(A/N: Ok, second chapter and I finally figured out how to make this baby work, yah! I finally have Windows XP which means there will be no spelling erros, though I can't vouch for grammatical errors...that'll be up to my beta reader (thanks deathbyapocalypse!!!)
Chapter Two:
Ginny, or rather John was walking down Diagon Alley. She almost blew her cover when she saw a fellow Gryffindor walk out of Madam Malkin's. She almost ran up to her and said hi, but then she remembered she was a boy. Ginny smiled at her friend, then walked to the doors. She looked back and saw her friend still staring at her, but very weirdly. She then tripped over a little boy, and fell over.
"Oh, crap!" Ginny said under her breath, and was prepared to help her friend up, but her friend got up herself then walked away quickly. It was then that what happened entered Ginny's head. "Oh gross! She was checkin' me out!"
Ginny entered Madam Malkin's feeling a bit sick. She was fitted for new Hogwart's robes and a dress robe. It felt weird for Ginny to be carrying all these new clothes with her, so she chucked them into a chair in front of a cafe and sat down. She ordered an orange soda, and sat there, watching people she knew walk right passed her.
Then someone she was hoping to see, and dreading to see, walked in her view. Harry Potter! Ginny gave an involuntarily sigh, and watched Harry, Ron and Hermione walk down Diagon Alley. They were laughing and talking, and Ginny longed to be apart of their group.
"Don't even think about joining their ranks." A cold voice said behind her.
Ginny turned around and gasped. Draco Malfoy seated himself next to her.
"Yep, that's Harry Potter, the famous boy-who-wouldn't-die. And I'm Draco Malfoy." Draco held his hand out to Ginny, but she just looked at it. "I know who you are already--I have connections at the Inn. You're John Macabee."
Ginny's eyes widened at his knowledge. Rumors spread fast!
"I hear you're going to Hogwarts. Well, I'll give you a tip for free; Slytherin House is the only house that won't allow riff raff like that lot in. Gryffindors, on the other hand, would allow a house elf in if they took it into their heads. Absolutely sickens me." Draco spit a few feet from him, and then looked back up at Ginny.
"Thanks for the advice." Ginny tried to put on a pleasant face.
"No problem. See you later." Draco stood then left.
Ginny's face sunk at the prospect of spending the rest of the year with people like Draco. In order to get into the know with The Snakes, she was going to enter Hogwarts as a seventh year. No one knew who the leader of their gang was, but Ginny would have given you one guess. Draco Malfoy.
Ginny retired to her bed early, not caring to spend the rest of her day wishing to be herself. She flung herself on her bed after downing another vial of potion that had appeared on her pillow. She'd have to remember that every night at midnight she'd have to drink the potion or she'd change back into her red headed self.
Ginny soon dozed into a somewhat peaceful sleep. She awoke groggily, and her situation sank back into her. She groaned, then flung the covers off her and got ready. She placed a shirt and black slacks on, but something very obvious was showing. Ginny bit her lip, then looked around the room for anything that would hide her feminine qualities from view. She found some spell-o-tape and wrapped it around her chest, then replaced the shirt.
That's much better! Ginny thought. She packed her trunk, and then dragged it down the stairs to the front. The Inn Keeper kept asking her how her stay was, but Ginny wasn't in the mood to talk to him, so she ignored his questions. A car soon pulled up and took her to Kings Cross. Ginny pushed her luggage through the platform, and just barely made it on the train before it started moving.
Students were walking from compartment to compartment, talking of their summer holidays, and what they'd do once they got back to the castle. A few first years were all huddled into the same compartment, and Ginny passed that one by without a second thought. She stopped in front of one door and heard familiar voices.
"Where's Ginny?" Harry's muffled voice floated to her ears.
"She's in America, going to school there for a bit."
"Oh." Was Harrys' reply.
Ginny was about to walk into the compartment when a hand firmly grasped her shoulder.
"What?" She asked, irritably, then stared into the stormy gray eyes of Draco.
"Well, a temper like that calls for some curbing." Draco laughed. "Hey, I told my friends about you and they want to meet you."
Ginny reluctantly followed Draco, but gave him a quick smile as they entered one of the last compartments. Inside were Crabbe and Goyle, and a few other Slytherins Ginny remembered, but hadn't cared to learn their names before.
"This is Crabbe and Goyle." Draco said pointing to his two troll like friends. "Zabini, Pansy, and Lucas."
Ginny said hi to each of them in turn, then sat down in between Draco and Pansy. Pansy was staring at her hands, then looked shyly up at Ginny. Ginny smiled, then tried following the conversation that was being directed at her.
"So, where are you from?" Zabini asked.
Ginny rehearsed her whole history to them, and they seemed to ask every question the Ministry Member had predicted they'd ask. And then the big question finally came.
"How far back is your wizard's line?" This came from Draco.
Ginny faced him, and paused to read his thoughts. "I can trace my lineage as far back as Merlin. Mum is still working on our earlier ancestors." Ginny seemed to hold her breath, waiting for approval, and then finally Draco smiled.
"Pansy, luv, can you go get me some chocolate frogs?" Pansy had been busy studying Ginny's features out of the corner of her eye that she jumped upon being addressed.
"What was that?" She asked, her face turning red.
"Chocolate frogs..." Draco said, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, can you get me some every-flavor beans?" Crabbe asked.
"And me some cauldron cakes?" Goyle added.
