Disclaimer--Nothing here belongs to me--It's for the love of the craft and intended only as flattery.
Author's Notes--
Strawberries and Blueberries--Thanks! I'm glad to know you think so. :-D
Adrienne--I agree...the two situations are similar, and it is FAR worse to fight with a friend you love than someone you've just met. Hermione has demonstrated an emotional insight greater than Harry and Ron's (not that it takes much) before...it is nice to know that Ginny isn't completely invisible to the trio. As for how Ginny's brothers would react to Lee...*grins* I'm glad you thought I captured Madam Pince well...the way she chased Ginny and Harry out of the library in OotP--and the way Ginny said "I forgot", as if she had previous experience with the tendency--was a large part of my inspiration...and I actually think she's hilarious. *snickers* I'm looking forward to a bit of bonding myself. *hugs*
EEDOE--That's certainly no joke! I hope you and your family haven't floated away while I've been out of contact (bad lycos!!)! I'm so glad you liked Ginny's first reaction to Hermione...I just couldn't imagine her saying anything else! Hermione's little observation was interesting, wasn't it? *muses* I'd say you have a pretty good picture of Madam Pince--the library nazi to beat all library nazis *winks*. I love her. *snickers* I agree...Ginny's been needing to say that since the Hogwarts Express--if not the year before! You described Ginny's delivery of the Whomping Willow line perfectly--that's exactly how I saw her, too...As for knowing about the splinters...the infirmary isn't exactly private, and secrets are hard to keep in Hogwarts, as Dumbledore has pointed out. *winks* *hugs*
Bill--Yay! I'm glad to hear Charlie checks out well...give him a cuddle from me. *winks* You make a good point about the Impervious Charm, but maybe the spell would interact badly with the magic contents of the books...certainly Madam Pince doesn't allow food around the books, which would indicate they could be damaged...Without Harry and Ron, Hermione might indeed be similar to Madam Pince...sad to think what love-starvation can do, isn't it? I think Ginny and Hermione need one another...I'm the first to say guys make great friends for girls--and vice versa--but everyone needs a friend who understands things friends of the opposite gender don't get, especially at the start of adolescence. It is funny, and fitting, it should start with Ginny swearing in the library, isn't it? *grins and winks* I think you are right about the favorable impression...Hermione just saw what Ginny noticed last year--they approach problems very similarly...in some respects. Enjoy Hermione's reaction! *hugs and winks*
************
Hermione kept opening and closing her mouth without any sound.
Ginny couldn't help deriving a certain satisfaction from the sight.
"How-How --" Hermione had progressed to sounds, if not coherence.
Ginny suppressed a snicker. "I overheard my parents talking about it this summer."
"Oh."
"So you think Sirius Black sent Harry a faulty Firebolt hoping to kill him?" Ginny supplied.
Hermione nodded dazedly.
"And Ron refuses to admit it's even possible?" Ginny guessed. She thought she had a vague idea how her brother felt about a broom like the Firebolt...it was hard to imagine anyone would dare to desecrate such a beautiful thing.
"Ye-es" Hermione said slowly. "It is far-fetched, but..."
"What if you're right?" Ginny finished for her. "I see what you mean."
"So..." Hermione took a deep breath, then plunged in as quickly as she could. "I went to Professor McGonagall and told her Harry had gotten a Firebolt for Christmas and he didn't know who it was from...She understood where I was coming from, and she loves Quidditch just as much as Harry!"
Ginny nodded. "So she confiscated the broom to have it examined?"
"And Harry and Ron are acting like I destroyed it myself!"
Ginny understood the feeling...stripping a Firebolt to examine it was...unthinkable...but she also agreed it was necessary, given the circumstances.
"Idiots" she said softly, angry with Ron-and Harry-for closing out Hermione in a way she had never been able to be angry at being closed out herself. She wanted nothing more than to storm off in search of them and give them both a piece of her mind for not appreciating what a clever and loyal friend they had in Hermione Granger. Luckily, she was old enough to know it would only make things worse, as Ron-if not Harry as well-was likely to resent being lectured by his little sister, and would no doubt blame Hermione. So she settled for very awkwardly and uncertainly hugging Hermione instead.
Hermione stiffened as if surprised, then sank against her and burst into fresh-but fortunately silent-tears. "It was a very brave thing...what you did-give them a while to get over loosing their new toy and Ron and Harry might-might-be smart enough to realize that," Ginny said firmly. "In the meantime, a mad Harry is preferable to a dead Harry...and you have your homework to take your mind off things."
