****I own nothing! Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling! The most spectacular author in the entire world!

Chapter 6, Big Trouble

The next morning Ginny woke with a bright smile. She had not felt so wonderful in her entire life, she didn't think so anyway.

She had even put her black school hat on, even though it made her scarlet hair even more vivid. She was seated beside Lola during breakfast in the Great Hall. Lola was talking cheerfully, and Ginny was shocked to find that Lola could look beautiful no matter what she did. While she talked, Ginny counted her flip her hair six times, smile showing every white tooth 18 complete times, and cross and uncross her legs eight times.

"So Ginny!" Lola had said when she had sunken down into a seat beside the redhead. "I was thinking, since you didn't make the Quidditch and all, that maybe next year you would want to try out. So I was going to ask if you wanted some flying lessons?" Lola said tipping her head delicately to the side.

Ginny stared up at her and her eyes sparkled with excitement. Things were finally going right.

"Brilliant Lola!" Ginny cried. "I'd love to have flying lessons!"

"Wonderful!" Lola exclaimed in return. "When do all your classes end?"

"At least by four", Ginny answered.

"Well… since it's Friday now", Lola thought for a moment. "How about we start lessons Wednesday about seven o'clock?"

Ginny nodded happily. "Curious Lola, but do you know who made the Slytherin team yesterday?"

Lola shook her head and her blonde ponytail slapped against her cheek. "Not an idea Gin, maybe you should ask Ron or Harry. They might have gotten some people to check it out", she winked. "Like you know, spies".

Ginny turned slowly away from Lola and was lost in thoughts. She had forgotten to tell someone about Malfoy watching the try outs. He knew who had made the team and who had not. She had been so upset that she had not remembered until then. Oh! How she would love for Harry or Ron to punch his pale face in!

As usual Colin sank down into the seat opposite the side of where Lola was sitting. Ginny blinked in surprise and looked up at him. He seemed very sleepy, and his eyelids seemed to be weighing down.

"What's wrong Colin?" She asked genuinely concerned for her friend.

He looked at her with a slight frown and shook his head gently. He placed several textbooks down on the table and turned to face her.

"Leikela wouldn't let me back into the boys dorm last night", he answered in a quiet voice. "She said that I was being stupid and I didn't realize something that was completely obvious! Did you know that Dinah likes me?"

Ginny felt heat rise up in her cheeks but she quickly shook her head no. Colin obviously wasn't paying attention so he nodded and looked down at his hands.

"She said I wasn't allowed back into the dorm unless I asked her out on a date, so I slept on the couch the entire night".

Ginny placed a hand on his shoulder, she felt sorry for both Colin and Dinah. Colin didn't like her, and wasn't going to date someone he didn't like.

"Oh, I'm sorry Colin", Ginny said gently.

Colin nodded once more before placing his head on his stack of schoolbooks and closing his eyes.

Ginny sighed softly and sank down in her seat as well. Down the long Gryffindor table she could see Harry laughing with Ron and Hermione. He was waving his hands about as he talked and both Hermione and Ron were laughing and nodding. Ginny sighed with a delicate smile on her lips as she simply gazed over at Harry. No one was better then he.

Draco had gone to breakfast much earlier then most of the other Slytherins. He had been quite miserable since the day before, Quidditch try outs had not gone exactly as he had wanted them to.

There was perhaps no skill in Slytherin left, only bulk and muscle. Rylie however had managed to pick out the people to be on the team. Each one larger and more stupid then the last.

The minutes crawled by and soon the Great Hall began to fill. First pretty Cho Chang and the Ravenclaws emerged, Draco enjoyed watching her. She may have been tiny but she was brilliant on the Quidditch pitch and easy on the eyes. Some Gryffindors then came, followed by some first year Hufflepuffs. When the Great Hall was nearly full Potter, Weasley, and Granger came in laughing and looking perfect together as usual.

They sank down into their seats, Potter and Weasley beginning to talk at once while Hermione propped a thick textbook up and began to read.

He gritted his teeth. 'Damn all three of them', he thought bitterly as a few Slytherins sat down at the table. 'Damn all of them… They shouldn't have the better Quidditch team and they shouldn't always look so happy. Why is it those three are so famous, they're all bloody idiots!' Draco's eyes narrowed even more so when Ginny Weasley walked in, sinking down into a seat by herself, and began to gaze at Potter like usual. 'I'll get her today', Draco thought. 'Today will be perfect. I'll get her, Potter, Granger, and Weasley all together. I won't have it, they can't be that happy'.