"Oh, oh, and some fizzing whizbies?" Crabbe continued
"Yeah, and some licorice wands and--" but Goyle was interrupted before he could continue his list.
"Why don't I just get a little bit of everything?" Pansy asked irritated, then left the room in a huff, mumbling something about being treated like a common house elf.
"Well, now that she's gone." Draco smiled. "John, tell us something...do your parents support the Dark Lord?"
Ginny's eyes shot wide open and was about to answer in the negative, when she remembered she wasn't Ginny Weasley, she was John Macabee. "Why would I tell you?" She replied slyly.
"You can tell us." Draco waved his arm across the compartment. "Our parents are supporters.
"I think I'll keep that to myself until I know you a little better." Ginny tried making it sound like she was just reluctant to say yes.
The rest of the train ride wasn't as bad as Ginny thought it would be. She had always thought that Slytherins were stuck up pricks who did nothing all day but primp and show off. Well, they did that, but they also did a bit more. Their conversations were a little interesting and they shed some light on a few confusing points she harbored in the past.
"You see," Draco continued from the conversation they had just started. "Since everyone thinks we're bad, we can't let our public down. We have fun and joke around just like those goody goody Gryffindors...we just do it in style."
"I have a feeling you'll be chosen as Slytherin." Zabini said, looking smug.
"Of course he will. All you have to do is tell the stupid hat which house you want to be in." Draco began explaining his experience with the hat. "Once it was placed on my head I said, 'if you don't put me in Slytherin I know a Dragon who'd like a new chew toy.'" The compartment filled with laughter, and Ginny found herself smiling. It was true, she had begged and begged the hat to put her in Gryffindor.
"But from what I hear, Hufflepuff isn't a house you'd choose...so why are there people in that house?" Ginny asked.
"I don't know," Draco thought about this. "Perhaps they're too afraid to answer the hat, so he puts all the mutes in that house."
"Ok, so let me get this straight." Ginny paused. "This hat is supposed to put you in a house that you're supposedly destined to be in...but in reality you just tell it what house you want to be in?" They all nodded their heads. "Well, it seems to me that you do have a sort of destiny. I mean, you know the house backgrounds and if you feel you have qualities that would support a certain house, you ask to be in that house. Therefore you still have destiny, but you create it."
The others thought about this a while.
"Bravo, Macabee. We've got a deep thinker in our midst." Draco said, then turned to smile at her.
~*~*~
Ginny was asked to separate from the group of students once she reached Hogwarts. Dumbledore was going to announce her arrival, then have her sorted. Once everyone was seated and all the first years were sorted Dumbledore began his beginning of term speech.
"And now I'd like to introduce you to a new seventh year student who has spent his time in America. John Macabee." Ginny walked into the Hall and up to the front. She was seated and the hat was placed on her and it immediately began talking.
"Ah, if it isn't Ginny Weasley." It started, and Ginny jumped. "Don't worry, Dumbledore told me everything. Although I still see Gryffindor in you, I'll have to put you in SLYTHERIN!" It shouted the last word, and Ginny found herself entering territory she thought was forbidden before--The Slytherin table.
"See, you told it to put you in Slytherin, huh?" Draco said, clapping a hand over Ginny's shoulder as she sat next to him.
"Um, yeah, something like that." Ginny began to feel butterflies in her stomach. She had seen Harry and Ron and Hermione and wished she could be with them. She could see them from where she sat, and longed to run over there.
She could barely take a bite of food for fear it would just come up again. Soon the feast ended and Draco and his friends showed Ginny down the dark corridors to the Slytherin entrance. All Ginny remembered was being escorted through the gloomy common room and up to the boys' dorms. Ginny suddenly found herself awake after their door was shut--the boys began to undress.
"Man, I'm exhausted!" Zabini said, ripping off his clothes, all the way down to his boxers.
Ginny felt herself blush and thanked the stars that their room was dark. She quickly averted her eyes, and rushed to her bed. She acted like she was rummaging through her trunk until the others got into their beds. She found a baggy white shirt that would do as a nightgown, and got into bed.
"Looks like Macabee is too tired to take of his clothes." Draco said, noticing Ginny.
"Um, yeah...too tired to care." Ginny said, then turned to see Draco standing by his bed. "G'night then." Ginny said hurriedly, then closed the drapes over her bed. She quickly changed into the shirt, then slipped between the covers.
I wonder what tomorrow will bring, Ginny thought worriedly.
~*~*~
Ginny slowly shifted in her sleep. She'd been having a horrible dream. She'd been locked in the Slytherin tower and Draco and Zabini and everyone were poking her and making fun of her. Her eyes suddenly opened wide when she heard unfamiliar male voices near by.
"I swear, that boy'll probably sleep until Christmas if we don't wake him up." Zabini said just a few feet away. "Hey, Macabee! Ever heard of the phrase early bird catches the worm?"
Ginny grumbled about being woken up, then sat up in bed. She stretched her arms and ran her fingers through her long red hair--
LONG RED HAIR!!!
"Oh, crap." Ginny whispered to herself.
"Macabee, breakfast is being served and some of these first years have endless pits for stomachs." This time it was Draco.
"Um," Ginny tried imitating a male voice. "I'll be right out, just need to, uh, do something." Ginny flung her hand under her pillow but there was no vial. It was at the foot of her bed, in her trunk! "You guys go on ahead without me."
