Disclaimer: I own the plot, and JKR owns the rest.

Chapter One

How the War Begins

"Miss Weasley." It was not a question, but a statement. The overly silky voice knew why Ginny was still sitting in the dungeons while the rest of class had disappeared some time ago.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Ginny murmured, a pinkish tinge appearing on her pale cheeks as she was broken out of her reverie. Professor Snape watched as she quickly covered a sheet filled with writing, and a soft expression filled his face. As Ginny turned away, she was surprised to see the expression reaching his normally cold, hard eyes.

Just before Ginny reached the door, a soft voice called her name and she turned.

"The password's been changed to Empathy."

Ginny's eyes widened at the sound of his knowing voice and her cheeks were crimson again, but she nevertheless inclined her head, grateful.

* *
*

Draco Malfoy sauntered down the dungeon halls exactly like he had for the past six years. He gained admirable looks at his confident air and drew sighs from the silly, boy-crazed females. He took a left without thinking, then a right. His mind was on other matters.

Draco remembered what his father had told him before he left for school:

"The Dark Lord has said that you will be getting the mark at Christmas, Draco. What say you to that?"

Draco's eyes had widened in terror, but he quickly brought his emotions into check and said, "Sir, I thought I would be receiving it at Easter break, along with the others."

Lucius's smile widened. Lucius rarely smiled, and it was only at times like these that he did. "The Lord wishes for you to join him quicker than the others. There is great power in you, son, and he can sense it. You would be immensely helpful to us of sooner."

Draco straightened himself up and returned, "I am truly honored, sir, but wouldn't it be- wise- to let me get my mark at the same time as everyone else? I have stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas most of my years; it would look strange for me not to this year."

Lucius's brow knitted, and his face suddenly looked menacing. Relieved, Draco relaxed. "Are you trying to prolong the inevitable? Is there. something you are keeping from me?"

"No, Sir!" Draco quickly exclaimed, crossing his fingers behind his back. "It's just that, well, with that muggle-loving fool you never know what he's up to." he trailed off with a convincing eye-roll.

Lucius considered for a moment. "Hmm. you may have a point. I will bring it up at the meeting tonight." He turned abruptly and Draco's shoulders slumped and he sighed in relief.

Draco thought about going to Dumbledore. But on what grounds would Dumbledore believe him? Normally he was a trusting old fool, but times had changed. How would Dumbledore know whether or not Draco was just spying.

Another thing held him back too. His father had called him son. Lucius Malfoy, right hand of Voldemort, had called Draco Malfoy son for the first time in 18 years.

Draco took the last turn towards the Potions room and collided head on into someone.

* *
*

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Ginny Weasley sighed. "I've been absentminded all day, running into everything." she trailed off and looked in wonder at the man beside her.

"God Weasley, trying to lower me to your stature?" He scowled. Ginny turned red and opened her mouth to snap at him, but she noticed something as she looked straight into his eyes: Draco looked less than thrilled at his latest crack at her. Her eyes widened at this revelation and decided to give him a break as he was not gloating, smirking, or- anything.

Ginny sighed. "Well, you do need to work for things a little harder instead of running to your father, so I thought I'd help you along."

Draco looked up, both eyebrows raised. "What do you suggest I clean? As you can see the floor is spotless," he gestured sarcastically. Ginny giggled.

"Well, I guess you could start with me, since," she imitated Draco's drawl, "my robes are so filthy because I can't afford the soap I need to clean them."

Draco stared at her for a second before roaring into laughter. Ginny looked at him with a little fear for his sanity; her comeback deserved, at most, a weak giggle, and Malfoy was rolling around on the floor, his giggles by no means weak.

"Do- I -really- sound like that?" Draco choked out. A smile grew on Ginny's face as she realized what was taking place: The big, bad Malfoy was finally growing up. Ginny couldn't help laughing herself- who would have thought?

A moment later Professor Snape walked out of the classroom with an angry looked etched across his face. "What is-" He stopped and stared at the odd couple, who were quickly sobering themselves up. Snape continued to stare as Ginny hurried down the opposite corridor and Draco swept silently into the classroom, his insides screaming, "Please don't tell father, please don't tell father, please don't tell father."

* *
*

Ginny collapsed in the Gryffindor common room and groaned, holding her head. Ron came over to her and patted her on the back.

"What's wrong, Gin-gin?" he asked, grinning at the use of the dreaded nickname.

"Bugger-off Ron, I'm not in the mood," Ginny groaned again.

"Come on, tell your big, brilliant brother-" He was cut off by Hermione's snort.

"Brilliant? At failing classes at least."

Ron stood up indignantly. "Hey, I resent that! After all, I was the only Gryffindor besides you and Harry to get an Outstanding on the Potions Exam."