Hermione sniffled and nodded, suddenly sitting up straight. "Oh-I almost forgot-I have a Divination project due next week! I have to get started!"
She wilted nearly as quickly as she'd rallied. "But what about Hagrid?"
"Hagrid?" Ginny repeated with a frisson of concern. "What about him?"
"I promised to help him with Buckbeak's defense! Ron and Harry were going to help, but..."
"Buckbeak's defense?"
"For his hearing with the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Magical Creatures," Hermione spouted in a rush. "He got the summons the first day of break."
"I can't believe Hagrid didn't tell me!" Ginny said numbly.
"Well...he might have told us either," Hermione consoled her, "only Ron and I talked Harry into going to see him because we thought it might take his mind off finding Sirius Black--" She stopped, horrified, clapping both hands over her mouth.
"Why would Harry want to do a dumb-fool thing like that?" Ginny asked, more sharply than she'd intended.
Hermione wrung her hands desperately as if trying to twist an escape from thin air. She tore them apart with sigh, squaring her shoulders resignedly. "He accidentally found out...Sirius Black betrayed his parents to Voldemort."
The bottom dropped out of Ginny's stomach. Only the thought of what Madam Pince would do to her kept her from being sick. "Good reason," she said faintly. "Harry doesn't...he's not still thinking about going after Black, is he?"
"No," Hermione said uncertainly. "No, I don't think so..."
"We should keep an eye on him," Ginny said.
Hermione nodded.
"As for Buckbeak's defense...I'll help."
"Oh, Ginny! Do you mean it?"
"Of course. Just give me time to get the book I was looking for and we'll go and see Hagrid." Ginny hesitated until she was certain Hermione would neither leave nor collapse, and hurried to the Restricted Section. It took several minutes to find it-a slender little volume crammed in between heavy tomes on the second shelf from the bottom.
She returned to the alcove to find Hermione looking almost back to normal, and the walk to Hagrid's cabin in the bitter wind and brightly snowy crowds seemed bracing.
Until Ginny greeted Hagrid at the cabin door. "Where do you get off not telling me about Buckbeak? Just because we're like family doesn't mean you can ignore me and neglect to tell me what's going on in your life the way the rest of my family does!" She punctuated each word with a poke of her finger into Hagrid's stomach-which was nearly as high as she could reach-and Hagrid took a little step backward with each poke. Hermione made a strangled sound that might have been laughter or fear. In the back of her mind, Ginny admitted both reactions were warranted. A man of approximately seven feet being driven back in the wake of an angry little girl had to look comical...and more than a little dangerous for the girl. But, for her, it was only natural.
"Yeh're right," Hagrid said apologetically as the door swung shut behind them and Ginny glowered in his direction. "I should've told yeh...I was goin' to tell yeh, but...yeh were so happy looking forward to the holiday, an' thar weren't nothing yeh could'a done from home anyway, so...I jus' thought yeh ought to have fun fer a change."
Ginny sighed. "Quit making sense-I want to be mad at you!"
Hagrid chuckled softly under his breath. "Hermione-I appreciate what yeh're trying to do fer Buckbeak-an me-an all, but I wish yeh wouldn' work so hard. Yeh're looking kinda peaked."
"I'm okay," Hermione said staunchly, "it's just--"
"No need," Hagrid said gently. "Heard all about it. Can't say as Ron and Harry are being quite fair, but they're young...they'll come around. At least let me give yeh some tea fer a boost."
Afternoon tea with Hermione and Hagrid turned out to be unexpectedly pleasant, even with such worries and disappointments hanging in the air. Ginny returned to the tower feeling strangely refreshed and cheerful-she hoped Hermione could say the same.
But something had been nagging her all day, and when she finally crawled into bed that night, she figured out what it was. Aside from the lingering question of why-if Sirius Black was after Harry-Black had waited until after school started and Harry was under Dumbledore's considerable protection was the question of how-if Sirius Black were responsible for the Firebolt-he had even known Harry needed a broom. Either he had a spy on the inside, which Dumbledore had named impossible, or...or Sirius Black knew Harry needed a broom, because he had seen what happened... the dementors had suddenly decided to come into the grounds...everyone had just assumed they were over-eager, but what if they had sensed Black? But...then...the only unusual thing Ginny had even seen was the Grim and...
The Grim Harry had seen that summer in Privet Drive.
But-that was ridiculous! Sirius Black couldn't possibly be the Grim!
Ginny tried the tangle from every direction and was no closer to making sense of it when she fell asleep with a frown on her face.