He wondered as he slowly ate a piece of bacon, if Ginny had told Potter about his spying. Yet he doubted it, Potter and Weasley would have confronted him if they knew. Maybe her problems in life were to big for her to be bothered with anything else. He thought about this for a moment, and then shrugged without care.

Draco's time came in between classes that afternoon. On either side of him was Crabbe and Goyle. The younger students hurried out of their way, and when a group of tiny first years fled, standing before them was Ginny and Colin Creevey. They were both talking with smiles on their faces, though Colin, Draco noted, looked rather tired and worn.

Then from around the corner came Potter, Weasley, and Granger. The trio never seemed to be apart, Draco could not fathom this in the least. Even he himself was seen without Crabbe and Goyle sometimes, these three seemed to be attached annoyingly at the hip.

They were in the Transfiguration corridor, and the fifth years had obviously just come from class, and the sixth years were just coming.

Draco smirked coldly, his eyes glazed over icily. Now was his time to shine, he would hurt them all by hurting Ginny.

As he drew nearer he watched as Ginny looked up and her face became red with delight at the sight of Harry. Hermione lifted her hand and waved to Ginny, hurrying forward with an armful of books.

Draco stopped and watched, Crabbe and Goyle were standing on either side of him, giving him the oddest array of looks.

"Malfoy", Crabbe began. "What"-

"Shut-up", he snapped and from within his pocket he brought out his wand.

He pointed it across the hall at Ginny and waited, no one seemed to notice what he was doing.

He watched as Ginny kept stealing glances at Harry who was talking to Ron quite contently. Then Potter and Weasley both turned and were looking at Ginny, Granger, and Colin.

His time was perfect and cruel. He whispered words under his breath and black sparks shot out from the tip of his wand. His spell shot across the hall swiftly, and on target. It hit the tiny scarlet haired figure not far from himself, and the impact slammed her hard into the wall.

Everything happened in quite a blur. Granger squealed and Colin yelped leaping backwards. People whirled around wondering what had made the sudden noise and soon laughter was breaking out all through the corridor.

Ginny was leaning back against the stone wall her brown eyes large with fright. She had her hand on her chest and she was deathly pale. Her skin had begun to twist and scale, and her eyes had begun to brighten into a glowing amber. Laughter was exploding from all corners of the corridor Ginny lifted a hand to her scarlet hair that had begun to fall out in tufts.

Ginny shrieked in an unnatural, wheezy, tone and her eyes wandered through the crowds of laughing people. Her eyes filled with tears and rested on Harry who had taken a step back, his eyes wide with horror. Ginny whipped her head to the centre of the crowd, where he himself stood. Draco still had his wand slightly raised and he was laughing along with Crabbe and Goyle.

Ginny ran.

She disappeared around a corner and Granger hurried after her shouting.

Draco laughed heartily until his chest hurt. He had seen the look Potter had given Ginny, it had been one of complete disgust and horror. He had succeeded in not only humiliating Ginny in front of Potter, but in front of a hundred other people as well. He could only smile happily at the taunting she would receive next time she was seen in the halls.

Potter would now always think of Ginny as disgusting and ugly whenever he saw her. Ron was looking furious, so Draco casually turned and disappeared into the crowds. Ginny would tell Ron, and then Draco could have the delight of getting Weasley caught by one of the teachers in one of his idiotic attempts to beat him up.

Ginny ran into the girls washroom, her sickness had finally caught up with her. She fell over one of the toilets and her entire body seemed to wretch. Ginny could not think, she was to panicked and humiliated to think of anything but the pain in her chest and the sickness in her stomach.

Only a moment after Ginny had entered the washroom the door clanged open again and Hermione had appeared.

Ginny was sick for perhaps five entire minutes, her stomach was completely empty after she was finished. Hermione sat rubbing Ginny's back gently and muttered comforting words to her.

Ginny burst into tears when she had wiped her mouth on her overly large school robes. Her body shook with tears and Hermione hugged her despite her appearance.

