Chapter 9: Life at School

By the end of September, the first years were all settling into their routines and getting used to their classes. Some were becoming mischief makers and following in Fred and George's footsteps… there was a tiny group of studious students who spent most of their time with their noses in their textbooks or writing essays… and a strong band of some hard-core Quidditch fanatics, who spent most of their time looking at broomstick models in the Prophet or talking about their favorite teams.

Everyone's lives seemed to be falling into place at Hogwarts… everyone that is but Ginny.

These days, Ginny had taken to spending all her free time alone in her dormitory, writing to Tom. Tom seemed to be the only one who could understand her—just really understood what she was feeling and going through. Despite all the noises that were taking place in the common room below her, she would write well into the light until she fell asleep with the quill still in her hand and the diary opened on her pillow.

Because of this, she started falling asleep during the day and often had to have someone wake her up to get her to go to classes. She just couldn't understand what was happening… she used to be such an early riser and full of energy… what was going on with her?

"Ginny! Ginny can you hear me?"

Ginny could hear someone calling her name. She rolled over in her bed, barely noticing the fact that she was being poked in her side.

"Ginny! Will you hurry and wake up already?" the voice called out again, only this time it was louder and more insistent/irritated. She tried to brush the hand away as she over onto her stomach. "Leave me alone! I'm trying to sleep," she murmured into her pillow which she just realized was very hard and lumpy.

"GINNY MOLLY WEASLEY! YOU WAKE UP RIGHT THIS SECOND OR SO HELP ME…!" Percy's loud and angry voice bellowed in her ear. Ginny opened her eyes, frowning, as she looked up into the face of her older brother who was fuming… his checks were flushed and his glasses were practically steaming up from all the shouting that he must've been doing.

"What is it?" she asked rubbing her eyes with a yawn and looked around in a confused way. She could've sworn that she went to sleep in her dorm room… but instead it turns out she was in the Gryffindor Common room, obviously sleeping on the sofa.

"Ginny?" Percy sat down next to her when she sat up and put her feet on the floor."What on earth is wrong with you? You said that you were only going up to get your books for your next class, but you never came down for dinner!"

Ginny's brow furrowed as she tried to remember what happened. She had another nightmare last night and wanted to catch a few z's before dinner she knew that much… and she was sure that she went up and laid down on her bed… but then how did she get here? However, she wasn't going to tell Percy about her nightmares—who would just tell her to grow up and that it wasn't anything to worry about—and that's if she's lucky! He would make her go and see Madam Pomfrey if he suspected anything was wrong with her.

"Yeah," Ginny said with another yawn. "I was up late finishing up my homework… so I guess… I guess I just fell asleep here when I sat down."

She wished he would stop glaring at her like she was up to something. She didn't want to talk to him right now. She wanted her parents more than anything… she missed the Burrow… she missed her bedroom with the rising sun shining through her window every morning… she missed hearing her mum downstairs making breakfast and yelling at them all to get up before the food was gone… she missed the long grass that grew in the garden that she would lay in and look up at the blue sky… she missed being able to talk with her parents about her problems…

Percy, despite all his well-meaning intentions, was a poor substitute for a parent.

"I know that you're having a hard time adjusting here," Percy told her as he stood up and polished his Prefect badge with his sleeve until it shone."I was getting worried when you never came down to eat with the rest of us so I came up to see what was taking so long. If you hurry you might be able to get a bite or something, ok?"

"What's going on?" called a familiar voice as the portrait hole opened up and Ron came in with Fred and George.

"Where are you off to?" Percy demanded, as if he was Mum when she wanted to keep tabs on where everyone was going, as the twins headed up the stairs to their dorm and Ron waited impatiently.

"Me and Hermione are going down to the Quidditch field and watch the team practice, not that it's any of your business," Ron told Percy coldly.

Percy glared at him but seemed satisfied with the answer as he turned back to Ginny and said, "Ginny, you haven't been looking well lately and I know that there's this bug going around so…"

"I don't need anything!" Ginny snapped crossly as she got to her feet, swaying slightly and feeling lightheaded.