Author's Notes--
Strawberries and Blueberries--Thanks! I'm glad to know you think so. :-D
Adrienne--I agree...the two situations are similar, and it is FAR worse to fight with a friend you love than someone you've just met. Hermione has demonstrated an emotional insight greater than Harry and Ron's (not that it takes much) before...it is nice to know that Ginny isn't completely invisible to the trio. As for how Ginny's brothers would react to Lee...*grins* I'm glad you thought I captured Madam Pince well...the way she chased Ginny and Harry out of the library in OotP--and the way Ginny said "I forgot", as if she had previous experience with the tendency--was a large part of my inspiration...and I actually think she's hilarious. *snickers* I'm looking forward to a bit of bonding myself. *hugs*
EEDOE--That's certainly no joke! I hope you and your family haven't floated away while I've been out of contact (bad lycos!!)! I'm so glad you liked Ginny's first reaction to Hermione...I just couldn't imagine her saying anything else! Hermione's little observation was interesting, wasn't it? *muses* I'd say you have a pretty good picture of Madam Pince--the library nazi to beat all library nazis *winks*. I love her. *snickers* I agree...Ginny's been needing to say that since the Hogwarts Express--if not the year before! You described Ginny's delivery of the Whomping Willow line perfectly--that's exactly how I saw her, too...As for knowing about the splinters...the infirmary isn't exactly private, and secrets are hard to keep in Hogwarts, as Dumbledore has pointed out. *winks* *hugs*
Bill--Yay! I'm glad to hear Charlie checks out well...give him a cuddle from me. *winks* You make a good point about the Impervious Charm, but maybe the spell would interact badly with the magic contents of the books...certainly Madam Pince doesn't allow food around the books, which would indicate they could be damaged...Without Harry and Ron, Hermione might indeed be similar to Madam Pince...sad to think what love-starvation can do, isn't it? I think Ginny and Hermione need one another...I'm the first to say guys make great friends for girls--and vice versa--but everyone needs a friend who understands things friends of the opposite gender don't get, especially at the start of adolescence. It is funny, and fitting, it should start with Ginny swearing in the library, isn't it? *grins and winks* I think you are right about the favorable impression...Hermione just saw what Ginny noticed last year--they approach problems very similarly...in some respects. Enjoy Hermione's reaction! *hugs and winks*
************
Hermione kept opening and closing her mouth without any sound.
Ginny couldn't help deriving a certain satisfaction from the sight.
"How-How --" Hermione had progressed to sounds, if not coherence.
Ginny suppressed a snicker. "I overheard my parents talking about it this summer."
"Oh."
"So you think Sirius Black sent Harry a faulty Firebolt hoping to kill him?" Ginny supplied.
Hermione nodded dazedly.
"And Ron refuses to admit it's even possible?" Ginny guessed. She thought she had a vague idea how her brother felt about a broom like the Firebolt...it was hard to imagine anyone would dare to desecrate such a beautiful thing.
"Ye-es" Hermione said slowly. "It is far-fetched, but..."
"What if you're right?" Ginny finished for her. "I see what you mean."
"So..." Hermione took a deep breath, then plunged in as quickly as she could. "I went to Professor McGonagall and told her Harry had gotten a Firebolt for Christmas and he didn't know who it was from...She understood where I was coming from, and she loves Quidditch just as much as Harry!"
Ginny nodded. "So she confiscated the broom to have it examined?"
"And Harry and Ron are acting like I destroyed it myself!"
Ginny understood the feeling...stripping a Firebolt to examine it was...unthinkable...but she also agreed it was necessary, given the circumstances.
"Idiots" she said softly, angry with Ron-and Harry-for closing out Hermione in a way she had never been able to be angry at being closed out herself. She wanted nothing more than to storm off in search of them and give them both a piece of her mind for not appreciating what a clever and loyal friend they had in Hermione Granger. Luckily, she was old enough to know it would only make things worse, as Ron-if not Harry as well-was likely to resent being lectured by his little sister, and would no doubt blame Hermione. So she settled for very awkwardly and uncertainly hugging Hermione instead.
Hermione stiffened as if surprised, then sank against her and burst into fresh-but fortunately silent-tears. "It was a very brave thing...what you did-give them a while to get over loosing their new toy and Ron and Harry might-might-be smart enough to realize that," Ginny said firmly. "In the meantime, a mad Harry is preferable to a dead Harry...and you have your homework to take your mind off things."
