Revenge of the Bunnies
Chapter One – For A Swim? ( Bexie)
Sixteen year old Harry Potter lolled lazily around in his bed. He heard the sounds of his Aunt Petunia bustling around downstairs, and knew it wouldn't be long before she screamed up to him.
The Dursleys had been, at best, civil to him this summer. Most of the time, they barely acknowledged he was there, and then only to yell at him. Of course, he could always mention his godfather if they became too nasty.
"Boy! Get up!" Aunt Petunia screeched up the stairwell. Harry rolled out of bed, and pulled on some of Dudley's old clothes, all at least six sizes too big. He went down the stairs. Aunt Petunia shoved some granola in front of him. "Eat!" she said, "And not too much, we want to save for Duddy-kins." Harry took a bite of the granola.
"I'm going up to my room," he said, shortly, not wanting to see his cousin, Dudley. Though Dudley had been on a diet for roughly a year, he hadn't lost any weight, and had actually gained some. It was getting hard for him to do any exercise other than walking, even beating up Harry. Aunt Petunia was very worried.
Harry headed up to his room. Dudley stood at the top of the stairs menacingly. He didn't move as Harry approached. There was nothing Harry could do to go around him; Dudley took up the whole stairwell.
"Move," said Harry, curtly.
Dudley gave him a glare, and stepped to the side. Harry entered his room, and closed the door.
Hedwig came flying in the window – his answer from Hermione, who was, at the moment, having her holiday in China.
Dear Harry,
The letter read.
How are you? Are the Dursleys treating you ok? I'm having loads of fun here in China. I'm learning loads and loads about ancient wizardry. Did you know that China (and Egypt) is where some of the first wizarding civilizations grew? Britain didn't have wizards until much later. The first documented record of magic in Britain is in the four hundredth century B.C. However, the first record of magic in China was in…
Harry skipped ahead to the interesting part of her letter.
…and China has had many ancient civilizations, including Muggle ones. The wizarding population had a job keeping the Muggles from noticing, because magic wasn't very advanced yet and…
Perhaps a little further.
…And ancient wizards actually invented fire by conjuring up sparks. It wasn't the Bluebell flame as we know today, it was…
And further. Harry was beginning to wonder if Hermione was not really a large undercover textbook.
…And that's why ancient civilizations are so important, Harry. I'll tell you all about it when I get back-
"What could she have left out?" Harry mumbled, looking over the five pages of parchment on the ancient wizarding civilizations in China.
So, I won't bore you with the details now.
"Too late," Harry muttered.
But, it's very educational here, and I'm having loads of fun. Mum and Dad were shocked to find out about all the things I've learned.
To answer your question, yes, I have heard from both Ron and Ginny. Ron seems alright, but he seems a little stiff in his letters – at least to me. Perhaps you could say something to him, Harry. I mean, he-
Here, Harry noticed, there were a lot of crossed out sentences in the letter.
It would just be nice to get a real letter from him.
Ginny – I think something's wrong with her. She's hardly written me at all, and when she does, they letters don't sound like her at all. I knew exactly what you meant when you wrote me about it.
What do I think is up? Well, I think Ginny's trying to grow. No, not like that!
Harry grimaced. Hermione could read him like a book – and she was very good at reading books.
She's trying to become an adult. It must be hard for her, you know, being the baby for so long. Do you know how hard she worked to keep your relationship with her a secret? Her family really doesn't expect her to become older than five. I know you were both upset when you broke up, but, really, it was for the best. Ginny was more stressed in those months last term than I had ever seen her, and it can't have been good for her schoolwork.
I hope you're doing alright, and the Dursleys aren't ruining your life. I'm enclosing your sugar free bubble gum – wizarding candy is hard to come by around here – because you asked for more food. I know gum isn't exactly food but it does help sustain you when you're hungry.
I hope to hear from you soon!
Your friend,
Hermione
Harry grinned. He could see a relationship developing between his two best friends, but he didn't want to say anything – yet.