"Now Ginny, I demand you to take some of the Pepperup Potion that Madam Pomfrey has been handing out!"

"Percy, for the last time, leave me alone! I'm not sick!" Ginny shouted at him—but she might've just been yelling at a brick wall for all the good it did. Percy had been hounding her to take the potion all week, convinced that she was coming down with the flu like several of the other students.

"Ginny, you're pale as a sheet," he went on stubbornly as if he hadn't been listening to a single word she said. "You're not yourself. So I am telling you that it's for your own good to take the potion."

"I'm fine!" she yelled and picked up her bag, which was what she had been using as a pillow, as she stamped out through the portrait hole.

Ginny tried her best to act as if nothing was wrong, but Percy was right about one thing… she hadn't been herself lately. She was constantly tired, and becoming more forgetful with each passing day. She was convinced that she had begun sleepwalking… because she would go to sleep in one place and suddenly wake up in somewhere else around castle, sometimes even outside during the day.

But most of all, Ginny was so lonely it felt like a constant ache inside her. Aside from Tom, she felt that there was no one who cared with what she had to say. When she wasn't in class, she spent most of her time shut up in her dorm room and cry onto the diary's pages… or would write to him all of her fears and sorrows—the dreams that she hoped that she would be able to reach on day… as she would also gaze off at the Quidditch pitch in the distance.

She had too much pride to tell anyone else how unhappy she was… how no one liked her because she was a poor girl with ugly red hair and too shy to speak. And how she was stuck with second-hand robes and school books… she knew that she was sounding selfish and that her parents had done their best, but was it really wrong to want nice things too?

She blinked suddenly, realizing that she somehow wondered down to the second floor corridor. How'd that happen? Confused, she looked behind her as if expecting to see a sign telling her which way to go. She was trying to go down the Great Hall, not the bathrooms… but she didn't focus too much on it as a splitting headache ran through her strangely foggy brain.

All she could think of was that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. Yes, that had to be it. She couldn't think of any other explanation unless she was losing her memory. Still feeling light-headed she turned and headed back to the stairs, silently hoping that she didn't trip over her own feet as she dragged them across the floor.

She unexpectedly saw a gang of Slytherins coming her way from the other end of the hall and she had to dive down a different corridor to avoid them. The Slytherins, Malfoy especially, had made a habit of teasing her whenever they saw her.They were always poised to strike when she was at her weakest, just like snakes in the grass… appropriate.

Ginny remembered the brief, yet pompous, speech that Lucius Malfoy had given her back that day in Diagon Alley when things seemed so much simple. "Take it, girl, it's the best your father can give you." It hurt her because she knew that he was right.

And so, every day, the Slytherin's mocked her about her patched clothes, her worn-out books, and her red hair. She knew that they also did it to the rest of her brothers too, and that the older Slytherins were a lot crueler than the first-year thugs she was stuck with; but Ginny couldn't help but feel like she was about to break whenever they ridiculed her. She couldn't even look at anyone after that. She overheard Percy telling some other first years to report anyone who was bullying them, but she was smart enough to know that wouldn't help at all. It'd only made the teasing worse, and everyon laugh at how weak you were.

Grown-ups just don't understand why kids have to deal with bullying themselves.

So to make a long story short… her school life was nowhere near as wonderful as she dreamt that it would be. That was why she needed Tom almost constantly. He was kind and offered her helpful advice… heck, he even helped her with her homework. It wasn't like he would tell anyone her secrets and he made her feel that things were going to be ok. He never treated her like she was a faceless, nameless person…

Yep… that's all she was to everyone else… she was invisible.

She just couldn't understand why all these depressing thoughts kept playing themselves over and over again inside her head. Where were these ideas coming from anyway? She glanced down at her robes and was surprised to find what looked like slime sticking to the helm of her clothes. Where did that come from? Last she checked, there wasn't slime there when she got up this morning… and she hadn't even been outside yet.

