AN- Updated 2022

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Second Year of Hogwarts- 1993-1994

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Dear Mum and Dad,

I'm sorry about yesterday and what happened in the orchard. I didn't mean to almost burn it down. I know I was mad when I left the house, but I swear it was accidental magic. And the reason I am still doing accidental magic is because..

He'd been gone for months now, but his mark on her had not left. Not in her dorm, not with the rest of the student body, not with her professors, and not with her family. The summer had been terrible. After a year at Hogwarts, students were supposed to have a greater control of their magic.

She didn't.

That was because she hadn't had control of herself for so many months. Rudimentary spells still had not been mastered, she couldn't levitate anything, couldn't transfigure anything, and only potions and herbology were straight forward to her. Follow the recipe, transplant the greenery.

She'd helped in the kitchen and the garden with her mother as far back as she could remember, so those at least were easy.

But her accidental magic that kept happening at random around the Burrow was seen as hostility. And truthfully, she was hostile, and upset. But she would not cry. Any opportunity to tell her family what happened resulted in her standing in front of one of them with a frog in her throat.

Her brothers sneered at her and avoided her. Her parents did their best to not even look at her. It was rather amazing how she got used to it. Her anger at the situation resulted in her nearly burning down half of the orchard, so she resigned herself to her room most of the time. Hiding and studying.

She had to get her magic under control. Perhaps if she played quiet and meek they'd come around to try and include her more. But then, she'd focus too hard on her spell and an Owl from the Ministry would arrive and she'd be in trouble for using underage magic.

There was no point arguing. The worst part was that her parent's didn't even raise their voice, they didn't even tell her they were disappointed in her.

She was relieved to be going back to school.

She may not be liked there either, but she'd rather deal with the disdain from strangers than her family. It didn't take long for the Slytherin's to see her new quietness to be seen as weakness and make her a target. In turn it didn't take her long to learn to stay out of the Slytherin Common Room and her dorm room as much as possible.

Her routine stayed the same once she was back at school; Wake up at dawn, shower and dress quickly, head to an abandoned part of the castle to practice her spells and try to catch up. Go to breakfast, go to the library to study. Go to class. Lunch. Class. Dinner. Then find another abandoned part of the castle to complete assignments and practice spells. Get back to her dorm room before curfew.

Sometimes she would lay in bed thinking about the person she was before that Diary ruined her life, but it was too painful.

The weekends were a nightmare for her, and she was so lonely.

She didn't go to the Quidditch games, and tried to get to meals as everyone else was leaving, or snatch food and leave quickly to eat elsewhere. She would have loved to just sit down next to someone and tried to start up a casual conversation about anything. Everyone else was doing it. But people had shifted away from her whenever she joined the table.

She was being bullied at every turn as well. Stinging hexes hit her all the time. There was nothing she could do to retaliate. She could not risk expulsion. She was reduced to becoming a target. They now knew that there was nothing she could do about it. If she so much as flipped them off she could kiss her education goodbye.

She'd been sticking close inside the castle walls looking out with longing. The Dementors were out there. The one's that made her retreat to the room inside the back of her mind.

She had been hanging out in the hall on the Hogwarts Express, right close to the back of the train when they boarded. She'd curled up into a ball on the floor when they got close. The chill had set into her bones, and she'd felt exactly as she had when she'd first taken ownership back of her body. Numb and horrified.

After the first Quidditch game they were pushed out past the perimeter of the forest though, and Ginny weighed her pro's and con's before she took the opportunity to go for a walk. It was the last Saturday in October, and the grass crunched under her feet. The sunshine was still nice on her face, though not warming.

She packed her bag full of muffins at breakfast and made her escape. With the Dementor's still being out there, none of the other students were venturing very far past the walls of the castle. Ginny went as far out as she thought was safe and found a nice, secluded space to sit back against a tree and read her library book on shield charms and other defenses. Thankfully she'd mastered the warming charm.

