Chapter 2 Back to Hogwarts

At Platform 9¾, Mrs Weasley was giving last-minutes hugs to her children.

"Ron, are you sure you've got everything you need in your trunk?" asked Mrs Weasley again.

"Yes, Mum, for goodness sake, I am not a first-year, neither am I Neville Longbottom. This is so insulting. I never see you ask Ginny." Ron replied.

Ginny giggled. Neville Longbottom was Ron's schoolmate, in Gryffindor too, and famous for a forgetful memory.

"Goodbye Ginny dear," smiled Mrs Weasley. "'Bye, Mum" waved Ginny.

Ginny climbed into the train with Ron, and followed him into a train compartment where Harry and Hermione was in.

"Hey, Harry! How was summer?" asked Ron.

"As usual. Dudley, and the Dursleys, are as bad as ever. They are starting to suspect that my stories on Sirius ain't true. Guess I've used him as a threat once too often" grinned Harry.

"Hi Ginny!" smiled Hermione. Harry give her a grin too. "Hi, Gin!". Ginny smiled back. It felt so good to see him again.

Harry and Ron started to discuss Quidditch, while Hermione roller her eyes at them, and turned her attention to Ginny. "How was summer, Ginny? What did you do?".

"Erm, nothing much, just reading and er, the usual stuff,'' replied Ginny. Don't you have anything more interesting to say?

"She's been shut up in her room most of the time, probably thinking of ways to open another Chamber of Secrets this year…" piped up Ron.

"Ron Weasley, what an insensitive thing to say, and she's your sister!" scolded Hermione. By now, Ginny has turned red. Soon after, Ron and Hermione had started a friendly bicker of each other's faults, with Harry grinning and adding comments here and there.

Ginny felt ignored. It was always the case. But it's nobody's fault but my own, she thought sadly. I just don't fit in somehow.

For the rest of the trip, Ginny buried her nose into her Charms textbook. Charms was one of her favourite subjects. And she always had the habit of going through her textbooks before term starts.

They arrive at the Hogwarts' Great Hall in the evening. Ginny found her place at the Gryffindor table, alongside with her classmates from fifth year. She sat down and turned her eyes to the teachers' table at the front of the Great Hall.

Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster, stood up and boomed "Welcome, students of Hogwarts. As usual, I would like to start the year by saying that the Forbidden Forest behind Hogwarts' grounds is very forbidden indeed, and students will do well to heed this. Before I begin the feast, I would like to announce the Prefects for this year. As you know, each year, we choose two sixth-year students from each House, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin to be prefects. Prefects are chosen based on nominations by the Head of House. The prefects this year are, from Gryffindor, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter….."

There were cheers from the Gryffindor table and groans from the Slytherin table.

"From Ravenclaw…" Ginny smiled. She knew Harry would be made Prefect. How could he not be. Her knight in shining armor. She turned to look at Ron. Ron was smiling and clapping hard. A few years ago, Ron would have been sore at not being made a Prefect. But Ron has grown out of his jealous need to live up to expectations set by Percy, Charlie, and Bill. Furthermore, Ron had known he would not be made a Prefect. Ron was going to be involved in a more important activity in Hogwarts this year.

"From Slytherin, Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini."

Now, there were groans from the Gryffindor table. "The two worst of them" moaned Ron.

Ginny turned her eyes to the Slytherin table. She saw Blaise whispering to Draco, whose expression was, as usual, emotionless. Suddenly, Draco looked up and for a moment and their eyes locked. Ginny turned scarlet, and quickly looked away.

After the feast, the students went up to their respective dormitories. Ginny quickly changed into her nightdress, ignoring the chatter from the girls in the dormitory, and curled up on her soft four-poster bed.