She was having such a hard time remembering things she done—even if it was just a few minutes ago… Did someone leave a mess in one of the hallways and she walked it through it without noticing it?

It was almost as strange as the time she found the feathers on her robes and couldn't think of where they came from. The best she could come up with was maybe some chicken feathers stuck to her clothes when her dad dropped her trunk on the way to the car before term started. They had so many hens and roosters at home… maybe when he dropped it, the trunk burst open and scared the chickens?

Again, she wasn't sure anymore, but she didn't dwell on it. Tom told her that it wouldn't do to worry. Especially if he was as lost on the answers as she was.

Ginny was feeling more and more like an outsider every day. She was becoming more isolated and unsocial, which wasn't like her at all. She had always been friendly and thrilled to meet new people… especially when it came to her brother's friends. She wasn't saying that the girls in her dorm were mean or anything… Ginny just felt like she didn't fit in with that cheerful and go-lucky crowd anymore, though she didn't know why.

And as much as she started liking Hermione, who was always up for a conversation with her—she spent most of her time with Ron and Harry. As much as Ginny wanted to talk to a girl about her problems and fears, she found it complicated. After all, she was one of Harry's best friends. What if Hermione accidently let slip to him how she truly felt about Harry? Then there was Hagrid—sure he was sympathetic and kind—but she had been warned not to trust him your secrets.

And absolutely worst of all, were her dumb brothers. Fred and George, who already teased her on a daily basis, only got worse when they caught her sneaking around the Quidditch pitch to watch them play once. After that, they often said to her in loud, carrying voices that they were going to tell Harry that she liked him. They said it in a way that made Ginny sure they would never actually tell him… but it still hurt when they pretended to act like they didn't care about her feelings. Percy of course was harassing her to no end as if he thought he was their Mum. As for Ron, well—he usually just ignored her as if she wasn't there, which meant that Harry was usually forced to do so too since they were almost always together.

As she reached the Great Hall, a small smile came to her lips as she thought of the one thing that was sure to make her feel better. Watching Harry play Quidditch. She sighed dreamily—she was so looking forward to watching him soar above the field and fly as well as any professional made it easy to forget that something was wrong. She blushed crimson at the thought, bringing some color back to her pale cheeks.

But she also knew that she still had a lot of homework piling up. They were already in the last week of October, but that didn't stop the professors from assigning them work. She knew that it was too much to hope that her problems would get better overnight, seeing on how her homesickness seemed to be getting worse. Her lessons weren't going as well as she had hoped—but it wasn't as if she was terrible at the classes themselves. The real problem was that she was just so tired that she rarely was able to do a good job on her homework. Her nightmares kept waking her up every night and it was all she could do to stay awake. What was wrong with her?

Just thinking about her classes made her groan at the thought of her workload. She still had to write an essay on some common poisons for Potions… read up on a few chapters for Herbology, practice the Wingardium Leviosa spell for Charms… the work pile just seemed to go on and on.

And speaking of Potions, just thinking about her essay made her angry. She remembered her last potion's class with Snape and how he walked over to her table to sneer… "Now what do we have here?" he asked as he peered into her cauldron. The Forgetfulness Potion she was trying to make was supposed to be thick and bubbling—and instead hers was watery and hardly steaming. "It seems your lack of skill and inability to brew potions must run in the family."

Ginny wasn't looking forward about going back to the Dungeons anytime soon. She went red with fury as she thought of the greasy-haired Snape. But her bad mood soon faded once she was out in the open air and watched the Gryffindor team practice… from the security of under the bleachers of course, where her brothers didn't have a hope of seeing her and rubbing it in her face later on.

It was a few hours later—after she snuck back to the castle, did she go up to her dorm and told Tom about her day. She didn't write as much as she normally did because she could barely keep her eyes open and said a hasty goodnight to Tom. She finally went to sleep, with her bright red hair fanned out on her pillow and began to dream again… this time of wandering down to the second floor after dark and entering a depressing bathroom.