Ginny waited until she couldn't hear their retreating footsteps, then she cracked the curtains open. After making sure she was alone in the dorm she quickly ran to her trunk and pulled out a vial of the green liquid. She downed it so fast she nearly choked. Suddenly she felt the same tingling sensation in her scalp, and reached up and touched the short-cropped hair.
"I'll have to remember to take it before bed." She said as she got dressed.
Breakfast was a little better than dinner. Ginny's appetite returned and she happily ate some scrambled eggs.
Ok, remember why you're here, Ginny thought. You need to find out about The Snakes.
"So, what do you, er, us Slytherin's do for fun around here?" Ginny hoped her sentence came out sounding mischievously.
Draco and Zabini looked at each other and cocked their eyebrows.
"Should we?" Draco asked.
"I don't know...we barely know him." Zabini replied.
This conversation went on a while longer, Ginny feeling very insecure about them talking about her behind her back in front of her. Finally they decided to let her in on their little secret.
"Well, seeing as you're a pureblood, and a Slytherin, we'll let you in on a little secret." Zabini made sure no one was else listening, then continued. "Meet us down in the common room at midnight and we'll show you how to have fun." Both Zabini and Draco started laughing under their breaths.
Oh crap, Ginny though. What did I get myself into?
~*~*~
Ginny was in Transfiguration, listening to the Professor as if she were speaking another language. They were supposed to transfigure a mouse into a cat, then into a dog, and back into a mouse again. Ginny didn't know anything about inter-species transfiguration, and looked around, hoping no one would notice her mouse was still...well, a mouse.
"Hey, Hannah!" Draco shouted across the room when Mcgonagall left to get some papers.
A pretty girl with long sleek blonde hair looked up, along with her friends.
"Looks like your cat can do with a make-over!" Draco pointed his wand at the cat Hannah had successfully transfigured from her mouse, then screeched.
Sitting on her desk was a skunk, which slowly began lifting its tail. Everyone surrounding Hannah quickly rushed away from the skunk, but Hannah was frozen. The skunk raised its tail all the way up, and Hannah found herself sprayed!
"Malfoy, you waste of flesh!" Hannah yelled, standing at her desk. She began wiping at her cloaks, but the stench still remained. The Slytherins were all laughing, and pointing while the Hufflepuffs were scowling at Draco, and comforting Hannah...at a very safe distance.
"What is going on?" Mcgonagall returned and immediately the room quieted.
"Professor, Draco turned my cat into a skunk and it sprayed me.
Draco snorted. "She's just trying to blame her poor magical skills on me."
"Draco Malfoy, you have caused problems in my class since your first year, while Hannah has been a perfect model student. Now who do you think I'll believe?" Mcgonagall had her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at Draco, who merely rolled his eyes. "Twenty points from Slytherin and a detention for you."
Draco didn't even bat an eye at this news, but a few of his fellow Slytherins murmured. Class ended and Draco was made to stay behind to receive his detention. Ginny and the other Slytherins walked to their next class, which was potions.
"Why does he do that?" Ginny asked Zabini.
"What, Malfoy?" Zabini began to laugh, throwing his head back. "Malfoy just doesn't do that for no reason. There's always some plan he has when he's throwing insults and pulling stunts like you just saw."
Ginny recalled the many times her brother had gotten in trouble because of Malfoy. She knew the reasons behind those stunts, but why would he do something to someone innocent, like Hannah?
"Isn't it obvious?" Zabini was referring to what Ginny had just been thinking. "Malfoy has a crush on Hannah."
Zabini continued on ahead with the group down to the dungeons, leaving Ginny staring after them. Draco had a crush...on a girl? Not just a girl, a sweet girl in Hufflepuff?
"Wait up!" Ginny called after the group of Slytherins. "Why would Malfoy do something like that to a girl he has a crush on?"
"Are you seriously asking me this?" Zabini had his eyebrows raised.
"Come on, Macabee, think about it." Lucas stepped in. "What would you do? Go right up and say, 'hey, I like you, I think you're hot? Let's get together some time?'" Ginny was about to answer in the affirmative, when she remembered her little love affair with Harry.
She never came right out and said she liked Harry. She did give him that Valentine, and after looking back realized that must have been a little humiliating. But that still didn't justify letting a skunk loose on the girl you liked.
"I'll never understand the workings of a guys mind." Ginny thought.
~*~*~
Potions was, well, let's say interesting. Ginny thought she was happy at the prospect at spending an hour in the same class as her brother and Harry and Hermione, but she was wrong. She ended up sitting with Draco when he arrived from Mcgonagall's, and they were starting on their potion when Ginny couldn't help herself and looked up at Harry.
"He's not all that's cracked up to be." Draco said, seeing the object of Ginny's eyes.
"What do you mean?" Ginny asked defensively.
"Well, you've probably grown up hearing about how he banished the Dark Lord and all that, but he's a real wimp!." Draco added some ingredients to their potion and it immediately turned a dark blue. "Pass the frog spleen."
"What makes you say that?" Ginny asked, referring to him calling Harry a wimp.
"Because without the frog spleen the potion won't work." Draco said matter-of-factly.
"That's not what I mean." Ginny passed him the frog spleen then continued. "Why do you think he's a wimp? I heard he saved a girl in his second year..."
"That Weasley who opened the Chamber of Secrets?" Draco began chuckling. "Believe me, the only thing worse than Potter is a Weasley. There's a whole mess of them! Like ten boys and then the one girl. Although I would have stopped after that Weasley," Draco pointed towards Ron. "Who'd want to possibly inflict the world with another git like that?"