"Oh Ginny", Hermione whispered gently. "We should get you to Madam Pomfrey, I can't fix this".

"D-did you see his face?" Ginny gasped between tears, she was slightly hysterical.

Hermione pursed her lips together and removed her school cloak from around her shoulders. She draped it around Ginny's shoulders and pulled the hood up to save her from a second humiliation.

Ginny could not think clearly, she did not notice when Hermione lifted her to her feet and began to lead her out of the washroom. The only thing in her head was the look of complete disgust on Harry's face. She did not even know what she looked like, but she could feel her skin crack and creak as though it was old and rusted. She could feel her eyes burn and her body seemed even tinier then usual. She had reached up and to her complete horror she had been able to take locks of her fire red hair out.

It was then that she had looked up and between the laughing people she had seen Harry and Ron standing beside each other. Harry's brilliant green eyes were wide and his face was twisted into one of horror and disgust. Why had she been humiliated in front of Harry? Why had someone done this to her? Why?

Ron had looked furious and Hermione was as well. Harry had been disgusted… he did not care for Ginny, he did not care that she had been cursed. Why did he not care? He had cared about her in second year, he had taken care of her then.

'He still cares about me', Ginny convinced herself, feeling slightly insane. 'Harry cares about me very much, I would have been disgusted seeing myself after being cursed!' She thought wildly. 'Malfoy! Malfoy!'

It had been Malfoy who had cursed her. She had seen him last of all and she felt a surge of rage spread through her entire body.

She wasn't stupid, she knew what he was doing. He had gotten bored of taunting Harry, Ron, and Hermione, so he had gone after her because she was the next best thing. He had wanted to hurt her because then it would infuriate Ron, and then get Hermione and Harry angry as well. She had been his toy, and now, for his own cruel amusement, he had humiliated her right in front of Harry… right in front of about another fifty people as well.

'I hate him!' She thought darkly as Hermione led her through the doors of the hospital wing. 'Draco will be the one to pay next! I don't care, I won't be the victim! Draco won't humiliate me any more… I want Draco to be hurt, I want him to cry like he made me. I want him to be ashamed to show his face!'

"Madam Pomfrey!" Hermione shouted so suddenly that it brought Ginny back from her thoughts, and she was shocked to find herself already in the hospital wing. "Madam Pomfrey!"

Her body was wracking with hysterical sobs and she was completely covered in Hermione's school cloak.

Madam Pomfrey hurried into the room from her office looking quite irritated. At the sight of Hermione she frowned deeply and placed her hands on her hips.

"What is it now Miss Granger?" She asked darkly. "It better not be Harry Potter under that cloak!"

"It's not Madam Pomfrey!" Hermione assured her quickly. "It's Ginny Weasley Madam, somebody cursed her in the halls". As Hermione finished her sentence the school bell rang.

Madam Pomfrey frowned and walked briskly forward. Ginny backed away not wanting to be seen and be humiliated once again.

"Come here child, or I won't be able to put you right!"

Slowly Ginny walked forward and Madam Pomfrey removed the hood of the cloak and stared down at Ginny, her frown deepening into a scowl. Ginny sobbed even harder and covered her face with scaling hands.

"Well", Madam Pomfrey tutted. "Well".

"How long will it take to put her right?" Hermione asked quietly, placing two comforting arms around Ginny's shoulders.

"Not long, a day or two maybe", Madam Pomfrey informed her bringing Ginny towards a bed. "It's an advanced aging spell, this is what Ginny would look like in about two hundreds years or so I suppose. Her skin is withered and cracked, her eyes faded, her teeth have yellowed, and her hair has fallen out".

Ginny let out a mortified scream and tried to cover herself once more.

"Gracious child!" Madam Pomfrey snapped quite alarmed. "You'll frighten the students to death! Miss Granger, you can return to class".

"I thought… well Madam, I thought I might be able to stay with Ginny", Hermione said quite quietly, not wanting to anger the matron of the school.

Madam Pomfrey tutted once again and shook her head. "No Miss Granger, please return to class".

Hermione nodded and sighed deeply. "Bye Ginny… I'll visit you".

Ginny watched as Hermione left her by her lone self. Her fearful eyes widened as Madam Pomfrey seemed to tower over her a moment later. In her hand she held a glass full of a transparent blue liquid. She lifted to class towards Ginny.