Dear Mum,

I can't tell you how sorry I am for what I put you through last year. I didn't mean any of it, whatever it was. You see, I was not in control of my body. I was possessed by a seventeen-year-old boy.

She crumpled up the parchment. Who would believe that? It read like she was trying to make up the most far-fetched story on purpose just to taunt them. There was no way she could send out a letter like that and expect it to be taken seriously. The first letter she'd tried writing, during the summer, had wound up in the fireplace. She couldn't get it out verbally or on parchment.

She sighed and nestled her back against the tree a little more. Her little haven was quite comfortable, so comfortable that she fell asleep. The sun on her face had felt so wonderful, it reminded her of laying on her back in the orchard at home. Back when she was ten and didn't have a care in the world.

Ginny woke to a rustling sound. It was close to her. She opened her eyes and saw a mangy dog was digging into her bag. "Hey!" she called at it. It looked up at her a little startled, but it didn't growl. It just looked a little sheepish.

She furrowed her brow at it. She'd come across many a stray dog wandering out to the Burrow from Ottery a few times, so she was familiar with the animals and the general behavior. A stray dog would at least snarl, as would a hungry dog, which this so clearly was. She took in the diminished look of the animal, its ribs were sticking out, its coat was entirely lack luster. She felt a stab of pity for it and grabbed her bag taking out a muffin and placing it in front of the dog.

It didn't immediately inhale the muffin. It eyed her curiously, as though the kind gesture might actually be a malicious act that the dog expected to uncover the true meaning of the offering. Hunger won out and the dog gobbled the muffin up quickly. She gave it two more.

"That's all you're getting," she told it. "You'll be in pain later if you eat any more." She closed up her bag and opened her book again, recasting the warming charm that had been wearing off. She took more pity on the dog and cast one on him as well.

The dog shivered slightly at the new sensation and settled down close to her. Too close.

She made a face at the scent emanating off of the animal. "You stink. Move a little further away." The dog did so without looking over to her. She didn't have to push it to make it understand, it just did.

She stared at it. This was not typical dog behavior. She thought of how Professor McGonagall could turn into a cat, and so after observing it for a few moments she had to wonder, out loud. "You aren't a dog, are you." The dog immediately turned its attention from the school, to her. The dog stared her down, as if waiting for her to attack or something. She matched him calculated stare for calculated stare.

"I wouldn't be capable of changing you back into a person, and I've no interest in creating trouble today. It isn't like anyone would believe me if I told them I met a stray Animagus and had a nice sit down over some muffins. Either way, I'm enjoying this secluded spot, so I'm not leaving." The dog did nothing but stare at her.

She dropped her eyes back to her book.

Sure, she realized she may just have been imagining things, making up fantasies. But she was a witch, and she knew what an Animagus was. She also knew that there was a particular someone that was currently on the run, and supposedly trying to get into the castle right then. If Sirius Black was an Animagus, that would explain a lot. She turned her page, the dog kept looking at her. She looked up again and she swore it was taking in the Slytherin badge on her cloak.

"I know what my cloak says," she said bristling. The dog's eyes went to hers again. Ginny checked herself and bit her lip before asking a favor of him, just in case. "But please don't hurt Harry Potter. He's been through enough already."

The dog stood up suddenly, she tried to control herself enough to not raise her eyebrows in surprise, but then the dog merely circled twice before laying down again. She shook her head. She was probably just being crazy.

The day wore on and she made a good dent in her studies. Her companion stayed where he was, and she stayed in her spot against the tree. The light was soon going to be fading away, so she packed up her books. She gave the dog one more muffin before she returned to the castle.

The next night, on Halloween, Sirius Black broke into the castle.

As Ginny lay wrapped in a sleeping bag on the floor of the Great Hall she wondered if she should tell anyone. She had no proof, only her word. Her word would probably have placed her in trouble. So, she kept her mouth shut.

She had plenty of practice with that.

