Disclaimer--Nothing here belongs to me. Most of this scene is from PoA and belongs to JKR, who is a MUCH more accomplished writer than me. They're for the love of the craft and intended only as flattery.
Author's Notes--It's great to "see" you guys again! I've missed you! This chapter requires a dedication to my sister, who helped me develop the idea for Ginny's Halloween, which I love. I think we owe her, guys, big. *winks*
Bee11--I'm glad you like the parallels between Ginny and Hermione and Ginny and Harry...I think Ginny knows that they're a lot a like and should be friends...it is sad the others haven't caught on yet, but older kids do tend to be slow to appreciate younger ones...Ginny's time will come, I think. Glad you reviewed again...hope you continue to do so!
EEDOE--I loved that line about Hagrid, too...the timing just seemed so good. It's so nice when things come together. Henrietta on Mr. Rogers!!! What a hilarious image to superimpose over Crookshanks...who I always looked at as far more...suave...*giggles* I hope this chapter is as much fun for you as yours are for me!! *hugs*
Bill--Thanks for the great welcome!! *dances along with him* I rather think you're on to something with Ginny and Harry's thoughts...*winks* I agree...Ginny is not sitting idle, and I think her year is probably less stressful and more interesting than Harry, Ron's, and especially poor Hermione's. I think she's caught on that pining will do more harm than good, which makes her smarter than many women twice her age, me included. *wry smile* Ginny does do well with almost every personality...I wonder what that says about her...*muses* The dream is suggestive...but perhaps it's just her subconscious telling her why she distrusts Scabbers...*winks* And, indeed, a ginger cat is a blessing. *hugs*
***********
She was still in the resulting bad mood when she got up on Halloween, and decided some medicinal mischief was in order. She hadn't misbehaved at all since school had started. She pulled Lee aside as the older students assembled for their first trip into Hogsmeade. "Listen," she said, "the twins may be...blaming you for something again."
"You're kidding!" Lee exclaimed.
Ginny looked him in the eye and shook her head.
He let out a war whoop of excitement, looked sheepishly around the assembling crowd, and lowered his voice. " 'Bout time. You've been quiet too long."
Ginny grinned. "You might get detention if the staff blame you for it," she warned.
Lee shrugged. "Home sweet home...I spend enough time there, I don't mind."
"My hero," Ginny crooned, standing up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "Thanks, Lee."
Lee shifted awkwardly. "Don't mention it," he said. "You'd better clear out before the twins notice something."
Ginny spent the rest of the morning making preparations for her prank, just as happy for a reason to avoid the Gryffindor Common Room-and Harry, who still seemed too overwhelming to face.
The Great Hall was crowded by the time she took her place at the table. She loved the endless sea of shining jack o'lanterns, but tried to avoid looking at the fiery orange streamers slithering across the angry sky as she remembered the basilisk pushing past her, scales scraping on stone, hissing its thirst for blood, every time she caught so much as flicker of one in the corner of her eye. Instead, she watched the bats and tried to imagine them as Fawkes, swooping to the rescue.
Her timing was perfect. The last dedicated eaters were just finishing up their dessert when it started. Fred belched. Loudly. Musically. People paused, glancing in his direction.
George belched, looking taken aback.
Fred belched.
George belched.
And suddenly, they were belching in rapid succession, each belch more musical than the last. People were watching in open-mouthed wonder, some of them were snickering, a few tapping out the tune on the table with their hands. Lee was dancing on the bench beside George, humming along happily.
At the Head Table, Dumbledore was singing along. Ginny was surprised he knew the words, as it was an old Muggle song Dad used to sing with the...radio. "Pretty...I feel pretty...So pretty..."
The performance concluded in one spectacular shared belch, accompanied by the stunned laughter, wolf calls, and applause of the other students, who obviously thought the twins and Dumbledore had planned the whole thing. Fred and George exchanged a long look, shrugged and bowed. Dumbledore bowed as well, and the applause swelled.
"The entertainment for the evening, while beginning earlier than many of us expected--" was Ginny imagining things, or had Dumbledore winked in her direction? "Has not yet concluded. The castle ghosts have been kind enough to arrange some formation gliding."