"This will take a while my dear, so I'd get changed into some pyjamas and take it while you're lying in one of the beds".

Slowly Ginny took the glass and scuffled behind curtains Madam Pomfrey began to set up. She slowly changed through tears and laid back in one of the hospital beds. She didn't want to show her face but slowly brought the glass to her lips. She shuttered as the first dropped touched her tongue, it tasted bitter, like coffee.

"You'll need to drink the entire thing Miss Weasley", Madam Pomfrey informed her, watching her closely with narrowed eyes.

Ginny whimpered before tipping the glass up and began to swallow in big gulps. She held her eyes shut tightly until the last of it was gone. Nearly immediately, a slow writhing feeling spread through her entire body. Ginny felt more tears slide down her cheeks and she pulled the white hospital blanket up over her head.

'Damn that Draco Malfoy', she thought, a fresh wave of tears and rage washing over her. 'I've lost my chance to be with Harry tomorrow night! I won't be able to be with him anymore… Malfoy's ruined the only good day I've had in weeks! I won't be able to show my face in weeks!'

The day past slowly for Ginny, the only thing that comforted her were her tears and the thoughts of revenge on a certain grey eyed boy. Ginny squirmed restlessly during the night as she slept, her body feeling odd and uncomfortable.

When she woke the next morning Ginny lay quite still and silent. The sun was peeking in through the curtains and she knew that it was Saturday morning. A small miserable sigh left her lips and Ginny slowly sat up. Her mind was a blur of horrible things and nightmares she had had during the night.

She didn't dare to look down at her hands just yet, when she has mustered the courage to steal a glance, Madam Pomfrey appeared at her bedside.

"Well", Madam Pomfrey said taking Ginny sharply by the cheek and turning her head from side to side. "Open your mouth, yes wonderful your teeth are back to normal. Your hair has grown back beautifully, and your eyes are brown again Miss Weasley", Madam Pomfrey lifted Ginny's hands and turned them over. "Everything seems in order, but I must say you should stay for a little while. I'd like to keep you here for a little while longer, just to make sure everything stays as it is".

Madam Pomfrey took out from her pocket a hand mirror. She handed it to Ginny, who hesitated before taking it. She closed her eyes tightly and lifted the mirror. Slowly she opened her eyes…

Her scarlet hair was glimmering in waves to the middle of her back, her brown eyes were shining, and her freckles and fair complexion were as they had always been.

Ginny sighed in relief, she'd rather just be plain old Ginny, then be a Ginny who she never wished to become. She lifted a small hand and touched her soft cheek, her eyes filled with tears at the memories of the day before washed over her with a sting. She lowered the mirror and closed her eyes, breathing deeply.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, and your brother were all here earlier Ginny", Madam Pomfrey told her gently placing a hand on Ginny's shoulder. "I didn't want to wake you, so they said they'd come back later".

Ginny slowly nodded, unable to speak.

Madam Pomfrey whirled around on her heels and hurried about every which way, carrying on with whatever the school matron did. Ginny was silent and still for several minutes before heaving a great sigh. She swung her legs out from under the thin white blankets and set them down on the cold linoleum floor.

Ginny shivered but stood straight up anyway. She didn't know exactly how she felt. She knew she was angry, and humiliated… yet it didn't feel as it had before, it felt as though her mind had become numb.

Madam Pomfrey turned around just as Ginny was taking her folded school robes up into her arms.

"Miss Weasley!" Madam Pomfrey nearly snarled hurrying over, each footstep making Ginny tremble. "I do not remember telling you, you could get up out of bed! Did I not just say specifically that I wanted you to stay for a little bit?"

"Please Madam", Ginny said flushing. "I feel fine, can't I please go?"

Madam Pomfrey seemed absolutely furious with her. "Fine! But if your lovely hair falls out while your walking down the hall, don't think it's my fault!"

Ginny stretched stiffly when the matron had turned away. She pulled the curtains around her bed and quickly dressed. She ran her fingers through her abnormally soft hair and paused twisting a strand through her fingers.

Ginny shook her head before hurrying out of the hospital wing, swinging her bag over her shoulder as she went. She hoped nobody would see her, though she knew her scarlet hair was quite vivid and distinguishable.