Ginny's fists clenched automatically, and she hid them in her robes. She was biting down on her tongue, trying to keep the rude remarks to herself. What right did Draco have to insult her family anyway?
"Although Ginny is a nice girl, I suppose...for a Gryffindor. She's probably the only Weasley I'd talk to voluntarily. Now pass me the liquid gold." Draco dropped a few drops of liquid gold into the cauldron and the potion turned a violent shade of red. "Now that we're done with that, I think it's time for a little fun."
"But what if you get in trouble?" Ginny asked, eyeing Snape.
"Me, get in trouble? That's rich!" Draco picked up the left over frog spleen and smiled. "Snape turns a blind eye towards me." And with that he threw the slimy stuff and it hit Ron right smack in the middle of the forehead.
Ginny couldn't help herself, she began to laugh. Although when Ron looked their way she pretended she was very interested in the bubbling potion, and tried to stifle her giggles.
"Mr. Weasley," Snape's cold voice came from the front of the class. "My class is no time to try and improve your look by covering those freckles with potions ingredients. Ten points from Gryffindor for a wreckless waste of ingredients."
Ron bit back a retort, knowing it would only cause the ten points to raise to twenty. He glared evilly at Draco who assumed a look of innocence, then smiled at Ron.
~*~*~
"Look, Draco, here comes Hannah." Lucas said in a singsong voice.
Draco punched Lucas in the arm, then straightened his robes. Hannah was walking down the corridor, heading in their direction. Ginny noticed how Hannah's eyes looked up at their group, then quickly averted them to the books she clutched to her chest. As they neared closer Ginny felt more sorry for her.
"I thought I smelled you, Hannah." Draco smirked, causing the others to laugh.
Hannah must have felt intimidated, for she tripped over her feet and nearly fell. Her books were less lucky, and tumbled out of her hands towards the floor. The others just laughed, but Ginny's instincts wouldn't allow her to just stand there and watch.
"Here." Ginny had picked up one of the books and handed it to the poor girl.
"Thank you." Hannah looked up at Ginny, smiling and blushing.
As soon as Hannah turned the corner, Ginny was attacked...verbally.
"What'd you do that for?" Draco asked, rather angrily.
"I just picked up a book." Ginny raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, but she's mine! You have no right to interfere."
"I think she liked you." Blaise said contemplating.
"Yeah, I tend to like people who do something nice for me too. Come off it!" Ginny flung her arms in front of her. "The way to a girls heart is not by humiliating her! You've got to be nice."
The others looked at her as if her idea was revolutionary.
"About this niceness thing." Draco said, rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger. "How do you go about doing it?"
Ginny's faced showed the shock she felt. "What do you mean? You just be nice...be considerate."
"We're going to be late for lunch!" Crabbe complained.
Everyone looked down at their watches, then began walking quickly towards the Great Hall. Draco, however, was eyeing Ginny very suspiciously. A plan was forming in his head, and he gave a half smile, which unnerved Ginny.
The rest of the day went by rather quickly. It wasn't too long before their last classes were finished, they were all stuffed with dinner, and retiring for the night. Ginny's heartbeat quickened, though. It was two hours away until midnight and she was still none the wiser as to what Draco and his gang were planning tonight, or if it even had anything to do with The Snakes. Ginny lay on her bed, in the dorm room alone. The others said they had to prepare for the night, and Ginny was left waiting, counting the minutes. All too soon she heard the chime of the clock in the common room strike twelve.
Ginny put on her cloak and downed a vial of the green potion, then quietly tip toed down the stairs to the common room. The fire gave an eerie glow as it was dying out. The light of the red embers barely spread ten feet in front of the fireplace, and the rest of the room was hidden in deepest black.
"Hello?" Ginny called out, afraid to leave the safety of the fire's glow.
"Over here." A scratchy voice whispered, coming from the entrance.
Ginny had her hands in front of her, prepared to run into something, when something ran into her. She felt the air sucked out of her, and her hands tied behind her back. A sack was placed over her head, and then she felt herself being lifted up. She tried screaming but a silencing charm must have been placed on her.
Ginny felt herself being carried away through the school. She had no idea where they were going, but realized they were outside when a cool breeze met her. A little while later those who were carrying her stopped, and she was dropped rather roughly to the ground. She heard the lapping of water on shore, and realized they must be near the lake. That's when the sack was taken off of her, and the silencing charm.
"Untie me!" Ginny demanded.
"Not right now." Draco bent down in front of Ginny's face and smiled. "Fellows?" Draco raised his eyes to something behind Ginny.
The others slowly came into view and they were carrying what seemed to be snakes in their hands. Ginny felt like screaming, but knew if she made any sudden movements she would probably be bitten.
"Here's the deal. For ten minutes you let these snakes crawl over you. If you don't give them a reason to bite you, then we'll accept you." Draco explained, a mad gleam in his eyes.
"What if they b-b-bite me?" Ginny asked.
"Well then I guess we don't accept you...and you suffer excruciating pain for hours." Draco began laughing, sending chills down Ginny's spine.
The other four let their snakes loose and they began slithering over Ginny. Their cool scales traced along her body, up her back, into her hair. She felt like cringing, but knew she might be bitten.
"I'm doing this for a good cause." Ginny kept reminding herself over and over again.
