Chapter 9~Halloween Morning
The air was crisp and it bit through Ginny's worn out coat as she shuffled around
outside, wishing that the day would begin. She was up early for some reason and her eyes
were still blurry with sleep, but she had tried and failed to make herself go back to sleep.
When she'd glanced out the window to find the new day dawning and the leaves a pretty
shade of orange, Ginny had the crazy idea that a walk outside would be nice. She had been
wrong.
The morning air seemed thin or maybe she was just out of shape. Either way,
Ginny was out of breath very shortly, and she hadn't even reached Hagrid's cabin. She'd
been planning to see the pumpkins he'd been bragging about and see if they were really as
big as Ron, Fred, and George had said. That thought was quickly dashed as she found
herself wheezing from walking a few more feet from the castle.
Deciding that the cold was getting too much, Ginny walked back inside, finding
she felt lighter and breathing was easier as she neared it. For this, she was glad. Not only
did she not feel sick anymore, but if she did even look it, stupid Percy would no doubt
shove more Pepper-Up Potion down her throat. He'd down it a week ago, and she wasn't
about to forgive him for it anytime soon, especially since Harry had been there to witness
it all. Fred had said something about a fire being started in the common room and George
had gotten more laughs from the pointing out that the smoke was taking over the room.
Ginny didn't want to think of such bad things now. Her night hadn't ended so
badly, mostly because Shannon had spent the whole time with her, introducing her to two
other first years, and she hadn't had any more frightening dreams. Tom didn't even seem
that bossy this morning, when she'd woken up and informed him that she would be taking
a walk. He'd just said not to go to far and get lost. She smiled at his slight mothering of
her. Surprisingly, she did miss all the protecting her mother had done. When she'd
mentioned this though, Ron had rolled his eyes and said that if she went back, she'd be
cured of those thoughts soon enough. Ginny guessed this was true. No one wanted to be
babied when they were being forced to put up with it.
When she entered the hallways, she noticed little house elves all around, hurriedly
putting up decorations of some sort. Looking closer, Ginny could see pumpkins, bats,
skeletons, and other various scary things. Streamers of orange and black criss-crossed
high above her head as she walked with her head horizontal. Halloween! How could she
have forgotten?
She had been rather tired lately, her brain barely able to stay awake in classes.
Staying awake wasn't enough to do well in classes. Professor McGonagall had pulled her
out of the commons area and told her that she was currently failing all her classes. While
Ginny would've been terrified a few months ago, the thought of having to leave Hogwarts
didn't seem to bad after all. She'd just nodded to the Professor and sat back down like
nothing had happened. And it really felt like nothing had. Percy had nosed into her
business, trying to find out what the Professor had said, but she snapped at him, really
angrily, and he laid off. The others noticed her touchy mood and left her alone, again.
Ginny sighed as she paused in front of the Fat Lady and opened her mouth to say
the password. Her eyes went wide. She didn't remember it.
"Well, dearie, it's about time you got back. Been out for a while, eh?" the Fat Lady
commented, always being nosy.
"Shut up! I can't think!" Ginny cried at the portrait, immediately feeling stupid for
yelling at a picture. The Fat Lady managed to grab some dignity and look offended. Ginny
couldn't help but glare at her. This was getting on her nerves.
"Could you just open up?" Ginny asked, knowing the answer even before the Fat
Lady said no.
"Fine," Ginny said in icy tones and continued her glare, feeling a strange anger
surging through her. All that she wanted to do was rip that the Fat Lady's face, using her
nails to just tear through the canvas. If this "picture" was going to get in her way, then
she'd just have to get rid of it. It must have been a very convincing glare because the Fat
Lady shrieked and ran off the picture. "Great," Ginny mumbled, remembering that the
portraits could visit eachother and there was no telling when they would return.
As she slumped on the ground next to the portrait, she jumped as she heard voices
and watched as the portrait swung forward, Harry, Ron, and Hermione exitting.
"I can't wait for tonight," Hermione commented to the two boys. She did look
excited, with her eyes glowing and her hands clasped together. The only times Ginny saw
her like that was when she aced a test or talked about Professor Lockhart.
"Ya, me too," Ron grumbled. Ginny wondered why Ron was in a bad mood.
"Ron, don't be so down. We'll be one of the first people, well, alive people, to be
allowed to go to a deathday party. I've read about them, and they sound so interesting,"
Hermione gushed. Ginny could've rolled her eyes. She used to think Hermione was nice;
she was getting annoying though, with all her reading and studying nonsense.
"Well, we promised-" Harry started, and then looked down, to find Ginny listening
to the three as they stood discussing their Halloween plans.
"I-I-I-"
"Ginny! Why can't you find friends of your own? You always have to hang around
me!" Ron shouted, his face turning red with anger. Ginny stared at him, not believing that
this was her brother, the one who had comforted her at the start of the term that things
weren't as bad as George and Fred said.
