~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tom! You'll never guess what happened to Ron and Harry yesterday!
What happened? How was your first day of classes?
I'll tell you about that in a minute. The barrier between Platform 9 and 10 was somehow blocked and so Ron and Harry flew the car to Hogwarts! But the worst part of it is that they crashed it into the Whomping Willow—that's a tree that literally hits you if you go near enough to it—and then the Whomping Willow beat them inside the car. They got out ok, Ron's got a few bruises and his wand is broke, but then Professor Snape, he's the Potions Master here, he caught them and took them up to his office, called Professor McGonagall, she's the Head of Gryffindor, and they both got detention! Then the Daily Prophet had an article about Ron and Harry flying the car, saying that Muggles reported seeing it all over and they traced it back to daddy who's now facing an investigation at work! Can you believe this??
Wow! That's unbelievable! So, they weren't hurt at all?
And all they got was detention?
No, they weren't hurt too badly. Ron said that Professor McGonagall told them that since the term hadn't officially started when they flew the car, they would have to serve detention, no points would be taken from Gryffindor. I wish I could've gone with them. I've always wanted to fly in a car and I would have loved to see the Whomping Willow.
I bet you would have. They got off pretty easy though.
Well, mum sent them a howler, which did make things a bit bad since it went off right during breakfast this morning. And dad is facing that investigation at work. I hope he can smooth things over, I feel so terrible for him!
I'm sure your father will be just fine, Ginny. Don't worry.
I'm excited to hear about your day at school.
Oh, it was amazing! I had Herbology with the Slytherins, and I really don't like them, Tom. They are very mean. That house must have changed since you were there.
None taken, Ginny. I bet it has changed. Who is the head
there?
Professor Snape, the Potions Master. I don't like him either. When he got to my name during roll today in Potions, he said, "I hope you don't act like the rest of your brothers." See how they always end up making trouble for me, even when they aren't even in the room! The entire time he kept on calling on me to answer questions, but I showed him—I got all of them right! He didn't like that a bit. Ron told me that he is constantly trying to take points from Gryffindor and it's best not to let him get to you. At least I have Potions with the Hufflepuffs, Ron and Harry have it with the Slytherins which is much worse!
Good for you, Ginny! I'm very proud!
Thanks, Tom. Then, we had Transfiguration and Charms. I love Professor Flitwick, he's so tiny! He has to stand on top of a pile of books just to see over his desk! Transfiguration is definitely harder than I thought, we had to take tons of notes, my hand is still hurting, but then she assigned us to turn a match into a needle and mine worked! Ron said she was a tough old bird, but she seemed to like me well enough.
Very good! You did say your wand was very good at Transfiguration,
didn't you?
That's what Mr Ollivander said. The last class today was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Oh, you wouldn't believe how stupid that Lockhart man is! He did nothing but constantly go on and on about how he caught this, that and the other and made us take notes on what his favorite things to do are! I just knew I didn't like Lockhart when I first saw him that day in Flourish and Blotts.
Is that the man that smiles too much?
Yes, I never knew anyone could have that many teeth in their head. Especially with that ego of his taking up the room!
So, how do you like Hogwarts?
I love it!
I liked it here too. Oh, Ginny, could you do me a favor?
Of course! What is it?
Well, if it's not too late, would you possibly mind taking me for
a walk? I'd love to see where everything is at?
It's just after dinner, but how can I take you for a walk?
Easy. You are such a good artist, I would like you to draw
a diagram of the places I tell you to in this diary so that I can see how
everything has changed. It's been so long since I've been here.
I'd love too! Let me get my things ready.
Ginny closed the diary and looked around the common room. Fred and George were in a corner with their friends and Ron, Harry and Hermione were at a table working on homework. Ginny had already finished hers so she had plenty of time to wander around. The diary, pen, and ink in her hand, Ginny walked to the portrait hole and climbed out.
