Danger Lurks… in a Broom Closet?

Discovering Powers

***

Ginny huffed out of breath after lifting her full suitcases. She had just repacked all her stuff and was relocating it all in Hermione's room. She plopped down on her new bed. Wow, what a soft bed! It even had curtains all around it that she could close when she wanted privacy from Hermione. Ginny made up her mind then and there to become a Prefect at all costs.

"It is nice, isn't it," Hermione agreed, noticing how much Ginny was enjoying the comfort. Once Ginny had settled in and they decided who got which bed, they started discussing what color the room should be. Ginny was for swirling soft pastel colors, and Hermione thought it would be neat to enchant it like the Great Hall was, bewitched to look like the sky outside, except a simpler spell. A male voice drifted into the room.

"Mmm, I must say, Hermione's suggestion sounds a bit more impressive."

"Ron!" Hermione reproached startled. "What do you think you are doing in the girls dorm?"

"I'm just making sure that my little sister is going to be comfortable," Ron replied with an innocent tone looking around at the marvelous room, slightly stunned at how much better Hermione's and Ginny's room was than his and Harry's.

"You mean that you wanted to see what Hermione's bed looked like," Ginny said slyly. Ron turned bright red, the famous Weasly blush. Harry entered the room.

"My, my. Ron, I haven't seen you that red since you and Hermione first…" Ron made a slight coughing sound. Quick as a jackrabbit, Hermione demanded to know of Harry which decorating style was better.

"Hmmm…"said Harry thoughtfully. For some reason the morning he spent with Ginny kept coming to mind. "What about a compromise? Charm it to look like the sky, but only as the sunrise. You know, those soft shades of pinks, purples and blues."

"Since when did you think about sunrises Harry? If you don't watch out, not only will you be brave, heroic and honourable as all the books say about "The Boy who Lived", you'll also become poetic," Ron joked, "The reporters would have a field day." It was Ron's turn to make Harry blush. Harry tried not to make eye contact with Ginny. Hermione and Ginny finally agreed to Harry's suggestion, and went off to the library (Hermione's favorite place) to research up ways to create an artificial sunrise.

***

After the girls ran off to the library, Ron and Harry decided to back to their room and watch what was now becoming a full-fledged thunderstorm. Girls, Ron thought, take so long in deciding things. Luckily Harry was there or else who knows how long they'd have argued. Speaking of Harry, Ron noticed that Harry kept rubbing his scar.

"Something the matter, Harry?" Ron asked rather worriedly. The last time Harry's scar was upset, well things happened that weren't that pleasant. Harry frowned. His scar gave another faint twinge.

"My scar is tingling a bit, though it's very faint. D'you think I ought to tell someone, like Sirus?" Normally Ron might have shrugged it off, but since the past events…

"Maybe you ought to tell Sirus, or even Dumbledore, considering what that's supposed to mean. However if it's really faint…" Ron's voice trailed off with indecision. In the end, Harry decided to owl Sirus, but not bother the Headmaster, who was probably too busy already. Besides, if Sirus thought it important enough, he'd tell the Headmaster. At the Owlery, Ron tied the short message to Sirus onto Pigwidgen, who was busy zooming around, showing off to them. At the same time, Harry tied a message to Mrs. Weasley on to Hedwig, just so that his owl would have something to do and not feel too left out. Their letter to Ron's mom was short, just saying they were all fine.

***

Ginny grinned as she surveyed the room. Hermione had been able to come up with just the charm they'd been looking for. There was even a soft patch of light, representing the sun, and you could tell the time of day by it. Hermione nodded her head in satisfaction at the tricky piece of magic they had just done together. Just then Ginny remembered the writing on the wall of the broom closet. She explained it to Hermione, trying to leave as much of Harry out of the story as possible.

"So you say Harry couldn't see it but you could? That's odd… so is it Harry that's having vision problems, or can you see things other people can't see? It could be the spell for… no, that wouldn't work, or maybe it's the… no couldn't be. Well, we'll just have to go down there and get a closer look," Hermione decided. The two headed off towards the broom closet. Ginny pointed out the strange exotic writing. Hermione frowned.

"I'm sorry Ginny, but I don't see anything. You're sure about this? (Ginny turned red with indignantly and started to say something very huffily, but Hermione stopped her. That happens a lot in this story, doesn't it?) Well, if you're sure… maybe we should ask a teacher, or even tell Dumbledore." Hermione paused in thought. "Maybe now would be a good time. He must have gotten most parents convinced its safe here somehow, because school is starting in six days from now." Before Ginny had a chance to say anything, Hermione started dragging her off to the Headmaster's office.

***

Hermione knocked on the door of the Headmaster's office. Ginny gave one last weak protest.

"Are you sure Dumbledore will want to see us? I mean, he's probably busy and we don't know if there's any problem with my sight?" Just then the door opened.

"Hermione! Ginny! How nice to see you all! I was just finishing the last of my important work. (At this Hermione gave a triumphant glance) So, what is it you have come to see me about?" Professor Dumbledore motioned for them to come in. Ginny explained her story, slightly changing why they were in the broom closet (after all, she wasn't too sure how he'd take the halls being mud bathed) and about the strange symbols. Dumbledore lifted an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Hmmmm… well could you draw as much as you can remember about these symbols?" Ginny drew them to the best of her ability. Dumbledore's eyebrow went up even higher, if possible. He had on sort of a half amused and half shocked expression on his face. Hermione leaned in close, determined to hear every single word coming out of the Headmaster's mouth.

