Hello, this is my first story in the HP universe. I was rereading 'Taking Control' by fake a smile for the hundredth time when this idea popped into my head. Harry thinks about how Ginny would react, I decided to write about what she might say. Please read and review. Can be read as a standalone too.

This starts after Harry's first BHA class in chapter six of 'Taking Control'.

Italicized parts are from the original story.

Harry was happy with how the first lesson had gone. There hadn't been any challenges to his authority. Everyone had for the most part taken his instructions without complaint after his demonstration with the Ravenclaw. Harry found that even the Slytherin members seemed to be following his commands without any resistance, for which he was rather pleased. They had seemed mutinous to start when he had mentioned they were starting with expelliarmus, Zabini in particular. But after promising the more advanced members that they'd get their chance to prove themselves followed by his exhibition with the Ravenclaw, all visible protests were squashed.

Harry wasn't sure how his former DA would react to the new members that would be in their midst tomorrow, but they would have to get used to the idea. He was especially worried about how the Slytherins would be treated. There was a small group in the previous class, so they would still be able to band together when need be. Only two Slytherins would be in the intermediate class tomorrow.

There hadn't been any conflicts in class between the students, but Harry could tell that the rest of the students were apprehensive about the Slytherin members. The tension was thick between the other three houses and the house of snakes. Harry knew he would have to keep an eye on it. He hoped that everyone would be able to look past their house boundaries and accept each other as members of the HA, but he didn't expect sweeping changes over night. He knew it would take time for them to learn to trust each other. But he would work on it with them.

He retired back to the common room and found his friends waiting on him. The minute he walked over they began asking questions.

"How did it go? Did you get a lot accomplished in the first lesson?" Hermione asked eagerly.

Before he could answer, Ginny walked up to the table, asking about their day

Ginny left to sit with her friends and the rest of the time was spent talking about their classes and about how much work was being set in the first week itself to prepare them for their upcoming NEWTS.

Awhile later, Hermione asked about the HA classes again.

"The class went well. We'll have a handful of new members tomorrow. I've got some reading to do before I go to bed, so I'll catch up with you two later."

That night Harry talked to Sirius about his first HA class and the reply he had received from Remus. Sirius was ecstatic that Harry would be filling in where he and James had left off in helping Remus get through his monthly transformations. Harry covered what he had gone over in the class and the handful of students that he had already moved to his advanced class. He shared his worries about the two Slytherins that would be coming to the class the next evening. It was easier to have the Slytherins in the other group because not only did they have more numbers there, but that entire group was new.

Blaise and Daphne were coming into an already existing group. And it was just the two of them from Slytherin. Harry didn't think the others would have much trouble accepting the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw additions because they each already had housemates in the class. That would give them a niche to start in while they became comfortable. The Slytherins didn't have that luxury.

What worried Harry most, however, was the fact that he couldn't even rely on his best friends for support. He knew Ron was going to be an issue tomorrow when Blaise and Daphne showed up. Ron would be a catalyst, and Harry knew that others would rally behind him. Ron really did have a terrible temper, and he was so thick headed that he never thought outside of his own little world. Hermione would be on his side as far as accepting them into the group, but she was likely to fly off the handle at Ron which would only make things worse.

Harry wasn't exactly sure what to expect from Ginny. Hopefully she wouldn't have much of a problem accepting the Slytherins, and maybe she'd even be able to help diffuse any arguments that might arise between Ron and Hermione. Neville was too shy and soft spoken to be much of a help or a hindrance, and Luna was just Luna. Harry just really hoped that he wouldn't have to hand out detentions or take away house points from any of his friends. Sirius listened patiently to all of Harry's concerns. He was amused to no end whenever Harry brought up Ginny. Harry received a lot of teasing about his friendship with the red haired girl, but he took it all in stride. His godfather was just trying to get a rise out of him, but Harry found he didn't really care all that much.

Sirius warned him that he shouldn't be quick to level out punishments because it could easily lead to a feeling of resentment. He said that it was always a point of interest within the Marauder clan after Remus was made prefect and then James head boy. When emotions were running high, if either one ever played the authority card, the conflict would only escalate as a result. This advice only made Harry even more weary, but he was determined to diffuse any conflict quickly and by any means necessary. If his friends got mad at him, they'd get over it eventually.