"Ginny? Just where do you think you are off too?" Ginny nearly dropped everything. Gasping, she turned around to see Percy, his horn-rimmed glasses glittering in the torchlight, coming towards her.
"Heavens, Percy! Do you have to scare me to death? I was just going for a bit of a walk, I've finished my homework already and just wasn't ready for sleep, if that's ok."
Percy looked at her for a moment, obviously deciding whether or not to tell her off. He pursed his lips, "You've been looking a bit peaked lately, are you ok?" His voice held a twinge of concern in it.
Ginny blinked, surprised as this change of subject. "I'm fine, just a bit tired from all the excitement. I just thought going for a walk would help clear my mind," she smiled up at him.
"Why the book, and pens and stuff?" he asked, pointing to the diary, pen, and bottle of ink she was clutching to her.
"Well, I thought I might make a sketch of things while I was walking," Ginny explained, which really wasn't a lie at all. "There are so many new different styles of décor here and I thought I might make a few notes of them."
Percy nodded. "Don't be too long, though. You need to get some sleep, one of your roommates said you were having nightmares last night. I guess it was from Ron's and Harry's antics yesterday. I've already told them off and sent an owl back to Mum and Dad. They should be absolutely ashamed of themselves! Don't know what they could've been thinking!"
Ginny bit her lip, wondering how long she was going to have to listen to this. "Well, I'm going to take that walk. I'll be back soon." And before her older brother could say anything else, she dashed off.
Ginny didn't really appreciate the reminder of her nightmares the previous night. Not that she could really remember what the nightmares were, but nevertheless, it left a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. It always had something to do with a large snake with yellow eyes and a very dark and cold room. Beyond those few impressions, Ginny couldn't remember what went on in the dreams. She flushed at the thought of someone hearing her, though. That was definitely embarrassing.
Tom? I'm in the hallway. Where should I go?
Perfect! Now go back down to the main entrance and I'll tell you where to go, ok?
Ginny did as he directed, yawing the way down. She was starting to feel very tired again.
Ok, I'm here.
Do you know where the girls' toilet on the second floor is?
Yes, I've heard it was haunted by a ghost though. Moaning Myrtle or something. I really don't like facing ghosts, Tom.
Nonsense, you'll be fine. What would the great Harry Potter think if he heard you were afraid of harmless ghosts, Ginny? Now, go to the girls' toilet, please.
Ginny frowned down at the diary. Tom could be rather nasty sometimes. She guessed that maybe it was because he was once Slytherin. Either way, it hurt when he threw her feelings about Harry in her face. Too tired to get into a fight with a diary, Ginny marched towards the girls' toilet. She carefully opened the door, paying no attention to the Out of Order sign, hoping that no ghost was inside. She had heard that Moaning Myrtle was always crying and flooding the floors. Silence rang into the room, only the drip of a faucet could be heard.
I'm here.
Good girl. Now go to the last sink at the end of the row and look to the side of the copper tap on the right.
Ginny walked to the last sink and looked on the side of the tap Tom had said. There was a tiny snake carved into it.
Tom, there's a tiny snake carved into this.
Wonderful! Good work, Ginny! You may leave now.
But why did you want me to look at this? What's with the snake anyway?
Nothing important. Just an old symbol we used to use in Slytherin. Don't worry about it. You can go back to the tower for now, that's enough for tonight. Aren't you a bit tired after your big day?
Ginny blinked. She was sleepy, but how did Tom know that?
***************************
The rest of Ginny's week wasn't so good. It wasn't her classes; she was rather good at all her subjects although she did have some difficulty staying awake during History of Magic. She decided next time she would take her diary so that she could write to Tom and pretend that she was listening if she got too bored. But what disturbed Ginny the most was that she had been here a week and hadn't made any friends at all. The girls in her dormitory would give her funny looks every time she went in there, so she did her best to avoid her room unless she was sleeping, which wasn't very much because her nightmares had become more and more frequent and she did her best to stay awake through the night. This had a direct effect on her appearance as she began to grow very pale and rather touchy from the lack of sleep. She hated how some of the girls in her year, no matter what house they were in, would constantly murmur about her used robes and worn books. "Look at her robes!" they'd whisper. "And her books! Those must have been her granddad's or something!" Most of the time she would ignore them, but every once in a while she would snap something back, just whatever came into her mind first.