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, and Ginny screamed. It was a high pitched scream, filled with terror, and everyone in the common room stared at her. Harry rushed over.

"Ginny are you okay? What happened?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Oooh, it was terrible!" Ginny's face was pale and she was shaking. She said dramatically, "I envisioned myself locked in a room with Ron and Hermione for an hour!"

Harry laughed. Ron glared at her. "Virginia Weasley, if you EVER do something like that again I'll-"

"You'll what?" Ginny taunted. Leaning in so Ron could hear she whispered. "Finally get off your high-arse and snog Hermione senseless like you've wanted to do for the past three years?" Ron's ears were steadily turning purple and his face was beginning to match the color. Hermione was blushing herself.

"Ginny, that was really rude. I never interrupt your conver-"

"Hey!" Ginny replied brightly. "You should be thanking me. I got you guys to stop arguing, right?" She turned around and rolled her eyes at a chuckling Harry and went off to her dormitory.

"Well Ron, you've got to admit that Ginny can take on the best of them. She whooped you," Harry teased.

Ron grumbled. "Yeah, too bad she couldn't do that to Malfoy instead of me."

Ginny hurried to her bed and pulled the drawings around her, casting an anti-listening spell on them. She pulled a thin, silvery material from under her pillow and set it on the bed in front of her eagerly. She began the slow process of enchanting the material, her hand covering every centimeter of every thread of the silk. Her wand was cast aside.

For the past three months, since the beginning of summer, Ginny had been working on making an invisibility cloak. It wasn't as difficult as it seemed; the hardest part was figuring out how. Books like these were restricted, as you could do so much illegally with them. But Ginny didn't want to get in a lawsuit. She just wanted to roam the castle freely.

So she figured it out how herself. First she bought the thinnest, lightest silk available. She didn't even need to enchant it; the color was naturally silver mixed in with colors from the light. The next question was how to create a spell that combined and controlled visibility and invisibility? The cloak obviously needed to be seen for her to find, and the whole point of the cloak was disappearing once you put it on. So she spent a summer month combining the disappearing spell, the visibility spell and the utilization spell (when unused it is considered a blanket, and when used is considered a cloak). She was finally able to master it, although she did so on a gnome. That caused for a lot of chaos once he realized he was invisible.

Ginny was currently finishing up the project, which was unfortunately the hardest part. She was covering every part of it with the spell so her stomach didn't just all of the sudden show up.

After two hours of this, Ginny lowered her hand and sighed. Two hours was her limit for exhaustion. It would just have to be finished another day. Ginny calculated about 10 more hours.

Glancing at her watch, she jumped of the bed and swore. Dinner was almost over, and she had missed it the past four days.

Running into the Great Hall, Ginny fled to her seat where here friends were waiting. Ellen had saved her some food, and Ginny grinned and hugged her.

"You are the best!" she squealed. Ellen just laughed.

"Well, I figured you were starving after only eating two meals a day for a week."

"Yeah, I kind of was," Ginny admitted through a full mouth. Ellen's face scrunched up.

"I see your family inherits that trait." She glanced disdainfully at Ron.

Colin moved over to sit next to her. "Hey Gin, when does Quidditch start?"

"Next week," Ginny answered without looking up. "Why?"

"Will you still have time to tutor me in Charms?"

Ginny turned and stared at him. "Of course! I have for the past year- why would I stop now?" Colin looked over her shoulder and pointed. Because of him." Ginny turned and looked down the table, where she could see Harry immersed in two Quidditch books. He also had a drawing board in front of him and was sketching furiously. Ginny groaned.

"This year is going to be bloody hell!" she complained. "He looks worse than last year!"

Colin grimaced. "Last year he was hit in the crotch by a bludger and he still didn't stop for an hour. Don't know how anyone can top that."

"Knowing Harry, I'm sure he will," Ginny replied lightly. "Hey, did you hear about that Hufflepuff Anna Redkin tricking John into the Astronomy Tower?"

"Some girls are so bloody desparate," Ellen scowled. Ginny giggled, remembering an old crush of Ellen's. "Hey I'm over that," she protested.

"Sure," Ginny replied, scooping up more mashed potatoes.

"I am!"

* *
*

The rest of the week went by quickly, and Ginny was ecstatic when her cloak was finished. She folded it nicely into her bag and hurried out of her room for dinner. As she was approaching the hall, Ginny heard some familiar voices.

"Go to hell," she heard Ron say.

"Of course, I'll see you there." It was obvious to whom the cold voice belonged to. "Potter too- he has a tendency to want to kill too often. But the Mudblood is too perfect to do something bad enough to go there." Pansy Parkinson was sniggering from her spot behind him.

"Well Malfoy, that's the first time you've added compliments into your insults," Ginny told him coolly, steering her brother away. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Becoming soft, are you?"