Her own anger surged through her. But it wasn't the healthy, bubbling anger that
she usually felt with her brothers when they teased her or bothered her. This anger was
boiling red, raging through her veins like she couldn't contain it in her small body. Like
some one else's anger had taken over...
"I don't want to be friends with your friends. I hate you and them too!" Ginny
lunged, needing something to do with everything that was pounding inside her. Ron fell,
surprised by the attack, and didn't struggle until he realized that it was his little sister
pinning him to the ground and shouting in his face. She felt words she didn't thought she
knew coming out her mouth, bad ones that Mum would've washed her mouth with pig-fat
soap, that one that guarantees no more dirty words.
Harry and Hermione came to save Ron, both of them pulling Ginny's arms away
from him. Ron lay panting on the ground as Ginny squirmed.
"What's wrong with you?" Ron demanded, sounding horribly angry. Ginny
supposed he had a right, since his baby sister had just knocked the wind out of him and
cussed him out. Hermione whispered something to Harry and he nodded. Ginny felt her
body being transferred over to Hermione.
"What's the matter, Ginny, dear?" Hermione quietly rephrased Ron's question,
shifting Ginny into her arms, in a hug. Ginny let her, the angry feeling having left her. It
left as quickly as it came and she felt deflated, like some one had let the air out of her, the
life was swooshed from her body.
"I don't know. I just am so lonely," Ginny cried, sobbing into Hermione's robes.
She hadn't cried in so long, like her emotions had been sucked dry everytime she spilled
her thoughts into the diary.
When all her stored up tears were gone, the four stood in front of the Fat Lady,
three of them staring at the little redhead girl, one staring at the floor. Ginny couldn't
believe she'd done what she had. She'd never attacked anyone before. Why had she done it
now?
"Please don't tell anyone. Especially Percy. He'll write mum," Ginny whimpered.
The others nodded in agreement and Harry suggested they go to breakfast. Ginny gave
him a soggy smile, making him turn away. She stared at the ground again, noting that she
made him nervous, like he wasn't sure how to handle having a ten-year-old like him.
Hermione's arms were still around her shoulders, and she shrugged them off. "I
forgot something in the dormitory," Ginny explained as Hermione gave her a concerned
look. Nodding, she let Ginny go and the girl dashed back to the portrait, and knocked in
to some one as she rushed through. She had to talk to Tom. She didn't know why, but she
just felt a connection, something tugging at her to go to the diary.
All the bad feelings she'd had earlier were erased as she picked up the black book and
began to write in it. Only a twinge of suspicion pricked her as she poured her heart out,
again.
The air was crisp and it bit through Ginny's worn out coat as she shuffled around
outside, wishing that the day would begin. She was up early for some reason and her eyes
were still blurry with sleep, but she had tried and failed to make herself go back to sleep.
When she'd glanced out the window to find the new day dawning and the leaves a pretty
shade of orange, Ginny had the crazy idea that a walk outside would be nice. She had been
wrong.
The morning air seemed thin or maybe she was just out of shape. Either way,
Ginny was out of breath very shortly, and she hadn't even reached Hagrid's cabin. She'd
been planning to see the pumpkins he'd been bragging about and see if they were really as
big as Ron, Fred, and George had said. That thought was quickly dashed as she found
herself wheezing from walking a few more feet from the castle.
Deciding that the cold was getting too much, Ginny walked back inside, finding
she felt lighter and breathing was easier as she neared it. For this, she was glad. Not only
did she not feel sick anymore, but if she did even look it, stupid Percy would no doubt
shove more Pepper-Up Potion down her throat. He'd down it a week ago, and she wasn't
about to forgive him for it anytime soon, especially since Harry had been there to witness
it all. Fred had said something about a fire being started in the common room and George
had gotten more laughs from the pointing out that the smoke was taking over the room.
Ginny didn't want to think of such bad things now. Her night hadn't ended so
badly, mostly because Shannon had spent the whole time with her, introducing her to two
other first years, and she hadn't had any more frightening dreams. Tom didn't even seem
that bossy this morning, when she'd woken up and informed him that she would be taking
a walk. He'd just said not to go to far and get lost. She smiled at his slight mothering of
her. Surprisingly, she did miss all the protecting her mother had done. When she'd
mentioned this though, Ron had rolled his eyes and said that if she went back, she'd be
cured of those thoughts soon enough. Ginny guessed this was true. No one wanted to be
babied when they were being forced to put up with it.
When she entered the hallways, she noticed little house elves all around, hurriedly
putting up decorations of some sort. Looking closer, Ginny could see pumpkins, bats,
skeletons, and other various scary things. Streamers of orange and black criss-crossed
high above her head as she walked with her head horizontal. Halloween! How could she
have forgotten?
She had been rather tired lately, her brain barely able to stay awake in classes.