Ginny also had never been around girls her age; didn't know how to act around them, having grown up in a houseful of men. The only female near her age that she was acquainted with was Hermione Granger, which she hardly saw at all because of their schedules. Hermione was also constantly with Harry Potter, which Ginny was just too nervous to be around. So, Ginny could almost always be found writing into her diary. Tom was now officially her only friend in the world and she simply loved him for it. He was kind, patient, and listened to all of her troubles. He even suggested that she take him around with her during the day, so that if she felt lonely she could write him. Tom was better than a friend; he was always there with her, inside her pocket, waiting to hear from her.
Hello, Tom! Ginny wrote that Friday after lunch.
Ginny! I haven't heard from you all day! Where have you been?
Classes ran a bit late this morning, but I have the rest of the afternoon off. I thought I'd go visit Hagrid, he's the grounds and game keeper here.
Hagrid? Rubeus Hagrid? How is he here?
Do you know him, Tom? He's been the game keeper here for years.
He was expelled while I was here.
Really? Can I ask him about you then? He might remember you.
NO! Don't you dare! We weren't friends at all, Ginny. Please don't mention me to him, promise me that you won't.
I won't, I promise.
How can he be the grounds and game keeper here? He should have been expelled from the school forever.
I'm not too sure.
I'm sorry for yelling at you, Ginny. I just was very surprised to see his name. Forgive me?
That's ok, Tom. I understand.
Please take me with you when you visit the grounds, if you don't mind. I'd love to see a diagram of them. They were so beautiful in my day.
Sure.
Ginny placed the diary into her pocket along with the quill and ink and left the Gryffindor Tower. The grounds were beautifully kept and she dearly loved the lake with the giant squid inside it. The Forbidden Forest was also very picturesque, even if no one was allowed to go in it. Hagrid's stone cottage was not far from the edge of the forest. Loud barking could be heard from inside it. Stopping just outside it, Ginny took out the diary and drew a quick sketch of things as she walked around, including the large hen hoop nearby and the pumpkin patch filled with enormous sized pumpkins.
"Hello, there!" Hagrid called out, seeing her.
"Hello, Hagrid!" Ginny smiled and waved at the very large man.
"Whatcha doin'? You're Ginny, right?" Hagrid asked as he came outside.
"Yes," Ginny said, placing her diary and quill back into her robes.
"What do yer think o' me pumpkins? I'm getting them ready fer the Hallowe'en feast."
"Very nice," Ginny said, her eyes glancing over the patch. "How did they grow so big?"
Hagrid smiled beneath his beard, his beetle black eyes shining, "I jus' gave 'em a bit o' help. Come on inside fer some tea, will yeh?
Ginny followed him inside the small cottage, noting the assortment of dead animals hanging from the ceiling rafters and the handmade quilt over the enormous bed in the corner. A large dog nearly knocked her off her feet as she stepped inside.
"Back Fang! Back!" Hagrid pulled him off her. Ginny sat down at the table, while Fang contented himself with drooling over her robes. He was such a sweet dog, despite his fierce looks, much like his owner.
"Knew yeh'd be good wit' animals," Hagrid said as he placed a rather large pot of tea and mugs on the table. "I can tell that sort of thing, yeh know."
Ginny grinned and lightly blushed at the compliment as she sipped her tea.
"Now, what brings yeh out an' about the grounds today? Not lookin' fer someone in particular were yeh?" Hagrid said, grinning slyly.
Ginny's blush grew redder. Did the entire world know about her feelings for Harry?