Talking about Ginny reminded Harry of her. Of those perilous month when they dated. He had concealed it because he was afraid she would be hurt by Voldemort. She – well, Harry didn't know why she had agreed, and even done most of the concealing herself. Hermione's theory really was something to think about.
~*~
"Ginny, dear!" Mrs. Weasley cried up the stairs, "Breakfast!"
"Mmph," fifteen year old Ginny mumbled into her pillow. She rolled over and opened one eye. She groaned.
And I was having such a lovely dream, Ginny thought to herself, One where I didn't have to sleep in a room with pink walls and curtains, and a fluffy pink rug on the floor. Sigh.
She looked at the stuffed animals sitting on top of her bureau. The bunnies. The oh-so-many bunnies. Wish I could get rid of those, she thought, But, according to Mum, they make this room look – what was it she said – oh, yes. Cute.
In truth, Ginny didn't even like the color pink. She didn't sleep with stuffed animals. All of that was her family's doing. Her family, who refused to allow her to grow up.
If Ginny had her way, the room would have been painted a dark midnight blue with a white trim. She'd have books, instead of stuffed animals on her bureau. Her bed, instead of the headboard being painted pink, would be a light blue.
With these thoughts in mind, she headed down the stairs wearily.
"Morning, Gin," said Bill, as he passed her.
"Mmph," Ginny replied. She wasn't exactly what you would call a "morning person".
She stumbled into the kitchen, and sat at the table with the rest of her family. Her mother spooned some eggs onto her plate.
"No thanks, I'm not hungry," she said, pushing the plate away.
The whole family turned on her. "What?" asked Mrs. Weasley, "But eggs are your favorite!"
"Are you sick, Gin?" asked Charlie.
"Should we call the doctor?" asked Mr. Weasley, concern showing in his face.
"Do you want to lie down?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Ginny, holding up her hands, "I'm fine. I'm just not hungry."
"Well, you have to eat something," Mrs. Weasley bustled.
"Look, Mum, I'm not hungry," said Ginny, firmly. Changing the subject abruptly, she said, "Can I get my room repainted?"
"Why would you want to do that?" asked Mr. Weasley.
"I dunno, I just don't like it much," said Ginny.
"Nonsense, dear, it's a perfect room for a little girl," said Mrs. Weasley cheerfully.
"Yeah," said Ginny, "But I'm not a little girl."
"Yes, you are, Ginny," said Fred. All the Weasley children were visiting for the summer except Percy, who had married Penelope. She was expecting her first child, and Percy felt it best that they "stay away from the excitement so close to the due date."
"What are you talking about, Fred? I'm only three years younger than you are," said Ginny.
"Yes, but Fred's finished Hogwarts, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, fondly.
"So?" asked Ginny, "Ron hasn't, and you don't call him a little boy."
"Ron's older than you are," said Mr. Weasley placidly.
"Oh, I give up!" said Ginny, throwing her hands up in the air, "I'm going outside."
"Where?" asked Mrs. Weasley immediately.
"Just…out," replied Ginny.
"It's not safe," said Charlie.
"Yes it is, I won't leave our land," said Ginny, pulling on her cloak.
"Just the same, dear, I would feel much better if one of your brothers went with you," said Mrs. Weasley.
"Argh!" Ginny cried. "When are you going to learn I'm not a child anymore? You call yourself my family! I'm fifteen bloody years old! Wake up and see that I'm not five!"
She raced out of the house in tears. The Weasleys looked at each other in confusion.
"What was that all about?" asked George.
"Dunno, she still is a little girl, what's she on about?" asked Fred.
Mr. Weasley shook his head.
"I'll go after her," said Bill, getting up from the table.
"Thank you," said Mrs. Weasley gratefully.
Ginny had run through the forest in the back their land to the nearby lake. Ignoring the fact that she didn't have her swimsuit, she took off her shoes and cloak and dived into the water, fully clothed. She swam, letting the water wash away her angry tears.
"Virginia Weasley!" cried Bill, when he chanced upon her, "You get out of that lake right now!"
"Why?" asked Ginny, surfacing.
"Because it's not safe!" cried Bill, "You could get hurt! You might drown, or there might be something in there that could bite you or-"
Ginny laughed. "Shut up, Bill," she said, "There's nothing that'll hurt me. I've done this tons of times."
