September the 1st comes more quickly than I expect. I awake that morning jittery and full of an anxious excited feeling. I jump out of bed, run down the stairs to the kitchen, snatch a piece of toast from the table, and run back up the stairs to my bedroom. I see Harry and Ron on their way down but as I am full of excitement I completely ignore Harry's cheerful, "Morning, Ginny!" greeting. I dress into my Hogwarts robes quickly and begin to gather my spellbooks and cauldron. I reach into my cauldron and to retrieve my A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration book, but when I do I catch sight of a small black book at the base of the cauldron. My eyes narrow and I pull it out slowly. I examine the plain black cover then flip it over in my hand. At the bottom of the back cover there is a name embossed in gold letters. I back up and sit down on the edge of my bed. I read the name:
"Tom Marvolo Riddle," I mutter to myself. What kind of a name is that? I think. I flip it back over and open to the first page. It is blank. I flip to the next page and the next and then the whole book. Every page is blank. Hmm…I think. Where did this come from? It must be a diary of some sort… I place the blank diary down on my bedside table and continue to collect the rest of my items and throw them into Bill's old trunk.
"Alright, you lot!" Dad calls up to us. "Everyone into the car!"
Everyone fits into the small Ford Anglia rather easily. I suspect Dad has put a charm on it to make the inside bigger. As we begin to pull away, I have a feeling that I have forgotten something and try to think of everything that I packed to figure it out before its too late. Fred and George both have to run back inside because they had forgotten Filibuster Fireworks and a broomstick. We finally make our way towards the highway and suddenly I realize what I forgot… the blank diary.
"Mum!" I exclaim before I can stop myself. "I forgot the blank…" I pause and rephrase my sentence, "I mean my diary!"
"Can't Mum and Dad just mail it?" Fred groans as Dad turns the car back around.
"No," I say. "I need it!"
I rush back inside and retrieve the blank diary and we are off once again.
"We'll be lucky if we make it in time," Dad says glancing at his watch. He looks at Mum. "Molly, dear-"
"No, Arthur-"
"No one would see—this little button here is an Invisibility Booster I installed—that'd get us up in the air—then we fly above the clouds. We'd be there in ten minutes and no one would be any the wiser—"
"I said no, Arthur, not in broad daylight-"
We finally reach King's Cross Station at about a quarter till eleven. We load our belongings onto a couple trolleys and rush into the station. Percy goes first, then Fred and George. Then, it is my turn. Mum takes a hold of my hand and we push my trolley through the barrier where I see the magnificent Hogwarts Express. I look up at it in amazement. Three minutes until departure. Mum hands me my ticket. Two minutes till departure. Dad kisses my forehead and Mum squeezes me against her. One minute till departure. I step onto the train, hand over my ticket, and walk down the narrow halls to find a compartment. The train is noisy with students' excited voices. I peak into a few compartments but they are all full. The fifth compartment I peer into has one seat left.
"D'you mind?" I ask a boy with short blond hair gesturing to the empty seat.
"Alright," the boy answers. I sit down beside him awkwardly. "I'm Ernie Macmillan," the boy says.
"Ginny Weasley," I reply shyly. There are two other students in the compartment—another boy and a girl. I look at them and open my mouth to politely ask their names when Ernie beats me to it.
"This is Hannah Abbott and Justin Finch-Fletchey," Ernie says. The girl, Hannah, smiles at me. Justin nods once.
"You don't happen to be related to Ron, do you?" Ernie asks.
"I'm his sister," I answer.
"The twins' too, I suppose," Ernie says. I nod. "And that older one, Percy…you've got a lot of brothers then, huh?"
"Six," I tell him.
"Percy's just been around here," Hannah says. "He walked in and flashed a prefect's badge telling us to stay out of trouble because he'll be watching-"
I snort with a small laugh and roll my eyes
"Don't mind him," I tell them.
"So, you're a first year then, hmm?" Justin asks. I nod.
"We're all second years," Ernie says.
"Do you know what house you'll be in?" Hannah asks.
"I'll probably be in the same ones as the rest of my family."
"Hmm," Ernie replies. "We're in Hufflepuff."
"Hufflepuff is um—"
But I am cut off by Justin who suddenly presses his face close to the window.
"Bloody hell," Justin exclaims. I look out the window as well to see a car dip down below the clouds. A car? No, not just a car! A flying Ford Anglia! My dad's flying Ford Anglia. I look closer to see Ron and Harry in the front seats before they fly high above the clouds again.
"Is that… Ron Weasley?" Ernie exclaims. "And…Harry Potter?"
I groan and put my face in my hands. What are they doing?! Mum and Dad will be so furious. Ron and Harry though? Well, they will be lucky not to be expelled.
It is dark outside when we arrive at Hogwarts. Ron, Harry, and the car are nowhere to be found when I step out of the Hogwarts Express.
"Firs' years!" the large man with the beard that I met in Diagon Alley calls over the crowd to us first years. "Firs' years, over by the boats now, hurry up now, come on!"
I follow the crowd of first year students to the edge of the lake. This is when I look up at the castle for the first time.