The gliding was great fun, and Nearly Headless Nick gave a wonderful rendition of his own almost-beheading, but at long last the Feast drew to a close. Ginny stood to follow her housemates back to the tower, and saw Professor McGonagall crook a finger in her direction.
She stepped quietly off to meet her, and waited in silence as the Great Hall cleared.
"Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall said as soon as they were alone, "while I'm quite pleased to see you regaining your spirits after your unfortunate experience last year, if you disrupt order in the Great Hall again, I shall be forced to assign you to detention, is that clear?"
"Yes, Professor," Ginny said submissively enough. "But how did you know?"
Professor McGonagall eyed her sternly.
Ginny waited.
"The house-elves," Professor McGonagall said suddenly, the corners of her mouth lifting almost imperceptibly.
"But they weren't in the Great Hall," Ginny said. "So if the house-elves told you...you knew before the Feast?"
"I'm afraid I never reveal my methods," Professor McGonagall said, but the ends of her smile seemed to deepen.
Ginny grinned.
"Back to the Tower, now, Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall said.
Ginny did as she was told. At least, she tried. But the Fat Lady was surrounded by nearly the entire population of Gryffindor House. She stood on tiptoe, trying to see what was causing the hold up, but all she could see was the backs of more peoples' heads. After several seconds of struggling, she finally managed to push between several fourth years and find Harry. "What's going on?"
Harry started to answer, and sidestepped so close to her he was nearly standing on her feet so Dumbledore could get through. They pressed behind him, and saw the Portrait, hanging from the frame in empty black ribbons. "Oh my--" Hermione breathed on Harry's other side, grabbing his arm. Ginny didn't breath at all.
"We need to find her," Dumbledore said, snapping into action. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."
"You'll be lucky," cackled Peeves, bobbing over the crowd.
"What do you mean, Peeves?" Dumbledore asked as if he were asking about the weather.
Peeves adopted a subservient tone that made Ginny think of Scabbers for some tenuous reason she couldn't begin to explain. "Ashamed your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through a landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful." He floated there for a moment, seemed to realize Dumbledore was waiting on something and added, "Poor thing," rather hollowly.
"Did she say who did it?" Dumbledore asked patiently.
Ginny felt a tremor of fear. /Could Tom-/
"Oh, yes, Professorhead," Peeves said airily. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in you see. Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."
Author's Notes--It's great to "see" you guys again! I've missed you! This chapter requires a dedication to my sister, who helped me develop the idea for Ginny's Halloween, which I love. I think we owe her, guys, big. *winks*
Bee11--I'm glad you like the parallels between Ginny and Hermione and Ginny and Harry...I think Ginny knows that they're a lot a like and should be friends...it is sad the others haven't caught on yet, but older kids do tend to be slow to appreciate younger ones...Ginny's time will come, I think. Glad you reviewed again...hope you continue to do so!
EEDOE--I loved that line about Hagrid, too...the timing just seemed so good. It's so nice when things come together. Henrietta on Mr. Rogers!!! What a hilarious image to superimpose over Crookshanks...who I always looked at as far more...suave...*giggles* I hope this chapter is as much fun for you as yours are for me!! *hugs*
Bill--Thanks for the great welcome!! *dances along with him* I rather think you're on to something with Ginny and Harry's thoughts...*winks* I agree...Ginny is not sitting idle, and I think her year is probably less stressful and more interesting than Harry, Ron's, and especially poor Hermione's. I think she's caught on that pining will do more harm than good, which makes her smarter than many women twice her age, me included. *wry smile* Ginny does do well with almost every personality...I wonder what that says about her...*muses* The dream is suggestive...but perhaps it's just her subconscious telling her why she distrusts Scabbers...*winks* And, indeed, a ginger cat is a blessing. *hugs*
***********
She was still in the resulting bad mood when she got up on Halloween, and decided some medicinal mischief was in order. She hadn't misbehaved at all since school had started. She pulled Lee aside as the older students assembled for their first trip into Hogsmeade. "Listen," she said, "the twins may be...blaming you for something again."
"You're kidding!" Lee exclaimed.
Ginny looked him in the eye and shook her head.
He let out a war whoop of excitement, looked sheepishly around the assembling crowd, and lowered his voice. " 'Bout time. You've been quiet too long."
Ginny grinned. "You might get detention if the staff blame you for it," she warned.