"This is very strange indeed. These symbols are fairy, elfin or perhaps dwarfish runes. It seems that you, Miss Weasley, are able to read runes. Which kind, I don't know. Hagrid might know a little more about the subject. Tell me, Ginny do you take Care of Magical Creatures?"

"Well actually I don't. I decided to take Arithmancy instead, after Hermione told me how good it was." Ginny murmured, hoping there was nothing wrong with that.

"Hmmm… well then, we'll have to put you in one. You won't mind changing your schedule a bit, would you? (Ginny told him that she didn't mind) The fourth years have it… here!" Dumbledore said jabbing his finger at a time slot on a timetable. Ginny shook her head regretfully.

"Sorry, but I'm busy there. I have Potions with Professor Snape. Unless… you'll let me skip it?" Ginny asked hopefully. Snape was definitely not one of her favourites.

"Oh no, we can't you missing Potions now can we?" the Headmaster said, his eyes twinkling behind his long silver beard. "But you have to have Care of Magical Creatures in there somewhere, we don't know how many magical creatures you're good with. What about with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff at this time? (Ginny shook her head "no") Well then what about at this time?"

"All I've got there is Divination. I can lose that subject; somehow I don't think I'm going to be a true Seer." Ginny glanced closer at the confusing timetable. "Hey wait a second. There isn't any Care of Magical Creatures class then!" At this Hermione stared close at the time pointed out by Dumbledore. A smile spread across her face, as realization struck her.

"Not any classes for fourth years… but there is a class for fifth years. That's when I have it! Could Ginny really go a year ahead when she hasn't even taken it?" Hermione bounced around the whole room full of excitement [I got this idea from watching my class at school] Hmmmm… she doesn't have the books for the class… but she could borrow mine! And I'm sure Ron and Harry will also help out if she's behind. Ooooh, this is so exciting!" It took a while to get Heremione to calm down, and they made the arrangements for Ginny to attend the new class. Dumbledore lent her a less dangerous looking copy of the textbook. Ginny couldn't wait for her first class.

***

"You're kidding! Ginny's going to be in a class with me? Now I might have to work, or at least look like I work, or Ginny could tell Mom," howled Ron as Heremione broke the news to him. "Speaking of Mom, when are you going to tell her?"

"I think Ginny just went off to borrow a school owl and tell your mother, Ron," Hermione replied. "Where's Harry? I want to tell him too." Ron started telling Heremione, when a figure walked up on them.

"So Ginny's in our class now?" Harry questioned hesitantly.

"How did you know?" Hermione was puzzled. She hadn't told anyone else yet, and neither had Ginny.

"How could I not, when you two yell so loud? I swear I could hear you from our room. You two are lucky everyone's at Hogsmeade, or else you'd have all the teachers and half the students after you for making such a racket!" Harry smiled in spite of himself. "The question is, why was Ginny placed in our class?" Hermione told them the whole story, starting from when they went to Dumbledore's office.

"Magical powers like that," Ron whistled. "I wonder if it's in the blood? I sure could use some exceptional powers, considering what my marks were last year. My Potions mark, what a horror." Hermione shook her head and launched into a long explanation as to how a person gained these powers that made Ron regret making any such comment.

Harry summed up Hermione's speech. "So, basically you're saying that only a very select few are blessed with such powers," [I might have put it in, but it probably would have 1) bored you to death and 2) taken up over three pages]. "Oh, and you said something about school starting?" Hermione nodded.

"I can't wait to get back into schooling. I hope that this little two- week vacation won't affect my grades. After all, that means we get less schooling than past fifth-years and we are taking our OWL's this year," Hermione fretted.

Ron said exasperatedly "That's what you're worrying about! I'm just worried they'll take away our Hogsmeade visiting times and replace them with extra classes. Or maybe they'll just pill everything upon us, and we'll end up having double the regular homework." Hermione made some sort of comment about people not caring about their homework and they fell into another argument. Harry quietly slipped away, not wanting to get into another one of their fights. At least when school started, they'd have less free time on their hands, and besides, Harry suspected that Hermione was just cranky from not having any schoolwork. He bumped into a pair of red- heads on the way.

"Hiya Harry" the Weasley twins chorused together (Harry still couldn't figure how they did that). "We were just at Hogsmeade, checking out Zonko's" Fred added. Harry shook his head [if you haven't noticed, I tend to like shaking heads] amusedly.

"Trying to get new tricks to play on people?"

"Actually, we were checking out how they run their business. We were just trying to decide, what would be a better place for a joke shop, Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley?" George said seriously (well, as serious as you get them). "Fred reckons we'd get more business in Hogsmeade, but we would have Zonko's as competition." Harry wasn't too sure either.

"So, you decided to build a joke shop? Have you told your parents yet" Harry asked.

"You sound like Hermione, or worse Percy!" George accused

"So, in other words, no." Fred admitted. Figures, Harry thought. He wondered how their parents would take it. It wasn't exactly the highest respecting job, compared to their brothers, but it fit their personality much better. The twins showed their latest invention, (a bag of different sweets, each changing your appearance in a slightly different way) and started to head off when Harry remembered.

"By the way, school's starting this Monday" he said to their retreating backs.

"Thank goodness. I can't wait for things to get back in order." Harry wasn't quite sure which twin said that, Fred or George, but whoever it was, he had to agree. Harry definitely wanted things to go back to order.