"Wow," I whisper. The castle is absolutely beautiful. It is much bigger than I anticipated. The moon illuminates the tops of the towers making the castle glow. I step into the nearest boat still not taking my eyes off the magnificent castle. The boats pull themselves forward across the Black Lake towards the castle doors. When we reach the edge of the lake all the first years step out of the boats. I am starting to feel the anxiety rising in me again. Fred and George have told me plenty of things about the first night at Hogwarts. There is to be a test of some sort to get into your house. This is what frightens me. I have seen my family perform magic as if its second nature but me? Well, I just got my wand. I haven't even taken a peek at my spellbooks. I do hope we don't have an assignment that I don't know about. My hands start to shake. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Must I do this test in front of the entire school? Harry enters my mind. What would the great Harry Potter think of me if I were to fail this test? I follow the crowd into the castle and up a flight of stairs. The entryway to the castle is enormous! When we are all filed into the foyer, a witch with a stern face and a pair of glasses sitting on her nose looks down at us.
"Welcome to Hogwarts," she says. "I am Professor McGonagall, the headmistress. Now before we begin the welcoming feast, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."
Gryffindor, I remember. That is the house that everyone in my family is in. I really hope I do not fail them. Fred and George always said that Hufflepuff was the lamest house, Ravenclaw was the smarty-pants students, and Slytherin was just all around terrible. Gryffindor was the best one, they assured me. Professor McGonagall turns around and leaves us for a moment.
"My mum was in Hufflepuff," a girl says to another student. "I do hope that's where I'll be put."
"Well, Slytherin is exclusive. You have to be a pureblood to be in that house," a boy replies from behind me. "I'm a pureblood."
I'm a pureblood! I exclaim in my head. What if Slytherin wants me?!
Professor McGonagall returns and the doors open to a large hall where four tables are lined up already filled with the returning students. Everyone turns around to stare at us first years. We file into the large dining hall and stop in front of stool with a ratty, old hat on it. The front of the pointed hat is twisted into what looks like eyes and a mouth. Then, the hat opens a tear in the brim that looks like a mouth and begins to sing:
A thousand years or more ago 'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
when I was newly sewn,
there lived four wizards of renown,
whose names are still well known:
bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
they hatched a daring plan
to educate young sorcerers
thus Hogwarts School began.
Now each of these four founders
formed their own house, for each
did value different virtues
in the ones they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were
Prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide
Their favorites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong!
Professor McGonagall holds out a long scroll and begins to call out names in alphabetical order. My last name starts with W so I know I will be one of the last ones to be called. The first student called sits on the stool and Professor McGonagall places the old hat on his head. The hat seems to sit there and think for a moment before calling out:
"RAVENCLAW!"
The crowd gets smaller and smaller as more students' names are called and those students disappear to their seats at their house table. I am the second to last to be called.
"Weasley, Ginevra!"
My hands shake as I sit down on the stool. It rocks back and forth under me. Professor McGonagall places the hat on my head and the brim falls just over my eyes so I can barely see the returning students staring at me.
"The last of the Weasleys!" the hat's loud voice exclaims in my ears. It is louder than I expect and I jump a little startled. The stool wobbles underneath me. I steady myself and the hat continues. "I know just where to put you."
I close my eyes wishing for Gryffindor.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat yells out. A face lights up. I passed! I passed! I passed! I'm in Gryffindor! McGonagall takes the sorting hat off my head and I see the Gryffindors clapping and cheering. As I walk over to the table, I search the table for Ron and Harry. I do not see them. I take an empty seat next to Percy who smiles at me and pats me on the shoulder.
"Way to go, sis!" Fred says also patting me on the shoulder. I smile at them. Then my eyes narrow.
"Where are Ron and Harry?" I ask them. Percy shushes me as the last student is called to the stool to be sorted. I sigh. When the last student is seated the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, stands up at the podium.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I must remind all of you that the dark forest is forbidden to all students. I also would like to introduce the newest member of our staff, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart!"
I look up and see Gilderoy Lockhart stand up, wave to us, and flash that devastatingly handsome smile.
"Now, let the feast begin!"
Dozens of platters filled with roast turkey, honey ham, chicken legs, vegetables, pudding, and even my favorite treacle tart magically appear on the table. I open my eyes wide. I have never seen this much food in my life! I dig in but I still cannot help wonder where my brother and Harry are.
After the feast, Percy leads us back out to the entrance hall and up the first flight of stairs.
"This is the most direct path to the dormitory," Percy says to us as we follow him. "Keep an eye on the staircases as well. They like to change."
I glance up and see what looks like a dozen staircases moving from one floor to another. This is amazing! Hogwarts is bigger than I imagined. I will definitely get lost on my way to class tomorrow, I decide.
When we arrive at the Gryffindor common room, Percy gives us a short tour. I suddenly realize that all this excitement has made me extremely tired. I walk up the stairs to my dormitory that I share with four other first year girls. I dress into my nightgown and collapse onto my bed. Tomorrow is a big day—the first day of classes. I have no idea what is in store for me, but despite that I fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.