terrifying when a wispy black shadow swept through view causing a few shrill screams to let out, even more ringing out as the train lurched back and forth a few feet.

As breaths became visible and the temperature continued to plummet, Ginny rubbed at her arms in a desperate attempt to bring some warmth back into her body to little effect. It was then that she started to feel the happiness drain from her soul and she was painfully reminded of the sensation of being compelled to write in You-Know-Who's journal.

Shivers ran down her spine as she was compelled to look over her shoulder towards the carriage pathway, immediately regretting her decision as she saw the skeleton like fingers extend from a tattered robe. The humanesque creature towered above them yet Ginny was unable to see the features clearly through the glass but knew that she didn't want to. At the same time though she couldn't bring herself to look away from fear what such a menacing monster would do behind her back. Every fibre of her being wished for her to flee to the furthest corner of the carriage but she was rooted to the spot from fear that sudden movement would attract the abomination.

Dread poured into her soul as Ginny prayed that the creature didn't enter the room.

Nobody dared move as the shadowy figure glided past the room, seemingly uninterested with the school children huddled within. Collected breathing was the only sound being made within the carriage as the lights flickered back on and the wheels of the train began to move once more. The young girls couldn't bolster the courage to speak, every strand of joy seemingly torn from their body. The feeling was painfully familiar to Ginny and because of this she was the one who had taken the least amount of mental damage, something which she could immediately tell.

That scared her.

The red haired girl wanted to say something, anything in an attempt to cheer up those around her much like they had done for her not ten minutes prior yet she could do nothing. Any words she tried to form got caught in her throat, any thought became a jumbled mess and every action her limbs would not respond to.

Was she truly so powerless? Was there nothing she could do?

The door slid open and Ginny raised her head to spot a girl roughly their age with pale blonde hair with an incredibly large bundle of chocolate in her hands, shattering the sensation of dread that had only seconds ago filled the compartment. Whether absolute confusion was a better scenario was the next question. "Now that the Dementor has gone, can I offer anybody something sweet?" she asked. The complete change of mood seemed to be exactly what the Gryffindor students needed.

Their choruses of 'yes' rung out and they each received a piece of chocolate, Ginny quickly devouring hers. The young red head looked around and saw that everyone's spirits had seemed to gain their previous glow as if the Dementor (if what the girl had called it was indeed it's actual name) was nothing more than a bad dream.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go hand these out to everyone else."

"Wait," said Ginny as she stood up, unable to momentarily comprehend her movements.

"Would you like some more?" asked the girl.

"Can I help?" said Ginny asking a question to the question. The other Gryffindors looked perplexed by their peers suggestion but said nothing against it.

"If you wish, your assistance would be much appreciated," replied the girl, beckoning Ginny to follow her with a shrug of the shoulder. Having verbally committed herself to the task, Ginny told her carriage comrades that she would be back later before entering the train corridor where her hands were swiftly enveloped in her companion's chocolate.

"If you don't mind me asking," said Ginny as she shuffled on the spot to ensure that none of the sweets crashed to the floor. "Why do you have so much chocolate?"

"Last year I struggled to make friends, so I had intended to purchase their friendship but I decided that this was a much more important usage of my goods and hope that my kindness would reward me with friends."

Ginny struggled to fully grasp the answer before she steeled herself and prepared her next words carefully. "If you'd like, I'll be your friend."

"You don't have to do such a thing now that I have informed you of my plight, I realise now that it was quite shallow of me to think that something as genuine as friendship could be purchased."

"No, I mean it, I struggled with making friends as well, I'd love for you to be my first friend," said Ginny honestly.

The pair of them stood in the corridor for several seconds as the girl mused in regards to what her response would be. "I think that would be quite nice," she finally said, allowing Ginny to release a breath she hadn't realised she was holding.

"I'm Ginny Weasley," introduced the second year Gryffindor student.

"Luna Lovegood," replied the blonde haired girl. "Now I highly suggest that we get moving less we are attacked by a horde of wrackspurts."

"Wrackspurts?"

...

Hermione sat at the banquet table, the glorious feast present in front of her now that Dumbledore had finished his beginning of semester spiel. Somehow the warnings of Sirius Black and the Dementors patrolling the outer perimetre seemed rather tame; a disturbing thought.