Staying awake wasn't enough to do well in classes. Professor McGonagall had pulled her
out of the commons area and told her that she was currently failing all her classes. While
Ginny would've been terrified a few months ago, the thought of having to leave Hogwarts
didn't seem to bad after all. She'd just nodded to the Professor and sat back down like
nothing had happened. And it really felt like nothing had. Percy had nosed into her
business, trying to find out what the Professor had said, but she snapped at him, really
angrily, and he laid off. The others noticed her touchy mood and left her alone, again.
Ginny sighed as she paused in front of the Fat Lady and opened her mouth to say
the password. Her eyes went wide. She didn't remember it.
"Well, dearie, it's about time you got back. Been out for a while, eh?" the Fat Lady
commented, always being nosy.
"Shut up! I can't think!" Ginny cried at the portrait, immediately feeling stupid for
yelling at a picture. The Fat Lady managed to grab some dignity and look offended. Ginny
couldn't help but glare at her. This was getting on her nerves.
"Could you just open up?" Ginny asked, knowing the answer even before the Fat
Lady said no.
"Fine," Ginny said in icy tones and continued her glare, feeling a strange anger
surging through her. All that she wanted to do was rip that the Fat Lady's face, using her
nails to just tear through the canvas. If this "picture" was going to get in her way, then
she'd just have to get rid of it. It must have been a very convincing glare because the Fat
Lady shrieked and ran off the picture. "Great," Ginny mumbled, remembering that the
portraits could visit eachother and there was no telling when they would return.
As she slumped on the ground next to the portrait, she jumped as she heard voices
and watched as the portrait swung forward, Harry, Ron, and Hermione exitting.
"I can't wait for tonight," Hermione commented to the two boys. She did look
excited, with her eyes glowing and her hands clasped together. The only times Ginny saw
her like that was when she aced a test or talked about Professor Lockhart.
"Ya, me too," Ron grumbled. Ginny wondered why Ron was in a bad mood.
"Ron, don't be so down. We'll be one of the first people, well, alive people, to be
allowed to go to a deathday party. I've read about them, and they sound so interesting,"
Hermione gushed. Ginny could've rolled her eyes. She used to think Hermione was nice;
she was getting annoying though, with all her reading and studying nonsense.
"Well, we promised-" Harry started, and then looked down, to find Ginny listening
to the three as they stood discussing their Halloween plans.
"I-I-I-"
"Ginny! Why can't you find friends of your own? You always have to hang around
me!" Ron shouted, his face turning red with anger. Ginny stared at him, not believing that
this was her brother, the one who had comforted her at the start of the term that things
weren't as bad as George and Fred said.
Her own anger surged through her. But it wasn't the healthy, bubbling anger that
she usually felt with her brothers when they teased her or bothered her. This anger was
boiling red, raging through her veins like she couldn't contain it in her small body. Like
some one else's anger had taken over...
"I don't want to be friends with your friends. I hate you and them too!" Ginny
lunged, needing something to do with everything that was pounding inside her. Ron fell,
surprised by the attack, and didn't struggle until he realized that it was his little sister
pinning him to the ground and shouting in his face. She felt words she didn't thought she
knew coming out her mouth, bad ones that Mum would've washed her mouth with pig-fat
soap, that one that guarantees no more dirty words.
Harry and Hermione came to save Ron, both of them pulling Ginny's arms away
from him. Ron lay panting on the ground as Ginny squirmed.
"What's wrong with you?" Ron demanded, sounding horribly angry. Ginny
supposed he had a right, since his baby sister had just knocked the wind out of him and
cussed him out. Hermione whispered something to Harry and he nodded. Ginny felt her
body being transferred over to Hermione.
"What's the matter, Ginny, dear?" Hermione quietly rephrased Ron's question,
shifting Ginny into her arms, in a hug. Ginny let her, the angry feeling having left her. It
left as quickly as it came and she felt deflated, like some one had let the air out of her, the
life was swooshed from her body.
"I don't know. I just am so lonely," Ginny cried, sobbing into Hermione's robes.
She hadn't cried in so long, like her emotions had been sucked dry everytime she spilled
her thoughts into the diary.
When all her stored up tears were gone, the four stood in front of the Fat Lady,
three of them staring at the little redhead girl, one staring at the floor. Ginny couldn't
believe she'd done what she had. She'd never attacked anyone before. Why had she done it
now?
"Please don't tell anyone. Especially Percy. He'll write mum," Ginny whimpered.
The others nodded in agreement and Harry suggested they go to breakfast. Ginny gave
him a soggy smile, making him turn away. She stared at the ground again, noting that she
made him nervous, like he wasn't sure how to handle having a ten-year-old like him.
Hermione's arms were still around her shoulders, and she shrugged them off. "I
forgot something in the dormitory," Ginny explained as Hermione gave her a concerned
look. Nodding, she let Ginny go and the girl dashed back to the portrait, and knocked in
to some one as she rushed through. She had to talk to Tom. She didn't know why, but she
just felt a connection, something tugging at her to go to the diary.
All the bad feelings she'd had earlier were erased as she picked up the black book and
began to write in it. Only a twinge of suspicion pricked her as she poured her heart out,
again.