The snakes continued their journey over Ginny's body, and then after ten minutes the snakes were withdrawn from her.
"Congratulations." Draco smiled. "You're the newest member to The Snakes."
Chapter Two:
Ginny, or rather John was walking down Diagon Alley. She almost blew her cover when she saw a fellow Gryffindor walk out of Madam Malkin's. She almost ran up to her and said hi, but then she remembered she was a boy. Ginny smiled at her friend, then walked to the doors. She looked back and saw her friend still staring at her, but very weirdly. She then tripped over a little boy, and fell over.
"Oh, crap!" Ginny said under her breath, and was prepared to help her friend up, but her friend got up herself then walked away quickly. It was then that what happened entered Ginny's head. "Oh gross! She was checkin' me out!"
Ginny entered Madam Malkin's feeling a bit sick. She was fitted for new Hogwart's robes and a dress robe. It felt weird for Ginny to be carrying all these new clothes with her, so she chucked them into a chair in front of a cafe and sat down. She ordered an orange soda, and sat there, watching people she knew walk right passed her.
Then someone she was hoping to see, and dreading to see, walked in her view. Harry Potter! Ginny gave an involuntarily sigh, and watched Harry, Ron and Hermione walk down Diagon Alley. They were laughing and talking, and Ginny longed to be apart of their group.
"Don't even think about joining their ranks." A cold voice said behind her.
Ginny turned around and gasped. Draco Malfoy seated himself next to her.
"Yep, that's Harry Potter, the famous boy-who-wouldn't-die. And I'm Draco Malfoy." Draco held his hand out to Ginny, but she just looked at it. "I know who you are already--I have connections at the Inn. You're John Macabee."
Ginny's eyes widened at his knowledge. Rumors spread fast!
"I hear you're going to Hogwarts. Well, I'll give you a tip for free; Slytherin House is the only house that won't allow riff raff like that lot in. Gryffindors, on the other hand, would allow a house elf in if they took it into their heads. Absolutely sickens me." Draco spit a few feet from him, and then looked back up at Ginny.
"Thanks for the advice." Ginny tried to put on a pleasant face.
"No problem. See you later." Draco stood then left.
Ginny's face sunk at the prospect of spending the rest of the year with people like Draco. In order to get into the know with The Snakes, she was going to enter Hogwarts as a seventh year. No one knew who the leader of their gang was, but Ginny would have given you one guess. Draco Malfoy.
Ginny retired to her bed early, not caring to spend the rest of her day wishing to be herself. She flung herself on her bed after downing another vial of potion that had appeared on her pillow. She'd have to remember that every night at midnight she'd have to drink the potion or she'd change back into her red headed self.
Ginny soon dozed into a somewhat peaceful sleep. She awoke groggily, and her situation sank back into her. She groaned, then flung the covers off her and got ready. She placed a shirt and black slacks on, but something very obvious was showing. Ginny bit her lip, then looked around the room for anything that would hide her feminine qualities from view. She found some spell-o-tape and wrapped it around her chest, then replaced the shirt.
That's much better! Ginny thought. She packed her trunk, and then dragged it down the stairs to the front. The Inn Keeper kept asking her how her stay was, but Ginny wasn't in the mood to talk to him, so she ignored his questions. A car soon pulled up and took her to Kings Cross. Ginny pushed her luggage through the platform, and just barely made it on the train before it started moving.
Students were walking from compartment to compartment, talking of their summer holidays, and what they'd do once they got back to the castle. A few first years were all huddled into the same compartment, and Ginny passed that one by without a second thought. She stopped in front of one door and heard familiar voices.
"Where's Ginny?" Harry's muffled voice floated to her ears.
"She's in America, going to school there for a bit."
"Oh." Was Harrys' reply.
Ginny was about to walk into the compartment when a hand firmly grasped her shoulder.
"What?" She asked, irritably, then stared into the stormy gray eyes of Draco.
"Well, a temper like that calls for some curbing." Draco laughed. "Hey, I told my friends about you and they want to meet you."
Ginny reluctantly followed Draco, but gave him a quick smile as they entered one of the last compartments. Inside were Crabbe and Goyle, and a few other Slytherins Ginny remembered, but hadn't cared to learn their names before.
"This is Crabbe and Goyle." Draco said pointing to his two troll like friends. "Zabini, Pansy, and Lucas."
Ginny said hi to each of them in turn, then sat down in between Draco and Pansy. Pansy was staring at her hands, then looked shyly up at Ginny. Ginny smiled, then tried following the conversation that was being directed at her.
"So, where are you from?" Zabini asked.
Ginny rehearsed her whole history to them, and they seemed to ask every question the Ministry Member had predicted they'd ask. And then the big question finally came.
"How far back is your wizard's line?" This came from Draco.
Ginny faced him, and paused to read his thoughts. "I can trace my lineage as far back as Merlin. Mum is still working on our earlier ancestors." Ginny seemed to hold her breath, waiting for approval, and then finally Draco smiled.
"Pansy, luv, can you go get me some chocolate frogs?" Pansy had been busy studying Ginny's features out of the corner of her eye that she jumped upon being addressed.
"What was that?" She asked, her face turning red.
"Chocolate frogs..." Draco said, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, can you get me some every-flavor beans?" Crabbe asked.
"And me some cauldron cakes?" Goyle added.
"Oh, oh, and some fizzing whizbies?" Crabbe continued
"Yeah, and some licorice wands and--" but Goyle was interrupted before he could continue his list.