Hermione sniffled and nodded, suddenly sitting up straight. "Oh-I almost forgot-I have a Divination project due next week! I have to get started!"
She wilted nearly as quickly as she'd rallied. "But what about Hagrid?"
"Hagrid?" Ginny repeated with a frisson of concern. "What about him?"
"I promised to help him with Buckbeak's defense! Ron and Harry were going to help, but..."
"Buckbeak's defense?"
"For his hearing with the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Magical Creatures," Hermione spouted in a rush. "He got the summons the first day of break."
"I can't believe Hagrid didn't tell me!" Ginny said numbly.
"Well...he might have told us either," Hermione consoled her, "only Ron and I talked Harry into going to see him because we thought it might take his mind off finding Sirius Black--" She stopped, horrified, clapping both hands over her mouth.
"Why would Harry want to do a dumb-fool thing like that?" Ginny asked, more sharply than she'd intended.
Hermione wrung her hands desperately as if trying to twist an escape from thin air. She tore them apart with sigh, squaring her shoulders resignedly. "He accidentally found out...Sirius Black betrayed his parents to Voldemort."
The bottom dropped out of Ginny's stomach. Only the thought of what Madam Pince would do to her kept her from being sick. "Good reason," she said faintly. "Harry doesn't...he's not still thinking about going after Black, is he?"
"No," Hermione said uncertainly. "No, I don't think so..."
"We should keep an eye on him," Ginny said.
Hermione nodded.
"As for Buckbeak's defense...I'll help."
"Oh, Ginny! Do you mean it?"
"Of course. Just give me time to get the book I was looking for and we'll go and see Hagrid." Ginny hesitated until she was certain Hermione would neither leave nor collapse, and hurried to the Restricted Section. It took several minutes to find it-a slender little volume crammed in between heavy tomes on the second shelf from the bottom.
She returned to the alcove to find Hermione looking almost back to normal, and the walk to Hagrid's cabin in the bitter wind and brightly snowy crowds seemed bracing.
Until Ginny greeted Hagrid at the cabin door. "Where do you get off not telling me about Buckbeak? Just because we're like family doesn't mean you can ignore me and neglect to tell me what's going on in your life the way the rest of my family does!" She punctuated each word with a poke of her finger into Hagrid's stomach-which was nearly as high as she could reach-and Hagrid took a little step backward with each poke. Hermione made a strangled sound that might have been laughter or fear. In the back of her mind, Ginny admitted both reactions were warranted. A man of approximately seven feet being driven back in the wake of an angry little girl had to look comical...and more than a little dangerous for the girl. But, for her, it was only natural.
"Yeh're right," Hagrid said apologetically as the door swung shut behind them and Ginny glowered in his direction. "I should've told yeh...I was goin' to tell yeh, but...yeh were so happy looking forward to the holiday, an' thar weren't nothing yeh could'a done from home anyway, so...I jus' thought yeh ought to have fun fer a change."
Ginny sighed. "Quit making sense-I want to be mad at you!"
Hagrid chuckled softly under his breath. "Hermione-I appreciate what yeh're trying to do fer Buckbeak-an me-an all, but I wish yeh wouldn' work so hard. Yeh're looking kinda peaked."
"I'm okay," Hermione said staunchly, "it's just--"
"No need," Hagrid said gently. "Heard all about it. Can't say as Ron and Harry are being quite fair, but they're young...they'll come around. At least let me give yeh some tea fer a boost."
Afternoon tea with Hermione and Hagrid turned out to be unexpectedly pleasant, even with such worries and disappointments hanging in the air. Ginny returned to the tower feeling strangely refreshed and cheerful-she hoped Hermione could say the same.
But something had been nagging her all day, and when she finally crawled into bed that night, she figured out what it was. Aside from the lingering question of why-if Sirius Black was after Harry-Black had waited until after school started and Harry was under Dumbledore's considerable protection was the question of how-if Sirius Black were responsible for the Firebolt-he had even known Harry needed a broom. Either he had a spy on the inside, which Dumbledore had named impossible, or...or Sirius Black knew Harry needed a broom, because he had seen what happened... the dementors had suddenly decided to come into the grounds...everyone had just assumed they were over-eager, but what if they had sensed Black? But...then...the only unusual thing Ginny had even seen was the Grim and...
The Grim Harry had seen that summer in Privet Drive.
But-that was ridiculous! Sirius Black couldn't possibly be the Grim!
Ginny tried the tangle from every direction and was no closer to making sense of it when she fell asleep with a frown on her face.