"Ginny," said Bill, "Get out of the lake."
Ginny bristled at this direct command. "I won't, William Weasley!" she said, "You can't tell me what to do!"
"Oh, yes, I can," said Bill.
"You have absolutely no control over me!" said Ginny, defiantly, "And I'm going to keep swimming until I get tired of it!"
"Ginny, get out before I have to come in there and get you," said Bill, looking quite as if he could and would. Ginny sighed.
"Oh, alright," she told him, emerging from the water.
Her sopping clothes clung to her body, and accentuated the curves that had developed. Her wet hair hung loosely down her back, and her chocolate brown eyes shone. She really has grown up, thought Bill, That certainly isn't the two year old Mum made me give baths to. Bill snapped out of this state of mind, What am I thinking? She's still a little girl!
"Ginny, what were you thinking?" he reprimanded.
"I was thinking about how crazy you all are," said Ginny, "I'm fifteen, not four! I've experienced life; you don't have to hide me from it! I don't need protecting!"
"Ginny, you may be fifteen," said Bill, seriously, "But you aren't a fully trained wizard."
"You don't do this to Ron," Ginny accused, looking defiant and angry.
"Ron's a boy," said Bill, seemingly unaffected by this statement.
Now Ginny got really angry. "WHAT?!" she screamed, sounding very much like Mrs. Weasley, "Bill Weasley, you don't mean to tell me that you think a boy has more power than a girl! You – you – that's beyond words! Some of the greatest and most powerful magical leaders were women! With a wand, females are just as powerful as males!"
She continued on this tirade for quite some time. Finally, she took a deep breath, and said, "You are a sexist, chauvinistic pig, Bill Weasley, and I can't believe you would-"
"Hey, hey, hey," said Bill, holding up his hands, "Think of it this way. If you were caught in a situation without your wand – like the one now, I might add – who would be more likely to survive – the boy or the girl?"
"The girl," said Ginny, promptly.
"Oh, yeah?" asked Bill, "Why?"
"Because of this," said Ginny. She closed her eyes, and concentrated hard. The wand Bill had levitated out of his pocket, and into Ginny's awaiting hand.
"Wow," said Bill, awestruck, "Wandless magic, Gin. That's-"
"It's not exactly wandless," said Ginny. Her hand went involuntarily to the chain with a heart shaped charm at her neck.
"What do you mean?" asked Bill, following her hand with his eyes.
"Well, every source of magic has to come from somewhere," said Ginny. She had read up greatly on this subject, for a variety of reasons. "We all have magic flowing in our blood, unique magic, and few have enough of it to perform spells without any magical object helping them, which explains why so few in history have managed it. But wands have a special magic inside of them that, when combined with the magic of our blood, makes for great wizardry. I have an object that has less magic in it than a wand, but it is less noticeable as well. The simple fact is that object enables me to perform magic without a wand, because of two things. First of all, the magic in my blood is so compatible with that object. Second, I have more than enough magic in my blood, which makes it easier for the object to help me perform spells."
Bill had never heard of this before. "But, Gin," he asked, "If it's that easy, why doesn't everyone just do wandless magic, and save the trouble of carrying this huge…well, stick?"
"Lots of reasons," said Ginny, "But the main one is that it's hard to find an object with so much compatibility to your unique magic, and it much easier to carry around a wand. Also, some people simply don't have enough magic in their blood."
"Where did you get one of those…objects?"
Ginny gave a little smile. "It was given to me by a friend," she said, "A very special friend."
"Better not be a guy," Bill warned as they set back out to the house.
"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," Ginny teased, "You'll never know, now will you?"
Ginny took off, and her statement hit Bill in a moment. "Hey, wait a minute!" he called, as he ran after her, "You're too young to…"
Ginny returned home, certainly in better spirits, but still quite on edge about being treated like a child. The family was careful with her, and treated her like glass. To "reward" them, a few hours later, every Weasley male was screaming, "WHERE ARE MY SOCKS?! … GINNY!!!!!"