*The Next day*

Ginny was in pain. Her body was full of aches and pains that she could hardly move. She had been sick before, but it never hurt like this—and she didn't seem to have come down with the same colds and flu's that the rest of the school had come down with.

Every single bone, muscle and cell of her body just seemed to sting and ache every time she moved. She sat at her desk during History of Magic, her head propped on her arms and tried to make it through this one last class without falling asleep. If she could get through this one more lesson, she would be free for the rest of the day. She made it… but only barely.

Once the bell finally rang, she forced her aching body to get up and walked down the stairs for dinner. She hadn't eaten since the day before yesterday, and she hoped that some food would do some good. As she made her way down a sunny corridor she came across, the scrawny and rumored to be evil incarnate, caretaker's cat—Mrs. Norris. Ginny had been warned to stay away from this cat at all times from the older students because she will report to the grouchy caretaker—who will find any excuse to put you in detention. But come on… she wasn't doing anything wrong.

To be safe, she just chose to walk around gray cat, and avoid all trouble. If she kept wasting time here, she was going to be late to watch Quidditch practice. "Hello Mrs. Norris…" she said as the feline gave her a stern look like she was suspicious of something. The cat narrowed her yellow eyes and let out a loud 'meow' when Ginny had walked passed.

"What do you think you're doing to my cat?" a loud growl came from behind her causing her to jump and almost tripped. "I swear if you do anything to Mrs. Norris then I'll make sure you get detention every night for the rest of the year!"

Ginny regained her balance and turned around to see the cat's owner, Mr. Filch, standing nearby with a red nose, and a scarf wrapped about his head. He had obviously caught the same flu that was going around—which had put him in a bad mood. Ginny couldn't help but wrinkle her nose as she thought of how dirty he was even when he wasn't sick. He had had grimy clothes, thin and greasy hair, with nails that were grubby—and don't get her started on his yellow and crooked teeth.

Ginny gave him a scowl. "I wasn't doing anything! I was just walking by her, is that a crime now?"

Filch eyes widened in anger as soon as she opened her mouth. "You brats are all the same. I ought to give you detention for talking back alone! And that's not even counting the fact that I know that you were up to no good! How could you not with having those two demons for brothers!" Ginny looked at him even more defiantly now, standing her ground.

He grabbed her by the upper arm and hulled her up to his office where he threatened her with detention and to hang her in the dungeons with the chains that were sitting in the corner of the room. She just glared back coldly, not in the mood to listen to him waste her time. Finally after about 15 minutes of yelling and threatening, he gave her a detention.

"FOR WHAT?" Ginny screamed at him. Getting up from her seat and slamming her hands onto the desk in fury. "WALKING BY YOUR STUPID CAT! IS IT A CRIME TO WALK THE HALLWAYS TO DINNER?"

"For talking back with that attitude alone is enough for detention," Filch snarled back, clearing enjoying how angry she was. "Now my cat alerted me that something was up and she's never wrong. I arranged it so that you will be serving detention for Halloween night so I hope you don't have any other plans."

Ginny was so furious, she was willing to give almost anything she had to throw some powerful and awful curses at him right now.

"You're lucky that I don't give you another one for shouting like that," he growled as he got up and put her file into a filing cabinet. Ginny couldn't help but notice with some pride that Fred and George had an entire drawer to themselves.

"However," Filch grunted nastily. "Fortunately for you, I have work to do or else you would be serving detention all week for shouting at my sensitive hearing. But, some other brats have been leaving vomit all over the place so I'm the one who has to clean up after them. But you better watch your step from here on out. I'm going to be watching you…" he glared at her as he practically tossed her out of his office and turned his attention to his cat. "Come along, my sweet. We can think of better things we should be doing instead of dealing with these monster for students."

