Due to the upcoming holidays, this will be the last update until after Christmas. Sorry about the wait, but it can't be helped. Hope you like this chapter! And thanks to reviewers! :)
"Returning seventh years follow me please!" Hermione called out nervously over the rumble of chatter. The feast had just ended and the students were preparing to retire to their common rooms. In order to accommodate everyone, the returning students were still moving into their new dormitories, and a new wing had been built for the students retaking their seventh year since their old rooms were being taken over by the new seventh year students. After this year was over, the space would be used to expand the current dorms and classrooms, as the onrush of new students was making the accommodations feel slightly cramped. It was a very confusing matter that Ginny did not care to ask too much about. It was enough for her to have a place to sleep, wherever it was.
Ron and Neville waved goodbye to Ginny as they slowly filed out of the Great Hall after Hermione and the Head Boy, Anthony Goldstein. The returning seventh year students had all received extra letters detailing the location of their new wing and the separate House common rooms, but the Head Boy and Girl were still expected to show the uncertain ones where to go.
As the last fluttering robe disappeared around the corner, Ginny sighed and began to trudge after her own group of seventh year Gryffindors. However, McGonagall's voice stopped her. "Ginny, could I speak to you for a moment?" Ginny turned around expectantly. "Yes, Pro-I mean Headmistress," she corrected herself sheepishly. McGonagall smiled down at the girl, her eyes twinkling in a way that reminded Ginny of Dumbledore.
"You may still call me Professor, dear. Now, I wanted to talk to you about the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year. As you know, with Mr. Potter gone, we are missing a Seeker." Seeing Ginny's wary nod, the older witch felt old, familiar warmth spread through her chest. She reminds me of myself at that age, McGonagall thought fondly.
And it was true, they shared many qualities. Both loved Quidditch and being a Chaser, even though they were called in as a Seeker many times. Before she could complete the walk down memory lane, the Headmistress pulled herself back together. "I know that you are reluctant to relinquish your position as Chaser, so I have a proposition for you." Ginny's shoulders straightened in interest.
"We are not only missing a Seeker, but also a Captain. Would you consider taking care of that problem for me?" A gasp escaped the Gryffindor's lips as she stared dumfounded at the woman. "You mean, you want me to be Captain?" she asked breathlessly, her eyes wide.
McGonagall nodded her head. "Besides your brother, you are the most experienced player we have on the team. And I do not think Mr. Weasley is quite ready to be a Captain," the Headmistress said primly, fighting a smile.
Ginny grinned and hastily said that she would be honored to be the Gryffindor's Captain. "Ah, that takes a load off my mind. We're sure to beat those Slytherins this year, even with Mr. Potter gone. Run along now. If you hurry up, you can catch the tail end of the group!"
After waving goodbye to McGonagall, Ginny ran off down the corridor towards the Gryffindor Tower. Just as she began to get breathless, she caught sight of black robes disappearing around the corner. She smiled triumphantly and increased her pace until she reached the straggling fourth years.
The journey to the common room had never felt so long for many of the students. Soft groans periodically rang out through the otherwise quiet night. It seemed that Peeves was busy elsewhere, or he would have taken great joy in disrupting the hushed anticipation of bedtime. Many of the new first years were looking around with wide eyes, mouths hanging open in awe of the beautiful paintings and tapestries.
The large group traveled up staircases with invisible missing steps, down rickety stairs that creaked under their weight, and past doors that disappeared before their very eyes. Suits of gleaming metal armor bowed regally to passing students, causing soft giggles of amusement to burst forth from the new first years. Stern-looking professors nodded down at them from their frames, their dated robes reflecting the style of their day.
As the students made their way down a corridor filled with chatting, easy-going portraits, they passed the statue of Lachlan the Lanky until they finally stopped in front of a portrait of a very fat lady in a pink silk dress. A fifth year perfect stepped forward and gave the password after a brief argument about whether or not the Fat Lady's singing had improved since last year. According to the frustrated perfect, it had not.
"I don't know why she bothers asking. We tell her the same thing every year," Romilda Vane whispered to her friend. They shared muffled giggles, glancing superstitiously at the back of the portrait.
Gasps of shock and amazement could be heard from the new students. Many of the older ones smiled nostalgically, remembering their own first night. Every year, it was the same reaction from the ones who had not seen the common room before.
It is quite beautiful, I suppose, Ginny reasoned to herself with a critical look around the room.
Various armchairs and couches draped in the signature scarlet and gold surrounded a crackling fire, warm looking blankets thrown across the backs, ready for use. A notice board was pinned up on the opposite wall, showing when Quidditch tryouts where and other important information. A few desks were scattered throughout the large room for students to study or do homework on. Scarlet tapestries depicting famous witches and wizards and various animals adorned the walls between posters and painted banners of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The former Gryffindors waved cheerfully at the new students from their spot on the stone wall. Two wooden doors on the opposite wall opened to spiral staircases leading up to separate boys' and girls' dormitories.
As the noise level rose, Ginny immediately decided to forgo chatting with her peers and instead walked over to the door leading to the girls' dorms and went up the spiral staircase to get ready for bed. Pausing at the foot of the stairs, she glanced back wistfully, feeling slightly nostalgic about past days when she would be down there having fun with her friends and fellow Gryffindors.
But tonight, she could not take the sympathy in their eyes or even the silent pats on the back. And if she heard one more story about another famous Feorge and Gred prank, she would scream. It was as if by not talking about him, she would not remember that he was gone—that he would still be there, laughing and joking around with everyone, if she only looked hard enough. It was a silly presumption but she clung to it nonetheless. In time she knew that she would have to let go of her irrational fear, but for now, she was simply too tired to debate the matter with herself.
Ginny carefully walked up the stairs and down a narrow hall before finally reaching the door marked "Seventh Years". Inside, five four-poster beds with bed covers and heavy, velvet curtains in the same scarlet and gold scheme from downstairs were pushed up against the walls neatly. Her small trunk was sitting at the foot of one of the beds on the right side of the room, labeling it as hers for the year. A small, wooden nightstand sat beside the bed.
Seeing the empty space available, she slowly began unpacking her things, stuffing clothes into the drawers. Digging around in her trunk, she finally found what she was searching for and gently pulled out a small picture frame. Ginny smiled, rubbing a finger along the edge. The entire Weasley family had their arms around each other, laughing at something Bill had said. It was an old picture; Ginny was only nine at the time. It was taken in front of the Burrow during one of their boisterous family reunions. Slowly, her heart overflowing with love for her family, she placed the picture on the nightstand and turned it so that she could gaze at it while lying on the bed.
Home, sweet home, she mused with a sigh, tugging her heavy black robe off to reveal her school uniform underneath. Well, I did it. I'm back. I even walked right past where he...where it happened and I was perfectly fine. Maybe this won't be so hard after all.
But it was several hours before she finally fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.
Draco will make a reappearence in the next chapter. Should reveal a little peak into his delightfully strange mind. ;)