Chapter One – For A Swim? ( Bexie)
Sixteen year old Harry Potter lolled lazily around in his bed. He heard the sounds of his Aunt Petunia bustling around downstairs, and knew it wouldn't be long before she screamed up to him.
The Dursleys had been, at best, civil to him this summer. Most of the time, they barely acknowledged he was there, and then only to yell at him. Of course, he could always mention his godfather if they became too nasty.
"Boy! Get up!" Aunt Petunia screeched up the stairwell. Harry rolled out of bed, and pulled on some of Dudley's old clothes, all at least six sizes too big. He went down the stairs. Aunt Petunia shoved some granola in front of him. "Eat!" she said, "And not too much, we want to save for Duddy-kins." Harry took a bite of the granola.
"I'm going up to my room," he said, shortly, not wanting to see his cousin, Dudley. Though Dudley had been on a diet for roughly a year, he hadn't lost any weight, and had actually gained some. It was getting hard for him to do any exercise other than walking, even beating up Harry. Aunt Petunia was very worried.
Harry headed up to his room. Dudley stood at the top of the stairs menacingly. He didn't move as Harry approached. There was nothing Harry could do to go around him; Dudley took up the whole stairwell.
"Move," said Harry, curtly.
Dudley gave him a glare, and stepped to the side. Harry entered his room, and closed the door.
Hedwig came flying in the window – his answer from Hermione, who was, at the moment, having her holiday in China.
Dear Harry,
The letter read.
How are you? Are the Dursleys treating you ok? I'm having loads of fun here in China. I'm learning loads and loads about ancient wizardry. Did you know that China (and Egypt) is where some of the first wizarding civilizations grew? Britain didn't have wizards until much later. The first documented record of magic in Britain is in the four hundredth century B.C. However, the first record of magic in China was in…
Harry skipped ahead to the interesting part of her letter.
…and China has had many ancient civilizations, including Muggle ones. The wizarding population had a job keeping the Muggles from noticing, because magic wasn't very advanced yet and…
Perhaps a little further.
…And ancient wizards actually invented fire by conjuring up sparks. It wasn't the Bluebell flame as we know today, it was…
And further. Harry was beginning to wonder if Hermione was not really a large undercover textbook.
…And that's why ancient civilizations are so important, Harry. I'll tell you all about it when I get back-
"What could she have left out?" Harry mumbled, looking over the five pages of parchment on the ancient wizarding civilizations in China.
So, I won't bore you with the details now.
"Too late," Harry muttered.
But, it's very educational here, and I'm having loads of fun. Mum and Dad were shocked to find out about all the things I've learned.
To answer your question, yes, I have heard from both Ron and Ginny. Ron seems alright, but he seems a little stiff in his letters – at least to me. Perhaps you could say something to him, Harry. I mean, he-
Here, Harry noticed, there were a lot of crossed out sentences in the letter.
It would just be nice to get a real letter from him.
Ginny – I think something's wrong with her. She's hardly written me at all, and when she does, they letters don't sound like her at all. I knew exactly what you meant when you wrote me about it.
What do I think is up? Well, I think Ginny's trying to grow. No, not like that!
Harry grimaced. Hermione could read him like a book – and she was very good at reading books.
She's trying to become an adult. It must be hard for her, you know, being the baby for so long. Do you know how hard she worked to keep your relationship with her a secret? Her family really doesn't expect her to become older than five. I know you were both upset when you broke up, but, really, it was for the best. Ginny was more stressed in those months last term than I had ever seen her, and it can't have been good for her schoolwork.
I hope you're doing alright, and the Dursleys aren't ruining your life. I'm enclosing your sugar free bubble gum – wizarding candy is hard to come by around here – because you asked for more food. I know gum isn't exactly food but it does help sustain you when you're hungry.
I hope to hear from you soon!
Your friend,
Hermione
Harry grinned. He could see a relationship developing between his two best friends, but he didn't want to say anything – yet.
Talking about Ginny reminded Harry of her. Of those perilous month when they dated. He had concealed it because he was afraid she would be hurt by Voldemort. She – well, Harry didn't know why she had agreed, and even done most of the concealing herself. Hermione's theory really was something to think about.