Ginny marched away, feeling a bit of vindictive pleasure when he gave a great hacking cough into his handkerchief—with Mrs. Norris trotting behind him. She waited until she was he was out of sight before she started running, angry tears falling down her face.

Ginny tried hard not to dread the detention that was waiting for her—as if she didn't have enough on her plate with her mounting homework and lack of sleep. She hoped that she could forget about it as she stomped out to the Quidditch pitch, to hide behind the bleachers and watch them play. However by the time she got there, practice was over. She had missed seeing the team practice and had landed herself in detention.

And she knew that it was Mrs. Norris' fault.

*Next Day*

The next day wasn't much better, because it had been raining when she went down to spy on the team. It was raining heavier than it had in the last few weeks and Ginny was forced to run across the grounds as fast as she could. But with her luck, she was soaked to the bone by the time she had got to her usual hiding place.

As she wiped the wet hair out of her eyes, she noticed with disappointment that the team was ready to call it a day. And judging by the looks of it, things hadn't gone well as they all spent another five minutes in the air before they landed in the thick mud and marched bravely off to the locker rooms. Ginny wasn't a hundred percent sure, but it seemed like it was more than the rain and mud that was bothering them. Especially Harry, who by the time they landed, had his head lowered in disappointment.

Ginny was curious to know what had been troubling him like this. He looked as though he needed someone to talk to and started thinking up hundreds of ways she could ask him about it. As she waited for them to come out, she began thinking to herself, 'He surely wouldn't mind if I just ask him what was bothering him… besides, he usually heads back to the castle a little behind the others… and it's not like Ron and Hermione are here… this could be my only chance to finally talk to him. I just need to calmly walk up to him and ask if there's anything bothering him. But wait, I'm soaking wet! He'll know right away that I was watching… er… ok, I could say that I had just… just came from… visiting Hagrid's house, and I got caught in the rain! Perfect excuse!'

The more she thought about it, the more appealing it sounded to her. 'Now, how am I going to ask him? If I just go straight up to him with nothing, I'll forget how to talk and make a fool of myself… again.' She growled to herself in embarrassment as she remembered all the times that she forgot how to talk, tripped, or knocked something over while he was around. She shook her head clear and thought about something to say.

'Ok… let me see… how about keep it simple? "What's wrong Harry?" No, that sounds stupid! I need to be more grown-up than that. How about… "Oh hey, Harry. Just come from Quidditch practice? Is everything all right?" No… no, that sounds like I'm stupid, of course he'd be coming from practice. Why else would he be walking through the rain? Oh, wait… "Hey, Harry. I just got back from Hagrid's hut… are you ok? You look like something's bothering you?" That's good! I'll use that. Now, if only I can remember it by the time I finally catch up to him. It'll be easy… all I got to do is wait until he comes out.'

Ginny waited patiently as the three girls came out first—jealous that they were on the team—closely followed by her brothers, the team captain—who the twins call the bane of their existence—and at last, Harry. He was easily the smallest person on the team and had pulled his cloak up over his head to cover himself from the rain and thick mud.

Ginny crept quietly behind him, far enough to duck and hide if he turned around—but close enough so that he was in her sights the whole time as she tried to muster up the courage to talk to him.

But even as it began to rain harder and he hurried to the front doors, she still couldn't find her voice to call out to him to wait up for her. She followed his muddy tracks all the way up to the castle—and through the hallways. She just kept following him up staircases and down corridors… thankfully, she was able to stop herself from running around the corner where Harry had stopped to talk to the Gryffindor House ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, who was floating in front of a window.

Ginny jumped back to hide behind a large statue before risking a peek around the corner to watch them. Nearly Headless Nick had given Harry, what looked like a letter to her, and let him read it. Just as Harry handed it back, Nick was looking really annoyed by something.

She was caught up for a moment as she looked at Harry's concerned expression. Somehow, she ended up in a wonderful daydream with Harry—smiling so brightly that it made her heart melt—and holding out his hand for her to take. She reached out to take it and he gently lifted her into his arms… and he opened his mouth to say… he said…

Suddenly, she heard a loud meowing coming down the corridor which brought her back down to earth.