And that was the attitude that Harry held going into his HA class on Wednesday night. He arrived early again, to make sure everything was set up correctly and that he was ready when 7:00 rolled around. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville were the first to arrive, walking through the door at quarter to 7:00. Harry smiled at the show of support from his friends. Luna entered alone not long after, and the rest of the class filtered in shortly thereafter.

As Blaise and Daphne walked through the door a minute before 7:00 Harry could feel the air stiffen around him. Ron was glaring openly at the new arrivals as were several other members including Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Zacharias Smith to name a couple. "What are they doing here?" Ron bit out beside him.

"They're here for class," Harry responded evenly. "I told you we'd have a few new members this evening."

"You didn't tell me they'd be Slytherins," Ron nearly shouted. His raised voice caught the attention of most of the room.

"That hardly matters," Harry replied coolly. "Like I said last Friday, house doesn't matter to me in these classes. I will treat everyone the same regardless of their house. They both knew enough to warrant a spot in this class, so they are both here."

"But how can you trust them?" Ron asked incredulously. Ron addressed the crowd, exactly what Harry had been afraid of. There were some nods of assent, and a few people vocalized their agreement. "Slytherins have been taunting and attacking us for year. They always fight dirty. We can't trust them. This is ridiculous."

"Ron, you're a prefect; you should be setting a good example," Hermione lectured. "Honestly, why they ever thought you'd make a decent prefect I'll never know. I have to force you to do everything."

Throughout the entire spectacle, Blaise and Daphne had stood against the wall watching how everything would play out. They were not happy with the reception their entrance caused, nor were they surprised. They watched curiously as friends argued back and forth over them. They didn't like the way either side was handling things. Weasley was being a thick headed git, and Granger was acting like some humanitarian trying to do them all a favor. Reaching out to the Slytherins…did she seriously think like that? They didn't really care about their argument though. It was Harry's reaction that they were really interested in. They were not disappointed.

"That's enough!" Harry barked loudly. "Hermione, now is not the time for this. If you have your problems with Ron, take them up outside of class." Ron looked smug over Hermione getting yelled at. His smile disappeared when Harry's glare shifted. "One more word out of you Ron and you'll be spending the rest of the week in detention. They're here because I invited them here. If they weren't trustworthy, they wouldn't have been able to join in the first place. I made sure of that. If you don't like it, you're free to leave at any time. If you plan on staying, then you'll have to get used to it. I don't want to hear any more of this. Have I made myself clear?"

Ron glared at Harry but didn't respond. Harry continued addressing the entire crowd. "That goes for the rest of you as well. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior. Everyone who is here has been welcomed here by me. I expect all of you to be able to work together while you are here. If you want to hate each other outside this class, I won't stop you."

"Now, we will be picking up where we left off last year with the Patronus charm. As most of you should know by now, the dementors have joined Voldemort," again a collective shudder accompanied by several gasps greeted the name. Harry paused, shaking his head.

"You can conjure a Patronus with a happy memory, but it's not exactly necessary. You must focus on an extremely powerful positive thought or emotion. You have to immerse yourself in that emotion as you cast the spell in order to conjure a fully corporeal Patronus. A happy memory is most often used simply because it is an easy way to bring about that positive emotion. As you go through life, you may find that your Patronus will change forms corresponding to where you find your happiest thoughts."

"Now, the proper wand movement is as follows:" Harry demonstrated the wand movements from atop the stage. "Now I want you all to take several minutes to focus on your happy thoughts and memories before you try. Remember: the more powerful emotion you're feeling, the greater the result will be."

The students all looked at each other for a moment before setting to the task. Most closed their eyes as they drifted through their thoughts to find the happiest ones they had. Within a couple minutes most people had smiles on their faces as they were immersing themselves in their happiness. There were some exceptions to this, though. Ron, in particular, still held a scowl on his face. Blaise Zabini's face looked impassive. Hermione looked slightly annoyed but mostly reflected a mask of concentration.

Harry finally announced, "When you think you're ready, you may begin." Only a couple people remained still while the rest of the class began waving their wands and the words "Expecto Patronum" rang out across the hall. There had only been two people who were able to produce a corporeal Patronus last year before the lesson was interrupted. He spotted Cho's swan Patronus easily as it was the only corporeal Patronus in the room. He scratched his chin as he searched out Hermione to see what happened to her otter. He spotted her bushy brown hair easily enough but found that she was struggling with the spell. She was able to produce a thick silvery mist that looked to be on the verge of taking form but couldn't quite make it.