~*~
"Ginny, dear!" Mrs. Weasley cried up the stairs, "Breakfast!"
"Mmph," fifteen year old Ginny mumbled into her pillow. She rolled over and opened one eye. She groaned.
And I was having such a lovely dream, Ginny thought to herself, One where I didn't have to sleep in a room with pink walls and curtains, and a fluffy pink rug on the floor. Sigh.
She looked at the stuffed animals sitting on top of her bureau. The bunnies. The oh-so-many bunnies. Wish I could get rid of those, she thought, But, according to Mum, they make this room look – what was it she said – oh, yes. Cute.
In truth, Ginny didn't even like the color pink. She didn't sleep with stuffed animals. All of that was her family's doing. Her family, who refused to allow her to grow up.
If Ginny had her way, the room would have been painted a dark midnight blue with a white trim. She'd have books, instead of stuffed animals on her bureau. Her bed, instead of the headboard being painted pink, would be a light blue.
With these thoughts in mind, she headed down the stairs wearily.
"Morning, Gin," said Bill, as he passed her.
"Mmph," Ginny replied. She wasn't exactly what you would call a "morning person".
She stumbled into the kitchen, and sat at the table with the rest of her family. Her mother spooned some eggs onto her plate.
"No thanks, I'm not hungry," she said, pushing the plate away.
The whole family turned on her. "What?" asked Mrs. Weasley, "But eggs are your favorite!"
"Are you sick, Gin?" asked Charlie.
"Should we call the doctor?" asked Mr. Weasley, concern showing in his face.
"Do you want to lie down?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Ginny, holding up her hands, "I'm fine. I'm just not hungry."
"Well, you have to eat something," Mrs. Weasley bustled.
"Look, Mum, I'm not hungry," said Ginny, firmly. Changing the subject abruptly, she said, "Can I get my room repainted?"
"Why would you want to do that?" asked Mr. Weasley.
"I dunno, I just don't like it much," said Ginny.
"Nonsense, dear, it's a perfect room for a little girl," said Mrs. Weasley cheerfully.
"Yeah," said Ginny, "But I'm not a little girl."
"Yes, you are, Ginny," said Fred. All the Weasley children were visiting for the summer except Percy, who had married Penelope. She was expecting her first child, and Percy felt it best that they "stay away from the excitement so close to the due date."
"What are you talking about, Fred? I'm only three years younger than you are," said Ginny.
"Yes, but Fred's finished Hogwarts, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, fondly.
"So?" asked Ginny, "Ron hasn't, and you don't call him a little boy."
"Ron's older than you are," said Mr. Weasley placidly.
"Oh, I give up!" said Ginny, throwing her hands up in the air, "I'm going outside."
"Where?" asked Mrs. Weasley immediately.
"Just…out," replied Ginny.
"It's not safe," said Charlie.
"Yes it is, I won't leave our land," said Ginny, pulling on her cloak.
"Just the same, dear, I would feel much better if one of your brothers went with you," said Mrs. Weasley.
"Argh!" Ginny cried. "When are you going to learn I'm not a child anymore? You call yourself my family! I'm fifteen bloody years old! Wake up and see that I'm not five!"
She raced out of the house in tears. The Weasleys looked at each other in confusion.
"What was that all about?" asked George.
"Dunno, she still is a little girl, what's she on about?" asked Fred.
Mr. Weasley shook his head.
"I'll go after her," said Bill, getting up from the table.
"Thank you," said Mrs. Weasley gratefully.
Ginny had run through the forest in the back their land to the nearby lake. Ignoring the fact that she didn't have her swimsuit, she took off her shoes and cloak and dived into the water, fully clothed. She swam, letting the water wash away her angry tears.
"Virginia Weasley!" cried Bill, when he chanced upon her, "You get out of that lake right now!"
"Why?" asked Ginny, surfacing.
"Because it's not safe!" cried Bill, "You could get hurt! You might drown, or there might be something in there that could bite you or-"
Ginny laughed. "Shut up, Bill," she said, "There's nothing that'll hurt me. I've done this tons of times."