So much for wonderful daydreams as she grumpily looked behind her to see Mrs. Norris running pass her. Her hatred for that cat only got worse as she suddenly remembered all the mud that she and Harry had left all over the place. She knew that Filch would be furious and obviously try to give Harry detention like he did with her.

She was about to run out and warn him… but it was too late. "Filth!" she heard Filch shout hoarsely. She peeked around the corner again, biting her lip, and watched as Harry waved a gloomy goodbye to Nick and followed the bitter caretaker down another corridor, no doubt about to get a detention.

Ginny slid down the brick wall behind her and cursed herself softly. "Oh, great Ginny! How stupid could you get? You had your chance right there practically on a silver platter and you ruined it by chickening out! You had so many chances to talk to him… you should've just gritted your teeth and said something!" Her thoughts of guilt and frustration however, were soon interrupted when she started coughing, and remembered that she was still wet from the rain. Maybe she could use a little bit of the Pepperup potion after all… not that she was going to give Percy the satisfaction that he might be right.

*Later*

Ginny quickly went back up to her dormitory room and plopped down on her bed. She was so tired, but now that she was up here, but needed someone to talk to. Closing her curtains around her bed, she took her diary from under her pillow and began to write to Tom about what happened. Maybe he could give her some advice to what to do.

Tom… I'm such an idiot! Things can't get any worse!

Ginny. Tom wrote back. What happened now?

I've just been having a bad week. First, my nightmares keep getting worse! Oh, Tom… they just feel so real… like they're really happening. You remember how I told you about those rooster feathers all over my robes? This time I woke up with slime… I don't remember walking through any slime! I don't know what's wrong with me!

Now, Ginny. I need you to be brave for me and to just calm down. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all of this.

Well, what is it then? She demanded in desperation. Yesterday I came up to the dormitory and I know that I feel asleep in my bed, but when I woke up, I was downstairs in the common room. The feathers, the slime, the nightmares… I don't have any idea where they came from. Am I going mad? Should I tell someone about this?

Like who? Who do you think would help with this?

I dunno… maybe a teacher? I don't think I'm sick or anything but… maybe Madam Pomfrey…?

I don't think that's a very good idea, Ginny. Tom wrote back quickly. They might think that you're making it up to get attention, or worse… think that you're really going mad. I know you aren't Ginny, but I think that it would be better to keep it a secret at least for now. We need to be careful or else you could end up being hospitalized if they think it's serious. I promise you, Ginny that you'll always have me if you need to talk to someone about it.

Yes, that was right. She smiled as she hugged the diary to herself. She'd always have Tom—at least he cared about what happened to her.

You're just homesick, Ginny. Tom assured her. That's all. Things haven't been going like you expected when you first got here have they? A I know that you miss how things used to be.

I guess I do miss Mum and Dad at the Burrow… Ginny admitted.

You see? You'll be fine, Ginny. You just have to keep reminding yourself that you'll be going home soon enough! Now stop thinking about all this and tell me everything else that's bothering you.

Ginny hesitated, she didn't like how Tom had shoved her fears aside like that. But he must have a good reason, so instead she let it drop as she then began to write about what happened with Harry and Mrs. Norris. She told him how she wanted to say something to him on his way back to the castle but she chickened out. And then she told him how that dumb cat Mrs. Norris got her detention, made her late, and got Harry in trouble all in just two days.

And that was the end of it, Tom, she related mournfully a little while later about how she just hid there like a baby and watched Filch take Harry away. I can't help but think that if I just had a little more time, I might've just been able to talk to him… I know that it was wishful thinking, but that cat sure isn't making things any easier!

Harry Potter will notice you someday, Ginny, Tom wrote back.

I hope so, Tom. But I'll have to get that rotten cat out of the way first. Ginny scribbled crossly. She's been making things even harder for me. Perhaps I'm being a little harsh Tom, but I can't help but feel this way.