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Dear Dad,

Have you ever heard of someone named Tom Riddle? Because last year I received his old Diary. I thought that either you or mum had given it to me. Nothing was written in the pages, so I started to use it. And then he started writing back. Just before I got to Hogwarts, on the train, he asked if I wanted to play a prank on my brothers. The prank was actually on me. He managed to take over my body and did all manner of things to cause this rift between me and everyone else.

For whatever he did while he was in control of my body, I'm sorry. It wasn't me, I swear. I-

She stopped writing, and into the fire the parchment went.

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The second time Sirius Black broke into Hogwarts he nearly killed her brother Ron by accident, or so the story goes. Ginny had to wonder though, if he had really been looking to harm Harry Potter, how could he possibly have chosen the wrong bed? And what would have stopped him from just offing Ron before he ran out of Gryffindor Tower? She was called to the Headmasters office with the rest of her family because of it.

Unfortunately, her disbelief of the story, and inner dialogue of questions displayed fully on her face when she was told the story. Her parents had been visibly concerned about Ron, but kept one eye on her reaction of it. It did not help with her family's opinion of her. Her uncontrolled eye roll and scoff at their accusation of her not caring didn't help any either.

By the end of the year, she'd managed to get her grades to a respectable level, she was neither a concern, nor was she praiseworthy, and she'd been able to do a proper shield charm.

All of her spare time should have been dedicated to her studies, strictly learning what the Professors were trying to teach her, but instead she'd been creating a map of the castle. She'd known that the twins had a map of the castle that told them passwords and secret passageways and where people were in the castle at any given moment.

Having a map like that would be amazing. She would know where her aggressors were at any given moment. But there was no way she could steal that from the twins. They would just get it back from her over the summer anyway, then they'd hex her right off the family tree. So, she'd been spending a lot of time trying to recreate a basic one herself.

The magic was quite advanced and draining. She fell into her bed completely exhausted most nights. But she managed to recreate a very rudimentary map. The passwords and hidden rooms would have been the hardest part to find out, so she didn't even bother with that bit. If she could figure that out later, then she'd add it. Adding the trace on the people in the castle was not that hard, she didn't need everyone, just the ones that she needed to keep an eye out for.

The map would hopefully keep her out of quite a few precarious situations. But only if it was properly utilized

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Dear Bill,

I know you've heard all kinds of stories about what I did that was so horrible last year. And I know that my behavior this past summer didn't help. I swear to you it was all accidental magic! It sounds crazy, I am aware of that, but it was because I was not in charge of my body for most of my first year.

You have a lot of experience with curses and cursed objects, please, please, you must believe me. I had one! It possessed me. I spent most of last year living in a room in my mind while a boy that used to go to Hogwarts ages ago-

Again, she stopped writing and into the fire the unfinished letter went.

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Ginny wasn't running. Speed walking was not running. And she was not crying. Her eyes were stinging, but there were no tears escaping down her face. Slytherin's were not allowed to show normal emotions, and if she was caught scared, or there was any evidence of crying, then things could get so much worse for her.

She'd been stupid to not check the map at regular intervals. That was how they managed to sneak up on her. She'd only caught them on the map just in time to pack up her books and stand up. They still managed to torture her a bit.

If only it had just been spells they'd tortured her with, but the words were just as bad. Her shielding spells couldn't muffle the things they called her, the taunts that followed her everywhere. They weren't terribly creative. It was always just repeats of what she said to herself in her head all the time anyways. She was a loser with no friends, and a family that didn't even send her Christmas presents any more.

She had spent the entirety of Christmas day in bed crying. There had been no jumper from her mum and dad, and nothing from the rest of her brothers. No one else would have sent her anything either, because she didn't have any friends.

As she was speed walking away from her bullies, she bumped into Hermione Granger. How did she just suddenly appear there? She wasn't there a second ago. They both fell down with un-lady like grunts.

"Sorry!" Hermione helped her grab her books that spilled out of her bag. Ginny did her best not to look at her brother's friend. She didn't need her noticing how Ginny's face was undoubtedly splotchy. "The Count of Monte Cristo?"