Harry decided to keep an eye on his friend while he began to walk around and offer help to those that were struggling. He corrected a couple people on their grips and wand movements as he went on and encouraged those who were producing mist to concentrate hard on their happy memories or to try to find something better to focus on.

He eventually made it to Hermione, who was still only able to produce the thick silvery mist, much to her consternation. She already looked incredibly frustrated. He asked her, "How's it coming, Hermy?"

She half pouted and half smiled at the nickname Hagrid's giant half brother, Grawp, used for her. "I just don't get it. I was able to do this last time, and now I can't. I don't understand why." You could almost feel the tension in her voice.

"Hermione, are you frustrated?" Harry asked her bluntly.

"Well of course I am," she snapped at him. "Last year I was able to do this, and now I can't."

"Well did you ever think that that may be part of the problem?" he asked her calmly.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll never be able to conjure a Patronus in that frame of mind. Take five or ten minutes to sit down, relax, and calm down. Find yourself some happy thoughts to focus on, then try again. I guarantee it will help."

She gave him a tentative smile and turned toward one of the walls where a couch suddenly appeared. She gave the room a grin and walked over to the couch. She sat down, closed her eyes, and began to relax. Harry turned to Ron, who was still scowling and having absolutely no luck producing anything at all.

"You'll never get anything if you keep up like that," Harry told his friend.

"What do you know?" Ron retorted sharply.

"I know that you're upset right now and that you're not really concentrating on any happy thoughts."

"And just how do you know that?" he asked.

"Well, my first clue was that scowl on your face. The slightly flushed look you've got was another hint. The fact that most everyone else in the room besides you is smiling helped to solidify that conclusion. Plus there's the fact that you were pretty upset at the start of class," Harry explained candidly.

"Well maybe if I didn't have to keep an eye out for those bloody Slytherins I'd find it a little easier to relax," Ron replied icily.

"I'm warning you right now, Ron. I won't tolerate your attitude in my classes. Blaise and Daphne are here because I invited them. I promise you that you have nothing to worry about from them. I realize that you have a lifetime's worth of prejudices and stereotypes to work through, but not every Slytherin is guaranteed to be evil. Not every Slytherin is a Malfoy or a Tom Riddle. If you can't understand that, then at least respect me enough to handle things should they get out of hand, but I will not allow any more outbursts like today, alright?" Harry was struggling valiantly not to raise his voice at his stubborn friend.

"Whatever you say, professor," Ron responded, turning his back on Harry and ending the conversation.

Harry sighed to himself and continued his rounds. He made sure that he stopped by each of the new members to welcome them and offer guidance. Everyone else had already had one lesson, well half a lesson anyway, before, but the new members were most likely performing the spell for the first time. When he came around to Blaise and Daphne, the two Slytherins, he found himself compelled to apologize for the behavior of his class.

"I'm sorry about everything," he told them, gesturing to the room at large. "They're really not bad people, just have the wrong idea about a few things. They'll come around eventually." 'Hopefully,' he added in his head.

Blaise nodded in agreement. "Don't worry about it, Harry. We didn't exactly expect a warm welcome."

"But we do appreciate the fact that you're sticking up for us," Daphne chimed in sincerely. "It's not easy being at odds with your friends, so it's nice to know that you're willing to go to that length for us."

Harry looked down at his shoe laces for a moment while he willed the heat not to rise to his face at the praise. "It was the least I could do. I promised you guys that I'd be fair, and I meant it. I only wish I could talk some sense into every one else. There's a few in there that you'll find have no problem at all, but unfortunately those aren't the outspoken ones." Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts and shifted topics. "Well enough about that, how are your Patronuses coming along? Let's see what you can do."

Blaise was able to produce a strong mist that, like Hermione's before, seemed to be on the verge of taking form but not quite there. Daphne, on the other hand, was barely getting any results. He noticed that her grip on her wand was a little too loose, causing some of her wand movements to lose their precision. So he spoke up. "Daphne, try tightening your grip on your wand. It should help make your wand movement more accurate."

She gave him a nod and tried again, this time with a firmer grip. As she said the incantation "Expecto Patronum" a bright, silvery cloud burst out of her wand. It seemed to be trying to form something but the image was vague. It looked to be some sort of bird. A bright smile lit up her face, and she turned to him. "Thanks Harry."

He returned her grin and said, "Anytime. Keep it up and you should have a fully corporeal Patronus in no time." He turned to Blaise who was congratulating his friend. "Yours is right on the verge of forming, Blaise, but something seems to be holding it back. You may want to try to find a better thought or memory and see if that helps." Blaise gave him a nod. "Well, keep it up, you two. I'm off to make my rounds." They gave him a wave as he moved on to help others with the charm.