I see. And whose cat is she again?

She belongs to the mean caretaker Filch. Ginny wrote back so angrily that her handwriting was barely readable. From what I heard from the other students, she's the only living thing that likes him. I can't imagine why. Did you know that Filch is a Squib? At least that's what I heard…

And so Ginny went on and on with everything that seemed to be going wrong. Once she had written about her last two disastrous days she stopped to see what Tom had to say about it all.

Are you feeling any better, now that you're getting all this off your chest, Ginny?

A little bit. Tom, I have a question… why can't we choose who our brothers are? She asked gloomily.

Are they still being cruel to you?

Fred and George especially! Ginny wrote, feeling close to tears again. They used to tease me all the time back home, but it was never as hurtful as it is now. They make fun of me in front of their friends all the time. I can't believe them! I WISH they would just lay off me. They're cruel, absolutely cruel. They make fun of me and then they just howl with laughter…

Have you told them to leave you alone?

Don't you think I've tried? Mum's the only person who can tell them what to do!

I see… but what about your two other brothers there with you?

Ron doesn't even look at me anymore. He just tells me to go away and leave him alone. Like he thinks I'll just embarrass him or something in front of Harry and Hermione.

And Percy?

Believe it or not, he's even worse, but in a different way. At least he doesn't tease me. But it's like he thinks he's Mum and Dad now! Shescowled in humiliation at how he kept treating her like she was still a baby. He acting like I can't take care of myself and that I'm like some fragile doll that could break. He keeps trying to get me to drink some potions because he thinks I'm sick. Honestly, I wish he could stop acting like it's his job to take care of me. She sighed. Oh, Tom, Hogwarts isn't anything like I thought it'd be.

Why don't you send your parents a letter and tell them how miserable you are? They might be able to help you.

Because, I don't want them to know how unhappy I am! Ginny scribbled quickly. I was so happy when I finally got my letter, they might not think I'm cut out for Hogwarts. I want them to stop looking at me like I'm a baby, and more like I'm growing up! And besides, I can't figure out what's wrong myself. I had been dreaming about coming here ever since Bill. But things aren't like I imagined them to be. I thought I would be making so many new friends, learning spells, and having fun. That's what all my brothers have said about it anyway… but so far, I've made no friends, haven't learned anything really useful despite the heavy load of homework that we keep getting, and I'm not having any fun at all. The guy of my dreams doesn't know I exist, my brothers are all ignoring me, and now I think that this place is actually making me sick or something because I've never felt so ill in my whole life! I looked in the mirror this morning and I'm all pale with dark circles under my eyes that make me look like a skull…

She shivered as the memory and had to wash her face so hard that it was almost red raw. It can't let Harry see me like this. I mean, I know I look bad enough in my second-hand robes—and if I admit that I'm sick, it would only make Percy even more smug. Oh, Tom, I'm so glad I have this diary to confide in, if I didn't have you to write to I don't know how I'd hold onto my sanity.

I am so glad you feel that way Ginny. I'm pleased I can be here for you when you need it. Speaking of Harry Potter… what does he do? Does he follow your brothers leads? Does he make fun of you? Or just ignores you?

Neither I guess, but he's so involved with Ron and Hermione and everything else that he barely notices me. I mean, at least when he sees me, he gives me a smile or says hi… she wrote with another sigh, but this one was for an entirely different reason. Of course, that's better than what my lousy brothers do. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you! I was so wrapped up in feeling sorry for myself. You'll never believe what I just heard. Colin Creevey told me all about it!

Colin Creevey? The boy who talks too much and sits next to you in Charms?

Yes, him. He's really nice, but also annoying. Like that hyper little cousin who's always bugging you? Anyway, he absolutely idolizes Harry. He went down to the Quidditch pitch a while back to take pictures of him. He was so excited when he found out that wizard pictures move. He's from a Muggle family and told me that people in Muggle pictures don't move. Did you know that? How weird!