'Shit' Ginny thought and snatched the book out of her hands and shoved it in her bag. She didn't say anything as she grabbed the rest of her things and sent a quick look the way she came to see if she'd been followed, then ignored that the older girl was there all together and kept on her way to the next hiding spot.

She was headed for the library, the table right in front of Madame Pince was where she was most left alone.

"Ginny?" Hermione's concerned voice called after her. Ginny ignored it. She couldn't let her see her face properly. It was Ginny's fault Hermione had been petrified last year, she didn't need her concerning herself with her problems. They might get back to Ron, then he'd have more ammunition against her.

The sound of running had Ginny wincing as Hermione caught up. "Ginny." The girls hand came down on her shoulder. "Would you stop?" she said loudly as Ginny shrugged her hand off.

"What?" she hissed, rounding on the girl and startling the other girl.

Hermione's eyes went wide at the abruptness, then she lowered her gaze and her volume. "I just want to know if you're okay."

Ginny made a quick observation of the girl. She looked stressed, and tired, and most importantly, she'd forgotten to stash her necklace.

"How about you ignore that you saw me, and what you saw me with, and I'll do the same," she indicated to Hermione's time turner.

Hermione's eyes went wide as she followed Ginny's eye line and she hastily tucked it away under her vest. "I just wanted to know if you needed some help," she mumbled.

"Well, you can't help me, so you go your way, I'll go mine." Ginny turned and left her there.

Hermione had been about to say something more, but Ginny didn't want to hear it. It hurt to have so many people hate her, but people being nice to her, like Hermione was about to be, made her hurt even more. Best to just ignore it.

She got to the library and pulled out her Muggle book. Edmond Dantes was trapped in prison for reasons unknown to him, like she had been, but at least he had Abbe Faria to teach him and help him understand. She envied him that.

She sat at her table and sagged into her seat. She'd been too snippy with Hermione. Someone finally asks if she needs help, and what's wrong, and she told her to go away. Was that who she was now? Just an angry loner who wouldn't accept help from anyone?

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Dear Hermione,

I am sorry for how I snapped at you in the hall yesterday. I know you were just trying to be helpful, and I do actually appreciate that. I just find it hard to be around you because of what happened to you last year. And my role in it.

I've tried to get the words out, explain what happened to me, but every time I do it just comes out so crazy. See, I was possessed last year. I was locked away in a room in my mind from September 1st until the middle of May. Every terrible thing that I did was actually a boy named Tom Riddle that went to Hogwarts decades ago. He was the reason you were petrified. And if it weren't for you, then there might have been even more students that would meet the same fate.

I found your note that was clutched in your hand after I regained control of myself-

And into the fire the unfinished letter went.

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At the end of the year Sirius Black was captured and escaped again, on a Hippogriff apparently. Ginny just knew that the Golden Trio had something to do with it.

And her Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had been a werewolf.

Why that meant he had to be sacked she didn't understand. He'd been a patient and thorough teacher. From the limited exposure she'd had with the previous years DADA professor, she knew the werewolf had been a dramatic improvement. The previous one was supposed to have been incredibly experienced in the Dark Arts, at least that was what his books led people to believe. She remembered seeing his fan's adoring him at the book shop on Diagon Alley, but if she was able to pass his exam being as ill prepared as she was, then it was pretty obvious that he'd been a fraud. Apparently, he'd resigned after all of the terrible things that had gone on around the castle last year. He'd been scared.

Her elective choices were upon her, and she chose Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Care of Magical Creatures she would rather self-learn then have to face Hagrid. She was still not sure if it had been because of something she'd said to him while Tom was in control, but he'd given her this look she couldn't define a few times, and she didn't want to deal with that.

There was also the fact that his classes had turned out to be utter shite as she'd heard.

Divination held no interest for her, as far as she saw it, once a prophesy was heard, who's to stop you from changing it? And Muggle Studies was not something she held an interest in. She could go into Ottery St. Catchpole anytime and learn more about Muggles that way rather than three hours of study a week.

Nine classes were enough with her extracurriculars.

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AN- Sorry it's a short one.