Instead of gorging on the mountains of food in front of her like her fellow students, her eyes were locked onto the head table where all the professors were located. Hermione's pupils had latched onto the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, the one who had driven the Dementor away from their carriage, the vile creature nothing against the magic he had produced. Perhaps this year they would have a teacher capable of teaching the subject.

After he had given Harry the chocolate to help him recover some of his strength, the professor had headed off to track down the conductor to discuss something. Hermione could only assume what he had asked but there was no doubt in her mind that the words he had used had been much more forceful than the calm tone he had used amongst her and her friends. She was mildly upset that he had rushed off so quickly as she had wanted to inquire about the magic he had used and how difficult it was to learn.

Having seen something like that close up, there was no way she didn't want to learn it. Especially if the school was going to be surrounded by the Dementors.

With several ideas flowing through her mind, she tried to turn her attention to the food at hand only to pause when her eyes met Ginny's. Despite the fact they had talked dozens of times by letter the two had yet to share a word, having only briefly seen one another before boarding the Hogwarts Express. The determination in the girl's eyes was easily understood by Hermione and the intellectual girl couldn't help but wonder if this was due to the Dementor appearance.

A silent nod was shared between the two Gryffindor students before they set about the consuming the food in front of them. Both of them knew however that their night wouldn't end after the feast.

Their brief exchange hadn't gone completely unnoticed however. Harry, who had been reeling from the information that Dumbledore had given them in regards to the Dementors, had been unable to form anything resembling hunger and the food in front of him wasn't appealing despite how glorious it looked. Whilst most people would recommend that he eat at that time, years of malnourishment from the Dursleys had ensured that Harry wouldn't go hungry by one night without a meal.

Instead of retiring to the common room early and giving Draco more to tease him about. So he had taken to merely people watching, most of the students unaware of his gaze sweeping over them. From the conversations he could make out amongst all the clatter of cutlery the topic of chatter mainly centred around the escaped Azkaban prisoner. Upon the train Harry had confined his belief to Ron and Hermione that he believed Sirius Black had escaped Azkaban to hunt him down, most likely to finish what Voldemort had started.

Harry couldn't help but feel there was something more to this, something he was being kept in the dark deliberately. There had to be, otherwise he wouldn't have been warned both by the Minister of Magic and Arthur Weasley. What it was however was something that he would likely not know until they believed he was ready, or even then he would likely be without an answer. As humorous as it sounded he severely doubted anybody would give him the answer to 'Why is Sirius Black trying to kill me?' Well Professor Snape would probably do it if the answer was vile but Harry wasn't going to ask the potions teacher anything.

Harry's eyes briefly made contact with Ginny and the younger girl quickly shrunk in on herself, ducking her head so that she was staring at the table. Harry wasn't sure if he'd done something wrong or if the youngest Weasley was upset with him and somehow he doubted Ron had the answers. Maybe Hermione would know considering his best friend was not an expert in regards to women.

Or maybe this was a topic he just shouldn't look into and wait until they had a Sex Ed class...did Hogwarts even have Sex Ed?

Pushing that thought to the side, Harry noticed that Ron had moved on from the main attraction to desert signalling that he would be heading up to the common room relatively soon. Needless to say, Harry was looking forward to getting out of the dining room and into the sanctuary where he would be spending the coming months with his fellow third year Gryffindors. With everything going on however, all the miseries that seemed to be surround both Hogwarts and himself, he couldn't help but feel excited for the coming school term and he wondered what was just around the corner.

...

Hermione sat by the fire in the common room, most of her fellow students asleep considering the unreasonable hour it was. With her knees pressed to her chest, she looked over her Defence Against the Dark Arts book once more and was mildly annoyed to find that the literary tomb failed to mention anything about Dementors. Considering that the nightmarish beings answered only to the Ministry it seemed appropriate that the answer to defeating them wasn't lying around in a schoolbook. Steps echoed through the room, Hermione turning her head to the side to see the person she had expected to see holding a cauldron as well as several pieces of red thread.

It was time.

...

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Peace