"Why don't I just get a little bit of everything?" Pansy asked irritated, then left the room in a huff, mumbling something about being treated like a common house elf.
"Well, now that she's gone." Draco smiled. "John, tell us something...do your parents support the Dark Lord?"
Ginny's eyes shot wide open and was about to answer in the negative, when she remembered she wasn't Ginny Weasley, she was John Macabee. "Why would I tell you?" She replied slyly.
"You can tell us." Draco waved his arm across the compartment. "Our parents are supporters.
"I think I'll keep that to myself until I know you a little better." Ginny tried making it sound like she was just reluctant to say yes.
The rest of the train ride wasn't as bad as Ginny thought it would be. She had always thought that Slytherins were stuck up pricks who did nothing all day but primp and show off. Well, they did that, but they also did a bit more. Their conversations were a little interesting and they shed some light on a few confusing points she harbored in the past.
"You see," Draco continued from the conversation they had just started. "Since everyone thinks we're bad, we can't let our public down. We have fun and joke around just like those goody goody Gryffindors...we just do it in style."
"I have a feeling you'll be chosen as Slytherin." Zabini said, looking smug.
"Of course he will. All you have to do is tell the stupid hat which house you want to be in." Draco began explaining his experience with the hat. "Once it was placed on my head I said, 'if you don't put me in Slytherin I know a Dragon who'd like a new chew toy.'" The compartment filled with laughter, and Ginny found herself smiling. It was true, she had begged and begged the hat to put her in Gryffindor.
"But from what I hear, Hufflepuff isn't a house you'd choose...so why are there people in that house?" Ginny asked.
"I don't know," Draco thought about this. "Perhaps they're too afraid to answer the hat, so he puts all the mutes in that house."
"Ok, so let me get this straight." Ginny paused. "This hat is supposed to put you in a house that you're supposedly destined to be in...but in reality you just tell it what house you want to be in?" They all nodded their heads. "Well, it seems to me that you do have a sort of destiny. I mean, you know the house backgrounds and if you feel you have qualities that would support a certain house, you ask to be in that house. Therefore you still have destiny, but you create it."
The others thought about this a while.
"Bravo, Macabee. We've got a deep thinker in our midst." Draco said, then turned to smile at her.
~*~*~
Ginny was asked to separate from the group of students once she reached Hogwarts. Dumbledore was going to announce her arrival, then have her sorted. Once everyone was seated and all the first years were sorted Dumbledore began his beginning of term speech.
"And now I'd like to introduce you to a new seventh year student who has spent his time in America. John Macabee." Ginny walked into the Hall and up to the front. She was seated and the hat was placed on her and it immediately began talking.
"Ah, if it isn't Ginny Weasley." It started, and Ginny jumped. "Don't worry, Dumbledore told me everything. Although I still see Gryffindor in you, I'll have to put you in SLYTHERIN!" It shouted the last word, and Ginny found herself entering territory she thought was forbidden before--The Slytherin table.
"See, you told it to put you in Slytherin, huh?" Draco said, clapping a hand over Ginny's shoulder as she sat next to him.
"Um, yeah, something like that." Ginny began to feel butterflies in her stomach. She had seen Harry and Ron and Hermione and wished she could be with them. She could see them from where she sat, and longed to run over there.
She could barely take a bite of food for fear it would just come up again. Soon the feast ended and Draco and his friends showed Ginny down the dark corridors to the Slytherin entrance. All Ginny remembered was being escorted through the gloomy common room and up to the boys' dorms. Ginny suddenly found herself awake after their door was shut--the boys began to undress.
"Man, I'm exhausted!" Zabini said, ripping off his clothes, all the way down to his boxers.
Ginny felt herself blush and thanked the stars that their room was dark. She quickly averted her eyes, and rushed to her bed. She acted like she was rummaging through her trunk until the others got into their beds. She found a baggy white shirt that would do as a nightgown, and got into bed.
"Looks like Macabee is too tired to take of his clothes." Draco said, noticing Ginny.
"Um, yeah...too tired to care." Ginny said, then turned to see Draco standing by his bed. "G'night then." Ginny said hurriedly, then closed the drapes over her bed. She quickly changed into the shirt, then slipped between the covers.
I wonder what tomorrow will bring, Ginny thought worriedly.
~*~*~
Ginny slowly shifted in her sleep. She'd been having a horrible dream. She'd been locked in the Slytherin tower and Draco and Zabini and everyone were poking her and making fun of her. Her eyes suddenly opened wide when she heard unfamiliar male voices near by.
"I swear, that boy'll probably sleep until Christmas if we don't wake him up." Zabini said just a few feet away. "Hey, Macabee! Ever heard of the phrase early bird catches the worm?"
Ginny grumbled about being woken up, then sat up in bed. She stretched her arms and ran her fingers through her long red hair--
LONG RED HAIR!!!
"Oh, crap." Ginny whispered to herself.
"Macabee, breakfast is being served and some of these first years have endless pits for stomachs." This time it was Draco.
"Um," Ginny tried imitating a male voice. "I'll be right out, just need to, uh, do something." Ginny flung her hand under her pillow but there was no vial. It was at the foot of her bed, in her trunk! "You guys go on ahead without me."
Ginny waited until she couldn't hear their retreating footsteps, then she cracked the curtains open. After making sure she was alone in the dorm she quickly ran to her trunk and pulled out a vial of the green liquid. She downed it so fast she nearly choked. Suddenly she felt the same tingling sensation in her scalp, and reached up and touched the short-cropped hair.
