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CHAPTER 8- Arrival
Upon her arrival at Hogwarts, Ginny was ushered quickly into the great room full of the new incoming students, old students, and friends she longed to hug once again upon their meeting.
"Do you know what is going on?" a young fourth year Ginny had befriended timidly asked, watching a dark greasy haired man ascend the podium in front of the great hall. Ginny's eyes narrowed as the clapping started. It was the first time she noticed the change in faces – the faces of the teachers she had known for so long, were not a comforting sight. Each had an uneasy look – an almost fearful expression. Ginny watched McGonagall deliberately clap her hands at the slowest pace possible – her face the epitome of disgusts. Ginny only remembered the end of last year when McGonagall reluctantly took the post of Headmistress. Now she was back to Transfiguration – only to be stood up by Severus Snape.
"Quiet" Snape drowned the noise in the great hall with his nasally tone. Ginny crossed her arms, sending Snape a seething look. She vividly remembered the pain etched on Harry's face as he told her of Dumbledore's murder…those few moments they had together on Hogwarts grounds – before they were separated for the summer.
"I want all of you to know," Snape sneered, curving his slimy pasty fingers over the podium. "That the ministry will be taking control of this institution, and your well-being…" Snape gazed around the room.
Ginny stiffened in her seat as he found her eyes – locking them, his look becoming smug.
"And we will be watching you all…very, very closely…"
"I don't understand why you didn't flinch! I would be crying!" the young 4th year girl, who Ginny learned to be Madeleine, cowered – walking beside Ginny closely in the hall.
Luna and Neville smirked beside Ginny, and Ginny couldn't help but smirk herself.
"Snape may seem like a threatening person, but you'll find that he's nothing but an arse. You shouldn't be afraid of him."
"But did you hear what he said? The Ministry is taking control of Hogwarts!" the frightened girl, who's initiation into Gryffindor Ginny just witnessed, drew closer to Ginny. Ginny wrapped a comforting arm around her as the tiny girl's eyes started to water. "Nothing is going to hurt you here. We'll stick together, I promise – we'll make sure nothing happens." Ginny smiled briefly before sending Neville beside her, also adoring a Prefect's badge, a fleeting look.
"Ginny" Luna called over from the far corner, waving her hand. She always seemed weird or out of it, but at times Luna was the best person to be with- especially during struggling situations, Luna had always been there for Ginny. Ginny smiled, waving back as she approached her.
"How was your summer?"
"Boring as usual. My Dad took me along to do some more research for his magazine, it was absolutely astounding what we found. The giants are now migrating further north, towards us, which I find interesting. They say they want to breed with the giants of the north- "
Ginny only nodded, noticing Luna wasn't talking to Ginny directly, but talking over her upside down Quibbler she was reading. Luna seemed too perceptive at Ginny's alooftness.
"How was your summer?"
Ginny scoffed at the question. Let's see, I flew into a tree, almost passed out, my house got wracked by Death Eaters, I was put under the Crucio curse for the second time in my life, my family was in jeopardy, my house was burned down, Harry Hermione and Ron came back for a week, and I had the most amazing night of my life with Harry Potter,…and now, I'm pregnant. Tears almost flooded her eyes as she pushed it all back into center. She hadn't noticed Luna's penetrating eyes through her reading glasses – her messy hair tied into an ungraceful wand- sporting a holly wand.
"Um, boring, as usual." Ginny mustered a smile, heading down to her dorms with Luna.
"Ginny, Luna!" Neville waved at them, rushing down the hall with a stack of new library books.
"Where's your trunk Ginny?" he asked. "You need a hand with it?"
"Um, actually no, Neville…" Ginny replied. "I don't have a trunk."
"You mean, just your backpack?"
"Yes…" Ginny warily went on, trying to sound nonchalant. "My house burned down this summer. So that's why I'm practically covered in soot and I have a bruise on my forehead." She lied about the bruise, but the rest sent Neville into shock. Surprisingly, Luna's face didn't seem to change.
"I know" Luna replied, staring at Ginny. Ginny looked at Luna incredulously. How much weirder can she get? She thought with a repressed laugh.
"How did you-?"
"Oh, I know. Anyhow, how is your family doing? Is everyone alright?"
Ginny, still baffled at Luna's casual nature (although thankful), told Luna her family was fine and was living in safe quarters. She asked how the trio was, and Neville was begging to know also.
"I, I guess they're fine. Last I saw was a month ago." The subject sent a pang through Ginny's heart, and she could no longer bear to think about it. She slugged her backpack against her back again.
"I better get going. You coming Neville? I'll see you at dinner Luna. Got to get changed."
Ginny felt ferociously hungry at dinnertime. She grabbed a few chicken legs, her mind concentrated on the plate before her.
"Did they starve you over the summer?" her friend Julia asked from across the table.
"What?" Ginny asked, crumbs of food falling out of her mouth.
"You're done your second plate and on your third. I say you're a bit hungry." Lavender teased from beside Julia.
Ginny choked back her food, sitting back with an apparent blush. Never had she felt subconscious about anything before, she wasn't one to change herself or care about what other people thought, unless it was Harry. But more now than ever she took into consideration everyone's opinions about her appearance- she didn't want anyone knowing her secret.
"I, I guess I just didn't get to eat yesterday or today, we had to pack up and leave so quickly since our house got burnt down." She excused herself, her face becoming hotter.
"Are you serious?" Julia's eyes were willed with worry, her voice laced in concern. She reached over and held Ginny's hand.
"If you need anything at all, you know who to come to, okay? I'm always here for you."
"Thanks" Ginny nodded, swiftly going back to eating to fill the awkward silence with her crunching noises. She inwardly groaned, already uncomfortable with the fact that she was now "homeless" - she didn't want everyone knowing about it.
The stares Ginny was receiving throughout the week were sending her over the edge. Each stare accompanied by whispers. She was no longer the "youngest Weasley," she was now the latest rumor- the juiciest gossip- "Harry Potter's girlfriend." How she hated the gossip. She wanted to ream them out to leave her alone. But as long as this war was waging on, she knew she was a major target for gossip. Therefore she found solace in guiding the youngest of Gryffindors – helping them in their studies, especially the first years who were undergoing the first waves of homesickness.
Stubborn, fierce Ginny became a haven to those first years who saw her soft side. Somehow Ginny was attracted to them in such a way – maybe it was her instincts? How they found her as a safe haven was beyond her. But Ginny knew if word ever got out about her secret, not only would it spread over Hogwarts like a wildfire, she might be expelled…or worse, hunted…used as leverage over Harry…and that's a risk she was definitely not willing to take. At any cost.
