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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Ginny looked out of the carriage window as the Hogwarts Express pulled away from the station. After a few moments of staring at the countryside, she turned her attention back to Harry, Hermione and Neville. "Here we go for another year then."

"It's got to be a quiet one this year though?"Hermione asked cautiously.

"The last two years have been pretty busy,"Neville agreed.

"And Voldemort is still out there,"Ginny added.

"But...he wouldn't actually come to Hogwarts, would he?"Hermione pushed. "I mean, actually onto the grounds. Probably wouldn't even come near after last time."

"No, probably not,"Ginny conceded. "So long as there aren't any Dementors about."

"No chance of that,"Harry replied. "They've all been sent back to Azkaban."

Ginny was shocked. Both at what he'd said and at the casual way in which he said it. "They've what?"

Harry seemed to realise he'd committed an error. "Well…you don't want them hanging around Hogwarts, do you? They kept attacking you."

"They're also working for Voldemort! Did anyone think about that?" Ginny looked from Harry to Neville, who both looked somewhat awkward. "Well?"

It was Neville who spoke. "Well…according to my parents, no-one's really sure about that."

Ginny bristled. "They need more than my word then?"

"Come on, Ginny, they're not going to change the whole system at Azkaban because…"

"Because what?" Ginny was angry. She knew she shouldn't be taking it out on Harry and Neville but the fact they seemed to think this was all right infuriated her. "Because maybe having some of Voldemort's followers guarding some more of Voldemort's followers is a bad idea?"

"You did say the Dementors turned on Voldemort,"Hermione suggested cautiously. "Maybe they won't help him after all?"

"Maybe." Ginny lapsed into silence and no-one disturbed her. But inside she continued to seethe. This was not how things were supposed to go.

Ginny had only just set foot in Hogwarts when she found herself steered away from the main party and directed up a staircase. She entered an office which had become increasingly familiar to her during her time there. Its occupant smiled benevolently at her. "Welcome back, Ginny."

Normally, Ginny would have responded to Dumbledore's affection in kind. But there were things she wasn't happy about and this seemed a good place to start. "Why has no-one listened about the Dementors?"

Dumbledore's face fell. Maybe this was a conversation he'd been hoping to avoid or delay. "I have been a great advocate of your position, Ginny. I have never felt the Dementors were trustworthy enough to be used the way the Ministry have. The fact we now know there is a connection between them and Voldemort makes this even more evident."

"We know,"Ginny agreed. "But not many other people do, right?"

"They have been reluctant to believe some elements of your account,"Dumbledore admitted.

"So what are we going to do?"

"I will continue to appeal to the ministry. And rest assured that I have plans in place to combat Voldemort if that becomes necessary. But I need you as well. I need you to be on your guard, ready for anything that he might try. Can I rely on you, Ginny?"

"I hope so, Professor."

"Good. Perhaps we should get down to the welcome feast. There may be some things that interest you."

When Ginny arrived in the Great Hall, she could instantly tell something was going on. One of the main clues was that there was an extra table in the hall. The students sitting there were not wearing Hogwarts uniform. Instead, around half of them were wearing a red, rather austere uniform, and the others were wearing a pale blue and more flamboyant outfit.

Ginny found her way to the Gryffindor table and sat with Harry, Hermione and Neville. "Who are they?"she asked.

Neville shrugged. "Don't know. They were just there."

Hermione gestured to the flamboyantly-dressed students. "Those are from Beauxbatons, the French magical academy. I think the others are Durmstrang."

Neville looked at her half-bewildered, half-admiring. "Is there anything you don't know?"

"Why are they here?"Harry asked.

Hermione looked awkward. "That would be one thing I don't know."

Neville nodded towards the teachers' table. "Ssh, Dumbledore's here."

Even though she had known the headmaster was on his way, Ginny turned to look with the others. "First of all,"Dumbledore began,"a welcome to all of our newly-sorted first years."

Ginny had sat on Neville's left, with Harry opposite her and Hermione opposite Neville, so hadn't paid much attention to who was sat on her own left…until someone kicked her in the leg and she turned to face Colin. He gestured to the smaller boy next to him. "This is my brother Dennis. He's just been sorted. Dennis, this is Ginny Weasley."

Dennis gaped at her, mouth wide open, staring at her scar. Ginny had an uncomfortable feeling he was going to ask for her autograph.

"Secondly,"Dumbledore went on,"a welcome to our visitors from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons." Most Hogwarts students turned to stare at the newcomers. "They are here for the Triwizard tournament, along with their head teachers, Madame Maxime and Professor Karkaroff." He gestured to a tall, sharp-featured woman and a permanently glowering dark-haired man. "One student from each of the three schools will participate in three tasks. Only students aged sixteen or over may enter and will be selected by the Goblet of Fire." He nodded to a large flaming goblet that had been set up in the corner.

"That rules us out then,"Neville noted.

Ginny nodded slowly. "On the sidelines for once." And yet somehow, with everything that had happened the past two years, she still felt uneasy.