"Ginny," said Bill, "Get out of the lake."
Ginny bristled at this direct command. "I won't, William Weasley!" she said, "You can't tell me what to do!"
"Oh, yes, I can," said Bill.
"You have absolutely no control over me!" said Ginny, defiantly, "And I'm going to keep swimming until I get tired of it!"
"Ginny, get out before I have to come in there and get you," said Bill, looking quite as if he could and would. Ginny sighed.
"Oh, alright," she told him, emerging from the water.
Her sopping clothes clung to her body, and accentuated the curves that had developed. Her wet hair hung loosely down her back, and her chocolate brown eyes shone. She really has grown up, thought Bill, That certainly isn't the two year old Mum made me give baths to. Bill snapped out of this state of mind, What am I thinking? She's still a little girl!
"Ginny, what were you thinking?" he reprimanded.
"I was thinking about how crazy you all are," said Ginny, "I'm fifteen, not four! I've experienced life; you don't have to hide me from it! I don't need protecting!"
"Ginny, you may be fifteen," said Bill, seriously, "But you aren't a fully trained wizard."
"You don't do this to Ron," Ginny accused, looking defiant and angry.
"Ron's a boy," said Bill, seemingly unaffected by this statement.
Now Ginny got really angry. "WHAT?!" she screamed, sounding very much like Mrs. Weasley, "Bill Weasley, you don't mean to tell me that you think a boy has more power than a girl! You – you – that's beyond words! Some of the greatest and most powerful magical leaders were women! With a wand, females are just as powerful as males!"
She continued on this tirade for quite some time. Finally, she took a deep breath, and said, "You are a sexist, chauvinistic pig, Bill Weasley, and I can't believe you would-"
"Hey, hey, hey," said Bill, holding up his hands, "Think of it this way. If you were caught in a situation without your wand – like the one now, I might add – who would be more likely to survive – the boy or the girl?"
"The girl," said Ginny, promptly.
"Oh, yeah?" asked Bill, "Why?"
"Because of this," said Ginny. She closed her eyes, and concentrated hard. The wand Bill had levitated out of his pocket, and into Ginny's awaiting hand.
"Wow," said Bill, awestruck, "Wandless magic, Gin. That's-"
"It's not exactly wandless," said Ginny. Her hand went involuntarily to the chain with a heart shaped charm at her neck.
"What do you mean?" asked Bill, following her hand with his eyes.
"Well, every source of magic has to come from somewhere," said Ginny. She had read up greatly on this subject, for a variety of reasons. "We all have magic flowing in our blood, unique magic, and few have enough of it to perform spells without any magical object helping them, which explains why so few in history have managed it. But wands have a special magic inside of them that, when combined with the magic of our blood, makes for great wizardry. I have an object that has less magic in it than a wand, but it is less noticeable as well. The simple fact is that object enables me to perform magic without a wand, because of two things. First of all, the magic in my blood is so compatible with that object. Second, I have more than enough magic in my blood, which makes it easier for the object to help me perform spells."
Bill had never heard of this before. "But, Gin," he asked, "If it's that easy, why doesn't everyone just do wandless magic, and save the trouble of carrying this huge…well, stick?"
"Lots of reasons," said Ginny, "But the main one is that it's hard to find an object with so much compatibility to your unique magic, and it much easier to carry around a wand. Also, some people simply don't have enough magic in their blood."
"Where did you get one of those…objects?"
Ginny gave a little smile. "It was given to me by a friend," she said, "A very special friend."
"Better not be a guy," Bill warned as they set back out to the house.
"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," Ginny teased, "You'll never know, now will you?"
Ginny took off, and her statement hit Bill in a moment. "Hey, wait a minute!" he called, as he ran after her, "You're too young to…"
Ginny returned home, certainly in better spirits, but still quite on edge about being treated like a child. The family was careful with her, and treated her like glass. To "reward" them, a few hours later, every Weasley male was screaming, "WHERE ARE MY SOCKS?! … GINNY!!!!!"