Chapter 6~A Never Ending Day

Ginny nervously scratched her quill across the page as she took notes in Professor
McGonagall's class. She hoped she was doing alright, wondering what would happen if
she messed up her first day. At the beginning of class, McGonagall had gave them a brief
introduction about Transfiguration for first years, and then proceded to change her desk
into a cow. Everyone had cheered, Ginny included, though she felt something squirm in
her stomach. Were they going to have to do something like that already?

"Alright, class. You should be finished with the notes right now," McGonagall
said, giving anyone who was desperately scribbling a dark look. "Now, we will try our
wands on a match, and try to transfigure it into a needle." Ginny felt a sigh of relief. "Refer
to your notes if you need help. Put your books away." McGonagall gave Yolanda Perry a
stern glare for the supposedly hidden book under her notebook. The professor sat back in
her chair to watch the first years try the task.

Ginny felt her face heat up as her wand made a loud raspberry when she tried to do
anything with it. Even McGonagall seemed to have the slightest of a smile, determining to
Ginny that she should stop trying. She stared at the match, holding her wand up as a
pretense to doing any work. After what seemed an eternity, the class ended and she was
the first out the door.

In her hurry, she bumped into some one, dropping her bag. "Sorry," she muttered
as she grabbed at a quill that had fallen out. Looking up, she saw it was Harry she'd run
into. He bent down to pick up some of her stuff that'd fallen out of the bag, with Ron and
Hermione helping too. Ginny's eyes widened and she sprinted away, leaving her supplies
and feeling very much like she could cry. Once again, she'd embarressed herself in front of
her crush.

Right then, Ginny wished that she was back at the Burrow, safe and alone with her
mum, who she never made a fool of herself in front of. Even if she did mess up, her
mother always seemed to find ways that made everything better. There didn't seem like
there was a solution like that now.

"Ginny, Ginny, wait up!" Ginny turned to see Shannon running down the hall after
her. She stopped and waited for her new friend to catch up. As Shannon caught up, her
breathing heaving, she smiled.

"You...like...Harry...don't...you?" she asked between gasping breaths. Ginny knew
she must look like a camp fire, her face deep red and her hair flaming on top.

"I-I guess so," she whispered, checking around them to make sure no one noticed
her confession. Shannon kept smiling and the two walked on.

"I could tell. You're too red every time his name is mentioned."

Ginny smiled uncertainly, realizing that Ron had either told Harry about how much
she talked about him, or Harry could tell himself that she liked him. How embarrassing.

"What do we have next?" Shannon asked, much to Ginny's relief at the change of
subject. She glanced at her schedule she'd clenched in her hand, making sure it was in her
possession ever since they'd gotten them. Wouldn't it be just like her to not know what
class was next and have to ask some one?

"Charms with the Hufflepuffs," Ginny answered.

"Oh, good. Hannah says everyone in Hufflepuff is really nice. And Flitwick is
supposed to be real good too. You know, not hard on grading and nice to you even if you
mess up," Shanna said. The two new friends walked down the hall and up stairs to reach
their class.

"Welcome, first years. This year, we will be working on basic charms and by the
end of the year, you should have learned enough to go on. Let's take roll," a short wizard
announced as soon as everyone was seated. He went through everyone's names, and then
asked that they took out their books.

Ginny pushed aside a ragged A History of Magic and a barely recognizable
Magical Drafts and Potions looking for The Standard Book of Spells she remembered was
missing alot of pages. Even as she thought about how bad it would be not to have all the
spells in the book, she saw that her book wasn't there. She searched again, looking under a
stack of parchment and her dragon hide gloves, but still no Book of Spells turned up. With
a flash of memory, Ginny remembered bumping into Harry. She must have left her book
there. Timidly, she raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Weasley?" Flitwick said, seeing her hand. He was bending over Collin's
book, showing him the page.

"I-I can't find my book, Professor," Ginny stuttered, feeling her face heat up.

"Then share with-" Flitwick looked back to the student he was helping, "-Collin."
Ginny knew her face must have gone a deep shade of red, judging from the heat
she felt under her hands that held her cheeks. She knew she'd never get through the class,
with Harry's biggest fan chattering in her ear the whole time. Collin didn't seem to notice
her resistance to share a book with him as she sat down in a chair next to his desk.

"Boy, I'm glad I get to share with you. I'm never sure what page the teacher
means, and it gets confusing, you know? First day and all ready the professor knows that
I'm not so good at listening. Well, since you don't have your book, you can tell me about
Harry's visit with your family while I look this stuff up." Even as Collin turned the pages in
his brand-new Charms book, he didn't shut up, not even to supposedly let Ginny tell him
about Harry's stay.

"-and is it true about how he's really good at Quidditch? I haven't ever seen a
game, but it's supposed to be really exciting and Seeker is the hardest position isn't it?
Amazing that he got on as a first year. That was the first in-" Ginny was busy trying to get
her wand to cooperate that she wasn't listening to his chatter. As she tried to get her little
bug, bugs each of the students had been given to use, to levitate, she felt a poke in the
back. She yelped and the little bug fell of the desk. Collin was still oblivious; he
immediately stomped on it, his mouth still going full speed. Ginny slid down in her seat as
boys behind he snickered. Flitwick came over and lectured them all on acting their age,
and gave Ginny a strange look, also noting the squashed bug, causing more laughs.

"I guess you need another bug," Flitwick said, leaving her desk as she sunk lower,
wishing she was invisible.

Would this horrible day ever end?