Draco stood with Crabbe and Goyle in one of the schools many corridors. They were having an animated conversation and laughing heartily about the occurrences of the day before.

He had adored the look on Ginny Weasley's face, she had become hideously ugly. He had been waiting to use that curse on someone for quite a while, and was mildly surprised that he had not thought of it before. Potter wouldn't be to thrilled to see her again, Draco snickered at this thought.

Suddenly from around the corner, to his surprise, came Ginny Weasley. She looked perfectly normal, or as normal as a Weasley could get. Her scarlet hair was flowing behind her and her fair cheeks were tinged pink.

Immediately sniggers and laughter broke out all around her and Ginny's face became completely red.

"Hey Weasley!" Draco shouted with a sneer and she looked up at him, her eyes widening. "After the way Potter saw you yesterday, he'll never want to be with you! Hell, no one would after seeing what you're going to look like!"

Laughter broke out loudly through the corridor, even people from Gryffindor were covering their mouths to keep from laughing. However what happened next was unsuspected by everyone, and it completely stunned Malfoy.

"Malfoy! You snake!" Ginny shrieked and in less then a few seconds Ginny had dived across the hall and leapt onto Draco.

Draco's grey eyes widened in shock and he fell backwards as Ginny's tiny body slammed hard into him. She began to hit him as hard as she could, her hand struck him round the face at least four times before people began to try to get her off of him. But it was as though Ginny was a lot stronger then she appeared, because she wriggled out and kicked Draco hard in the gut.

Two Ravenclaws grabbed onto Ginny, but suddenly grinned wickedly and let Ginny go to attack Draco as she pleased. Her fist hit his cheek for the fifth time when Draco recovered from the shock of Ginny acting so uncharacteristically.

"Get off of me Weasley!" He snarled and kicked with all his might, his foot smashed into her side and she toppled off. "You bloody"-

"Mr. Malfoy! Miss Weasley!" A shriek that echoed through out the corridor rang out like a sentence of doom.

People hurried away, including Crabbe and Goyle, who had stood helplessly near Draco only moments before.

Professor McGonagall had come out from a classroom and her lips were in a thin line. Her face was red with fury and strands of her fading black hair had come out from it's regular tight bun. She was looking down at Draco and Ginny who were both sprawled on the ground looking angry and hurt.

"I've never-!" She began shrieking. "I never ever would have thought! Mr. Malfoy! Attacking a female student younger then yourself and so much tinier! That's the most low thing I think you've ever done!"

"I never attacked her-!" Draco began furiously leaping as quickly as he could to his feet, slicking back strands of loose blonde hair that had fallen across his cheeks.

"And you Ginny!" Professor McGonagall roared ignoring him. "I never would have thought it! You've always been such a good student! Never have I seen you act in such a way! Someone from my own house behaving in such a way!"

Draco was furious, he was trying to work out something to say but he could not. Anyway he put it, he would end up getting in trouble worse then he already was.

"I cannot believe this!" Professor McGonagall shrieked one last time. "You will both receive detentions, and thirty points will be taken from both your houses! Your parents will be receiving letters home as well!" Professor McGonagall appeared as though she wanted to hit both teenagers across the heads with the back of her hand.

Slowly Professor McGonagall turned, her body shaking with so much rage. Before she made it around the corner she looked back at Draco and Ginny who were still completely motionless. Draco was standing with his hands clenched tightly by his sides, and Ginny was still seated on the floor with a very pale face.

"Both go your separate ways now!" She snapped.

Ginny sprang up from the floor and gave Draco a look of pure venom, which Draco returned hatefully.

"Filthy little rat", he spat before striding away with flashing eyes.

Behind him he could hear Ginny mutter an equally insulting thing back, but he did not turn knowing Professor McGonagall was still watching with severe eyes.

Draco hurried back to the Slytherin Common Room where both Crabbe and Goyle were waiting for him. Malfoy was feeling more sour and angry then he had ever been in months. He could feel his cheek begin to swell from being hit in the same place five times, and his stomach was aching from being kicked by her tiny heeled foot.

**** A/N Uh… well, I guess they didn't really have a conversation did they? ~blush~ Um, well in the next one it's their detention so they'll 'have' to talk in that one. I'm sorry! I hope you enjoyed the chapter anyway! Please Read and Review, and thank-you to all the people that have! ^-^