By the time the class was about over, Daphne had managed to create a hawk Patronus. Blaise's Patronus was vaguely taking the form of some bear-like creature. Hermione was able to reproduce the otter that she had made the previous year, and several others added their own animals to the mix as well. Harry made his way back to the stage at the front of the class. He lifted the whistle that he had placed around his neck before the start of class to his lips and blew in it to gain the attention of the class.

"Thank you," he said as everyone stopped what they were doing to turn towards him. "We're just about out of time. I want to congratulate all those who were able to conjure a corporeal Patronus. For those of you that were unable to get yours to take form, don't get discouraged. It is really advanced magic that many adult wizards are unable to perform. We will revisit Patronuses for the beginning of class on Sunday before moving on. I should warn you that you may see some physical activity in class on Sunday, so I would advise everyone to dress appropriately. Thanks again for coming."

With that said, he stepped off the podium as most of the crowd exited the room. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, and surprisingly Cho lingered behind.

Cho looked like she was debating something, looking between Harry and his friends. She looked one last time at his friends and left the room. Harry strode over to his friends and asked, "So, what'd you think?"

Ron was fuming, muttering about evil snakes and something about Slytherins under his breath every few seconds. Hermione, it seems was berating Ron for his behavior. Neville flashed Harry a small, shy smile and Luna was her usual dreamy self. It was Ginny's reaction that intrigued him the most, she was glaring at Ron who was oblivious to this predicament.

"How could you let them join the club? You're teaching the enemy", asked Ron scathingly.

"Slytherins are not the enemy" said Hermione, in her normal preaching tone she took whenever she disagreed with something. "Not all of them are Malfoy, I am sure if we reach out to them, some of them may actually be nice."

"They don't have to be Draco Malfoy to be evil. They're snakes, Hermione. Every last one of them evil. Trust me, the less we have to do with them the better. I can't believe you are defending them" retorted Ron.

"I can talk to snakes, you know," Harry interrupted his friends' arguing. "Does that make me evil?"

Ron turned toward Harry and looked at him as if he'd sprouted another head. "What are you on about mate? Of course you're not evil. It doesn't matter that you can talk to snakes. The point is that they're in Slytherin. You're a Gryffindor mate."

All the while, Ginny's face was becoming steadily redder. "Shut it Ron!" she said in a low, dangerous voice.

Ron finally noticed Ginny and his face turns paler than usual, facing her deadly glare. Hermione too seemed surprised, registering there were other people around. Neville looked like somewhat amused but mostly uncomfortable and Luna was just staring blankly at Ron.

"Is this what you think? All Slytherins are evil?" growled Ginny, her eyes flashing dangerously. Harry was surprised she was not shouting yet, he had heard all about how her temper rivaled even Mrs. Weasley's.

Ron couldn't do anything but stare dumbly at Ginny, withering under her fierce glare.

"You know the Sorting Hat said I would make a good Slytherin, is this how you would have reacted if I had gone there instead?"

Harry was shocked, but thinking about it it didn't surprise him all that much. Ginny was both cunning and ambitious, he smiled widely at the coincidence with the Sorting Hat.

Ron looked too afraid to even respond to the rhetoric question.

"Great first class, Harry" she said softly, giving Harry a small smile, lightly touching his arm. He gave her a genuine smile in return as he marveled at the way she controlled her temper.

"Make that two Ron, the sorting hat wanted to put me in Slytherin," Harry informed his friends. "It only put me in Gryffindor because I asked it to. And in case you forgot," Harry added, "Peter Pettigrew was a Gryffindor as well."

Ron looked shocked but stayed silent and it finally looked like he was not going to start on about evil Slytherins again. Hermione looked half-shocked, half-smug at how the conversation went.

With that Harry walked out of the room, Ginny in step with him. Neville and Luna seemed to gain their wits about themselves as well and followed them out.

By the time breakfast was finished the next morning, Ron was back to his normal self, his anger at Harry completely forgotten.

So this it. I like to imagine Ginny being an independent, fierce witch who does not stand down to anybody including her own brother, Ron. She gave him something to think about in a way he would understand. I can totally see Ginny in Slytherin, she is very resourceful, cunning and with the great deal of ambition that comes from being a Weasley and wanting to prove herself.

Please tell me what you think.