He seethed, "The only thing become soft, weasel, is your stomach. I can see you're taking after your mother, the fat-" Draco suddenly remembered his fifth year in Umbridge's office, his eyes widened. He ducked just in time.

"Augh!" Pansy Parkinson shrieked, clawing at her face. "Draco, Draco, help me!" Draco looked at her, a look of disgust on his face.

"Who is responsible for this?"

The hall became silent. Draco then put on his best apologetic smile. "Miss Weasley did it, Professor Snape. Weasley and Miss Parkinson were having a bit of a spat bout me, Sir-"

"Like hell I was!" Ginny spat out. Draco stared at the fire burning in her eyes for a second before turning back.

"Just ask Miss Parkinson. Weasley hexed you didn't she?"

"Y- ES, Professor!" she shrieked, still sobbing about her face.

Professor Snape undid the spell and said silkily, "10 points from Gryffindor, and detention. See me in my office Friday at 8. Now, will everyone move along or will it be another ten points?"

Everyone scurried to dinner. Ginny sat down miserably. "Ooh, I am going to get that Malfoy back, he is not getting away with this." It was so unfair! He had started it by insulting her mother. and her.

"Gin," Hermione said softly and came over. "You didn't take what Malfoy said to heart did you?"

"Of course not, Herm!" Ginny said, looking scandalized. "I know I'm not fat- I'm not a twig either, but I'm definitely not fat. And besides, even if I were it wouldn't matter to me because I am who I am." Greta another one of Ginny's friends, stared at Ginny, then shook her head in awe. "You are something else, Gin. You've got a mind of your own." Ginny waved her hand impatiently. "Everyone does. They just have to know how to use.it." Ginny stopped short, a little smile forming on her face. Then it grew in to a large, evil one that neither Hermione nor Greta liked the look of.

* *
*

Ginny waited outside of Transfiguration early the next day, waiting for the 7th years to get done. To pass the time she moved things around in the hallway. With the flick of her hand, the statue changed walls. Another flick and a picture floated the length of the hallway. She put it back quickly, though, when its face started screaming, "Put me back! Put me back!"

Finally the class exited, the trio in front. They smiled at Ginny and kept moving along slowly.

Towards the middle of the class sauntered out the person she was looking for. A devilish smile formed on Ginny's face as she made a swiping motion with her hand.

SPLAT! Draco Malfoy fell flat on the floor, his face scrunched up in wonder at how he got down there.

"My my my, Mister Malfoy," Ginny drawled. "You sure do like it down there. The second time in two weeks! Tell me, does your father know about your tendency to lower yourself to scum?"

Draco gave her a poisonous glare and opened his mouth to retort- but found he couldn't. "What? Cat got your tongue?" The hall was ringing with laughter and it only infuriated Draco. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Ginny who, to his surprise, laughed.

"Funny, Malfoy, but enlighten me; how will you use your wand if you can't even speak?" Draco stared at her, realization hitting him. She set this whole thing up. Anger took control of his mind and to his amazement, admiration.

He got up and started to walk towards her but she held out her hand and he suddenly spun around, his wand erupting straight into the Transfiguration room.

The whole hall fell silent, save one. "Tsk, tsk, tsk Mr. Malfoy," Ginny said softly, comtemptment filling her face as McGonagall came rushing out.

"Who blew up my desk?" she whispered in a murderous voice. All eyes turned to Draco, who was now standing alone in the middle of the floor. "Fifty points from Slytherin, and detention! I never- be sure that I will talk to Professor Snape about this, Mr. Malfoy! Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Draco had been glaring at her during her speech, and now opened his mouth to rebuke everything she'd said. Only he found he couldn't. His head involuntarily shook left and right, and he caught the sight of Ginny's hand doing the same.

"Very well then," McGonagall sighed. "Along now, all of you. I have a class to teach."

And Draco watched as Ginny stole his trademark saunter walking into the classroom. Just before the door closed, she turned and winked, giving a funny little wave. Draco felt his jaws unclench and he walked away irately.

Draco stopped suddenly as he remembered all the funny little hand movements Ginny had made. An evil smile crossed his face and haunted his eyes. "She will not get away with this. no one embarrasses a Malfoy." And he sauntered away once again, trying to forget the endless teasing and talk he would receive.

Ginny leaned back in her seat, not even bothering to hide that she wasn't paying attention to McGonagall. For the first time ever she had publicly humiliated the Great Draco Malfoy. She knew she had started a war, but at the moment she didn't care. Smiling, she sighed and put her arms behind her head. Revenge was sweet.

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That's the first chapter. I hope it's to your liking. The next chapters will definitely have a lot more action in them. anyways, please review and tell me what you thought. Hopefully I will update in a week. you never know, if I have the right encouragement it may be less!