"I….I was just looking around a bit that's all. I hadn't had much time to see the grounds this week and I've heard so much about it from my brothers," Ginny replied, hoping he didn't notice how she had stuttered a bit.
Hagrid shook his head. "Bin chasin' yer older brothers out o' the Forbidden Forest fer half me life, I think. Those two are something else. Want a bit of rock cake?"
Ginny was too polite to refuse, although she had been warned about Hagrid's cooking. Gingerly taking a bite of the cake, Ginny hoped her teeth wouldn't fall out before she could get back to the castle. After tea, Hagrid showed her around the grounds himself, giving her a tour of the hen house and letting her pet the small yellow baby chicks inside. They were so sweet as they chirped around. Finally, it was beginning to get dark and Ginny had to say goodbye to Hagrid.
After dinner, Ginny went back upstairs, ignoring Percy's complaints that she looked really bad and threats of taking her to Madam Pomfrey if she didn't start feeling better. How like Percy to always demand that things go his way, whether he had control over them or not. She also ignored the stares from the girls in her dormitory, shrugging them off. She was too weary to deal with them tonight.
Hoping that she wouldn't dream tonight, Ginny blew out the candles next to her bed and slowly drifted off to sleep, too tired even to write Tom and tell him goodnight.
************************
She found herself walking on the grounds, very late in the night. Crickets were chirping. The owls were spooky shadows that flew around and about as they hunted for food. She must move silently, must not be seen or heard. Her bare feet were cold and wet from the ground, sharp rocks and sticks cutting into the tender soles. Finally, she was at her destination! She opened the door to the small enclosure, listening to the gentle breathing and occasional cluck from the occupants inside. Ah! There he was! At the end of the house, guarding over his watches like a gargoyle. He never saw her coming, never saw the small hand grasp around its throat, preventing any sort of sound from escaping its beak. But, oh! he fought, did he ever fight. Her arms were bleeding from the many scratches of the claws as he tried to fight. Red and white feathers scattered about her. Her hand squeezed tighter, tighter—how she had such strength in such small hands she did not know—and yes! at last she felt the tiny bones break in her hand! Such a glorious feeling, it was. The head hung limply, the beak now open, the small eyes lifless. She released her hold; it fell from her fingers with a small thud onto the ground, sending dirt and feathers skyward. As quietly as she had come, she left, a smile upon her lips as she walked back into the castle and back to her warm bed.
********************
Ginny woke up with a start, panting into the darkness. She looked
around, the drapes around her bed were drawn. She was freezing; her
arms were stinging and felt sticky. Easing out of bed, careful not
to make a sound, she went into the bathroom so she could see. She
looked into the mirror, a soft gasp echoing into the chamber. Her
once white nightdress was covered in blood and feathers, the sleeves ripped
and slashed. She could see scratches and cuts criss-crossed over
her wrists and just below her elbows, the blood still seeping from a few
of the deeper ones. Red and white feathers covered the rest of her,
in her hair, stuck to her arms by her own blood, on her nightdress.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited a moment then opened them again.
Nothing had changed. Her breathing had become rattled, each breath
of air was a struggle for her lungs to take in and release. She ripped
the nightdress from her body, tossing it into a corner of the bathroom.
She stepped into the nearest shower, wincing as the warm water hit her
raw arms. She scrubbed herself until ugly pinkish welts appeared
on her ivory skin as if trying to wash the nightmare from her mind; the
nightmare she had no memory of. Wrapping a clean towel around her,
she crept back into the dormitory, getting a clean nightdress out
of her trunk, rubbing her mother's healing salve onto her arms. They
would heal quickly, before anyone would notice and start to ask questions
she had no answers to. She went downstairs in the common room, standing
before the flickering fire. She tossed the other nightdress into
the fire, watching as the flames slowly ate at the muslin. She laid
down on the sofa, her eyes staring into the fire, trying to remember what
had happened. She fell asleep that way, not waking when the Gryffindor
Quidditch team silently passed through the portrait hole for their early
morning practice.