"I'll have to remember to take it before bed." She said as she got dressed.
Breakfast was a little better than dinner. Ginny's appetite returned and she happily ate some scrambled eggs.
Ok, remember why you're here, Ginny thought. You need to find out about The Snakes.
"So, what do you, er, us Slytherin's do for fun around here?" Ginny hoped her sentence came out sounding mischievously.
Draco and Zabini looked at each other and cocked their eyebrows.
"Should we?" Draco asked.
"I don't know...we barely know him." Zabini replied.
This conversation went on a while longer, Ginny feeling very insecure about them talking about her behind her back in front of her. Finally they decided to let her in on their little secret.
"Well, seeing as you're a pureblood, and a Slytherin, we'll let you in on a little secret." Zabini made sure no one was else listening, then continued. "Meet us down in the common room at midnight and we'll show you how to have fun." Both Zabini and Draco started laughing under their breaths.
Oh crap, Ginny though. What did I get myself into?
~*~*~
Ginny was in Transfiguration, listening to the Professor as if she were speaking another language. They were supposed to transfigure a mouse into a cat, then into a dog, and back into a mouse again. Ginny didn't know anything about inter-species transfiguration, and looked around, hoping no one would notice her mouse was still...well, a mouse.
"Hey, Hannah!" Draco shouted across the room when Mcgonagall left to get some papers.
A pretty girl with long sleek blonde hair looked up, along with her friends.
"Looks like your cat can do with a make-over!" Draco pointed his wand at the cat Hannah had successfully transfigured from her mouse, then screeched.
Sitting on her desk was a skunk, which slowly began lifting its tail. Everyone surrounding Hannah quickly rushed away from the skunk, but Hannah was frozen. The skunk raised its tail all the way up, and Hannah found herself sprayed!
"Malfoy, you waste of flesh!" Hannah yelled, standing at her desk. She began wiping at her cloaks, but the stench still remained. The Slytherins were all laughing, and pointing while the Hufflepuffs were scowling at Draco, and comforting Hannah...at a very safe distance.
"What is going on?" Mcgonagall returned and immediately the room quieted.
"Professor, Draco turned my cat into a skunk and it sprayed me.
Draco snorted. "She's just trying to blame her poor magical skills on me."
"Draco Malfoy, you have caused problems in my class since your first year, while Hannah has been a perfect model student. Now who do you think I'll believe?" Mcgonagall had her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at Draco, who merely rolled his eyes. "Twenty points from Slytherin and a detention for you."
Draco didn't even bat an eye at this news, but a few of his fellow Slytherins murmured. Class ended and Draco was made to stay behind to receive his detention. Ginny and the other Slytherins walked to their next class, which was potions.
"Why does he do that?" Ginny asked Zabini.
"What, Malfoy?" Zabini began to laugh, throwing his head back. "Malfoy just doesn't do that for no reason. There's always some plan he has when he's throwing insults and pulling stunts like you just saw."
Ginny recalled the many times her brother had gotten in trouble because of Malfoy. She knew the reasons behind those stunts, but why would he do something to someone innocent, like Hannah?
"Isn't it obvious?" Zabini was referring to what Ginny had just been thinking. "Malfoy has a crush on Hannah."
Zabini continued on ahead with the group down to the dungeons, leaving Ginny staring after them. Draco had a crush...on a girl? Not just a girl, a sweet girl in Hufflepuff?
"Wait up!" Ginny called after the group of Slytherins. "Why would Malfoy do something like that to a girl he has a crush on?"
"Are you seriously asking me this?" Zabini had his eyebrows raised.
"Come on, Macabee, think about it." Lucas stepped in. "What would you do? Go right up and say, 'hey, I like you, I think you're hot? Let's get together some time?'" Ginny was about to answer in the affirmative, when she remembered her little love affair with Harry.
She never came right out and said she liked Harry. She did give him that Valentine, and after looking back realized that must have been a little humiliating. But that still didn't justify letting a skunk loose on the girl you liked.
"I'll never understand the workings of a guys mind." Ginny thought.
~*~*~
Potions was, well, let's say interesting. Ginny thought she was happy at the prospect at spending an hour in the same class as her brother and Harry and Hermione, but she was wrong. She ended up sitting with Draco when he arrived from Mcgonagall's, and they were starting on their potion when Ginny couldn't help herself and looked up at Harry.
"He's not all that's cracked up to be." Draco said, seeing the object of Ginny's eyes.
"What do you mean?" Ginny asked defensively.
"Well, you've probably grown up hearing about how he banished the Dark Lord and all that, but he's a real wimp!." Draco added some ingredients to their potion and it immediately turned a dark blue. "Pass the frog spleen."
"What makes you say that?" Ginny asked, referring to him calling Harry a wimp.
"Because without the frog spleen the potion won't work." Draco said matter-of-factly.
"That's not what I mean." Ginny passed him the frog spleen then continued. "Why do you think he's a wimp? I heard he saved a girl in his second year..."
"That Weasley who opened the Chamber of Secrets?" Draco began chuckling. "Believe me, the only thing worse than Potter is a Weasley. There's a whole mess of them! Like ten boys and then the one girl. Although I would have stopped after that Weasley," Draco pointed towards Ron. "Who'd want to possibly inflict the world with another git like that?"