Yes, I knew that Muggle pictures don't move. But what happened?

Well, Colin told me that Draco Malfoy went and 'bought' his way onto the Slytherin team! Can you believe someone could be so… so…? She was having a hard time thinking up a good insult to call Malfoy, but Tom helped her out by suggesting…

Pathetic?

Perfect, Tom! Malfoy must've been desperate to get on the team, but is such a bad flyer that he had to go and buy the rest of the team brand-new broomsticks to join! And not just any brooms either! Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones! The best brooms that money can buy!

Well, he must've been sure that he wouldn't make the team unless he paid all that money to get them to take him. Seems like a waste of money though.

Oh, I can think of a million better uses for that money! Get some good clothes and books for a start! Dad has always said that the Malfoys are part of the group of wizards that believe that they are better than everyone else because they're purebloods. He also says that they were part of You-Know-Who's inner circle and that they still believe that they're his most faithful servants, despite claiming that they were forced to follow him. Dad has always said that You-Know-Who believed that anyone who wasn't a pureblood didn't deserve to live! Isn't that awful, Tom? You don't believe that do you?

Of course not, Ginny. I'm half-blood myself. Didn't I tell you that my father was a Muggle?

I remember. I was just making sure. You seem too kind to believe in garbage like that.

Speaking of pictures… Tom went on. Did you just say that Creevey took a bunch of pictures of Harry flying?

Yeah. Ginny wrote back, wondering where Tom was going with this.

Oh, nothing. I was just curious if you stole any of them?

Ginny went bright red as she wrote out: TOM!

I'm kidding, I'm only kidding. Tom wrote back. But it does seem like something you would do.

Ginny went even redder as she wrote back quickly. No. I didn't take any of Colin's pictures. (But she couldn't help but think that she might've been able to come up with some kind of plan to get one without Colin realizing that she liked Harry. That was definitely something to think about.) But I'm sure that Harry's really worried about the Quidditch match coming up. The whole team must be worried about going up against another team with such spectacular brooms. But I'm not too worried. I'm sure that he could out fly them all even if he was stuck on one of the school's old brooms. Boy, I can't wait to see Malfoy's face when Gryffindor kicks their butts. I bet Slytherin will be sorry that they ever let him on the team.

I bet so too. Harry sounds like he is a very talented player.

Oh, he is! I mean, I wish you could see it! I've been watching them practice and—he's only twelve—but he flies better than most professionals!

Very impressive.

I'd love to tell him how amazing I think he is, but I don't think he would like it. He doesn't seem to like attention much and he doesn't like Colin following him around all the time. I do wish that Colin would take a hint. At least I have the decency to keep quiet and not tell anyone… except you of course. But Tom, I'm so depressed that Harry will never like me.

I'm sure he will one day, Ginny. Like I said before, you just have to be patient. He's only twelve years old. Boys don't really become interested in girls until they're a little bit older. It might not be this year… but I think you're expecting too much too soon.

Do you really think so, Tom? I guess you're right. As always. Maybe I should at least start off with trying to talk to him first before we move onto dating. Maybe if I start to talk to him more, he'll start liking hanging out with me. I would love that. Well, anyway, I have to get started on some of my homework. Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall gave us so much this weekend and I haven't even started.

Alright, Ginny. Let me know if you need any help, those were some of my favorite classes in school and I'll be more than happy to give you tips.

Thanks, Tom. I will! Talk to you soon!

Ginny worked on her homework for a little while, but was so exhausted by the time she finished her Transfiguration work that she went to sleep without bothering to change into her pajamas. That night she had another nightmare… she was standing outside a stone door that had statues of snakes with emerald eyes…

(Good. I'm finally done! These chapters just seem to be getting harder and harder to write. Hope you enjoyed it, and the next chapter—Ginny wakes up with paint all down her front. How will she take it when she realizes that it's not paint? Hope you are looking forward to it.)