Lee shrugged. "Home sweet home...I spend enough time there, I don't mind."
"My hero," Ginny crooned, standing up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "Thanks, Lee."
Lee shifted awkwardly. "Don't mention it," he said. "You'd better clear out before the twins notice something."
Ginny spent the rest of the morning making preparations for her prank, just as happy for a reason to avoid the Gryffindor Common Room-and Harry, who still seemed too overwhelming to face.
The Great Hall was crowded by the time she took her place at the table. She loved the endless sea of shining jack o'lanterns, but tried to avoid looking at the fiery orange streamers slithering across the angry sky as she remembered the basilisk pushing past her, scales scraping on stone, hissing its thirst for blood, every time she caught so much as flicker of one in the corner of her eye. Instead, she watched the bats and tried to imagine them as Fawkes, swooping to the rescue.
Her timing was perfect. The last dedicated eaters were just finishing up their dessert when it started. Fred belched. Loudly. Musically. People paused, glancing in his direction.
George belched, looking taken aback.
Fred belched.
George belched.
And suddenly, they were belching in rapid succession, each belch more musical than the last. People were watching in open-mouthed wonder, some of them were snickering, a few tapping out the tune on the table with their hands. Lee was dancing on the bench beside George, humming along happily.
At the Head Table, Dumbledore was singing along. Ginny was surprised he knew the words, as it was an old Muggle song Dad used to sing with the...radio. "Pretty...I feel pretty...So pretty..."
The performance concluded in one spectacular shared belch, accompanied by the stunned laughter, wolf calls, and applause of the other students, who obviously thought the twins and Dumbledore had planned the whole thing. Fred and George exchanged a long look, shrugged and bowed. Dumbledore bowed as well, and the applause swelled.
"The entertainment for the evening, while beginning earlier than many of us expected--" was Ginny imagining things, or had Dumbledore winked in her direction? "Has not yet concluded. The castle ghosts have been kind enough to arrange some formation gliding."
The gliding was great fun, and Nearly Headless Nick gave a wonderful rendition of his own almost-beheading, but at long last the Feast drew to a close. Ginny stood to follow her housemates back to the tower, and saw Professor McGonagall crook a finger in her direction.
She stepped quietly off to meet her, and waited in silence as the Great Hall cleared.
"Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall said as soon as they were alone, "while I'm quite pleased to see you regaining your spirits after your unfortunate experience last year, if you disrupt order in the Great Hall again, I shall be forced to assign you to detention, is that clear?"
"Yes, Professor," Ginny said submissively enough. "But how did you know?"
Professor McGonagall eyed her sternly.
Ginny waited.
"The house-elves," Professor McGonagall said suddenly, the corners of her mouth lifting almost imperceptibly.
"But they weren't in the Great Hall," Ginny said. "So if the house-elves told you...you knew before the Feast?"
"I'm afraid I never reveal my methods," Professor McGonagall said, but the ends of her smile seemed to deepen.
Ginny grinned.
"Back to the Tower, now, Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall said.
Ginny did as she was told. At least, she tried. But the Fat Lady was surrounded by nearly the entire population of Gryffindor House. She stood on tiptoe, trying to see what was causing the hold up, but all she could see was the backs of more peoples' heads. After several seconds of struggling, she finally managed to push between several fourth years and find Harry. "What's going on?"
Harry started to answer, and sidestepped so close to her he was nearly standing on her feet so Dumbledore could get through. They pressed behind him, and saw the Portrait, hanging from the frame in empty black ribbons. "Oh my--" Hermione breathed on Harry's other side, grabbing his arm. Ginny didn't breath at all.
"We need to find her," Dumbledore said, snapping into action. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."
"You'll be lucky," cackled Peeves, bobbing over the crowd.
"What do you mean, Peeves?" Dumbledore asked as if he were asking about the weather.
Peeves adopted a subservient tone that made Ginny think of Scabbers for some tenuous reason she couldn't begin to explain. "Ashamed your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through a landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful." He floated there for a moment, seemed to realize Dumbledore was waiting on something and added, "Poor thing," rather hollowly.
"Did she say who did it?" Dumbledore asked patiently.
Ginny felt a tremor of fear. /Could Tom-/
"Oh, yes, Professorhead," Peeves said airily. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in you see. Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."