Ginny's fists clenched automatically, and she hid them in her robes. She was biting down on her tongue, trying to keep the rude remarks to herself. What right did Draco have to insult her family anyway?
"Although Ginny is a nice girl, I suppose...for a Gryffindor. She's probably the only Weasley I'd talk to voluntarily. Now pass me the liquid gold." Draco dropped a few drops of liquid gold into the cauldron and the potion turned a violent shade of red. "Now that we're done with that, I think it's time for a little fun."
"But what if you get in trouble?" Ginny asked, eyeing Snape.
"Me, get in trouble? That's rich!" Draco picked up the left over frog spleen and smiled. "Snape turns a blind eye towards me." And with that he threw the slimy stuff and it hit Ron right smack in the middle of the forehead.
Ginny couldn't help herself, she began to laugh. Although when Ron looked their way she pretended she was very interested in the bubbling potion, and tried to stifle her giggles.
"Mr. Weasley," Snape's cold voice came from the front of the class. "My class is no time to try and improve your look by covering those freckles with potions ingredients. Ten points from Gryffindor for a wreckless waste of ingredients."
Ron bit back a retort, knowing it would only cause the ten points to raise to twenty. He glared evilly at Draco who assumed a look of innocence, then smiled at Ron.
~*~*~
"Look, Draco, here comes Hannah." Lucas said in a singsong voice.
Draco punched Lucas in the arm, then straightened his robes. Hannah was walking down the corridor, heading in their direction. Ginny noticed how Hannah's eyes looked up at their group, then quickly averted them to the books she clutched to her chest. As they neared closer Ginny felt more sorry for her.
"I thought I smelled you, Hannah." Draco smirked, causing the others to laugh.
Hannah must have felt intimidated, for she tripped over her feet and nearly fell. Her books were less lucky, and tumbled out of her hands towards the floor. The others just laughed, but Ginny's instincts wouldn't allow her to just stand there and watch.
"Here." Ginny had picked up one of the books and handed it to the poor girl.
"Thank you." Hannah looked up at Ginny, smiling and blushing.
As soon as Hannah turned the corner, Ginny was attacked...verbally.
"What'd you do that for?" Draco asked, rather angrily.
"I just picked up a book." Ginny raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, but she's mine! You have no right to interfere."
"I think she liked you." Blaise said contemplating.
"Yeah, I tend to like people who do something nice for me too. Come off it!" Ginny flung her arms in front of her. "The way to a girls heart is not by humiliating her! You've got to be nice."
The others looked at her as if her idea was revolutionary.
"About this niceness thing." Draco said, rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger. "How do you go about doing it?"
Ginny's faced showed the shock she felt. "What do you mean? You just be nice...be considerate."
"We're going to be late for lunch!" Crabbe complained.
Everyone looked down at their watches, then began walking quickly towards the Great Hall. Draco, however, was eyeing Ginny very suspiciously. A plan was forming in his head, and he gave a half smile, which unnerved Ginny.
The rest of the day went by rather quickly. It wasn't too long before their last classes were finished, they were all stuffed with dinner, and retiring for the night. Ginny's heartbeat quickened, though. It was two hours away until midnight and she was still none the wiser as to what Draco and his gang were planning tonight, or if it even had anything to do with The Snakes. Ginny lay on her bed, in the dorm room alone. The others said they had to prepare for the night, and Ginny was left waiting, counting the minutes. All too soon she heard the chime of the clock in the common room strike twelve.
Ginny put on her cloak and downed a vial of the green potion, then quietly tip toed down the stairs to the common room. The fire gave an eerie glow as it was dying out. The light of the red embers barely spread ten feet in front of the fireplace, and the rest of the room was hidden in deepest black.
"Hello?" Ginny called out, afraid to leave the safety of the fire's glow.
"Over here." A scratchy voice whispered, coming from the entrance.
Ginny had her hands in front of her, prepared to run into something, when something ran into her. She felt the air sucked out of her, and her hands tied behind her back. A sack was placed over her head, and then she felt herself being lifted up. She tried screaming but a silencing charm must have been placed on her.
Ginny felt herself being carried away through the school. She had no idea where they were going, but realized they were outside when a cool breeze met her. A little while later those who were carrying her stopped, and she was dropped rather roughly to the ground. She heard the lapping of water on shore, and realized they must be near the lake. That's when the sack was taken off of her, and the silencing charm.
"Untie me!" Ginny demanded.
"Not right now." Draco bent down in front of Ginny's face and smiled. "Fellows?" Draco raised his eyes to something behind Ginny.
The others slowly came into view and they were carrying what seemed to be snakes in their hands. Ginny felt like screaming, but knew if she made any sudden movements she would probably be bitten.
"Here's the deal. For ten minutes you let these snakes crawl over you. If you don't give them a reason to bite you, then we'll accept you." Draco explained, a mad gleam in his eyes.
"What if they b-b-bite me?" Ginny asked.
"Well then I guess we don't accept you...and you suffer excruciating pain for hours." Draco began laughing, sending chills down Ginny's spine.
The other four let their snakes loose and they began slithering over Ginny. Their cool scales traced along her body, up her back, into her hair. She felt like cringing, but knew she might be bitten.
"I'm doing this for a good cause." Ginny kept reminding herself over and over again.
The snakes continued their journey over Ginny's body, and then after ten minutes the snakes were withdrawn from her.
"Congratulations." Draco smiled. "You're the newest member to The Snakes."