AN: Harry Potter is the creative property of J.K. Rowling, whom I am not.
Special thanks to Lady LifeCharm for her review. Now on with the tale.
The train ride back to Hogwarts for his sixth year had not been a good one for Harry. Ginny, who had become a prefect, and Ron and Hermione all went to a meeting. Though it was brief, it still left Harry alone in a compartment with Neville. The two were not discussing anything, but both contemplating the events in the Ministry of Magic at the end of their fifth- year.
The prefect meeting was short, however upon entering the compartment; Ginny had made a sarcastic comment about the joyful atmosphere there. Harry had sent her a glare, and she had taken the hint. "Come on Neville," she said, grabbing the other boy's hand. "Let's go see what Colin's up to. It's obvious we're not wanted here."
The two had then left. Harry wondered how in the world Ginny could try to have him cheer up. Despite being angry with her, he had to admit the moment she left the compartment, his world seemed a little dimmer if that was at all possible. He shook his head, best not to think about why that was. After all, he reasoned she's just Ginny.
Not a half hour after Ginny and Neville left something unusual happened.
Colin Creevey had burst into Harry, Ron and Hermione's compartment. He was pale and looked frazzled. What surprised everyone was that he paid not attention to Harry, turning his glance quickly to Ron.
"Ron, you better come quick. It's Ginny," he said. The three of them sprung to their feet and quickly followed Colin through the train asking questions as they went.
"What's wrong with Ginny," Ron worried.
"Malfoy."
"Malfoy?" Harry asked as a wave of fury ran through him. Colin nodded.
"He just burst into our compartment with Crabbe and Goyle. He said he needed to talk to Ginny alone. He told us to leave. I went to find you, but Neville wouldn't go. He told Malfoy he'd have to curse him, and I think he did."
They entered another car and there in the hallway laid Goyle and Crabbe. It looked like Neville had got a stun curse off at least. Ron swung the door to the compartment open and immediately had to be restrained by Hermione.
Ginny was sitting on Malfoy's lap, but not by choice. He had a death grip around both her wrists. It looked like he was nudging Ginny's neck with his nose. His check was bleeding and there were a few boils on his face. Obviously Ginny was able to get hit him a few times fighting before he got the upper hand. Ginny looked like she was going to murder Malfoy as soon as he let go.
"There they are now," Malfoy sneered, letting go of Ginny's wrists and getting up. "Your sister and I were just having a bit of fun."
Harry saw Hermione tighten her grip on Ron. "What did you say!" Ron spat.
Harry too noticed his fists were clenched and wanted very much to pummel Malfoy into dust. He looked to Ginny, who still looked very much like she was going to kill Malfoy, but did not get up from her seat. "Let him go Ron. He's just trying to get a rise off you," she said, still shooting a murderous glare at Malfoy. He just smirked and made his way past Ron and Harry. Hermione was losing her grip on Ron as he tensed with fury.
"Well," Malfoy said as he smirked at Ginny. "Not like the rise you've given me, my dear."
That was it. Harry propelled himself toward Malfoy with Ron right behind him, followed by Colin. Punches were going everywhere. None of them paid much attention to Hermione or Ginny's yells. Harry had the notion that someone pulled Colin out of the brawl, and was trying to pull both him and Ron out to, but to no avail.
A loud, irritated shriek filled the air and Harry and Ron were thrown backwards as Malfoy was thrown in the other direction. Harry looked up to see Hermione and Colin looking a little terrified at the sight of Ginny, but then he didn't blame her.
Her hands were clinched so hard her knuckles were turning white. Her face was red and her nose scrunched up as her anger got the best of her. Then Harry noticed no where did she have a wand and she still had that murderous glare in her eyes. She must have done some wandless magic using all the anger she had stored in her at that moment, Harry thought, if she wanted to she could quite easily use the killing curse wand or no wand. The thought made a slight chill run down his spine.
"He's not worth it," she spat at Ron and Harry before going back into the compartment. "Hermione, Colin come and help me with Neville."
They nodded and left Ron and Harry in the hall with Malfoy. They weren't about to start anything again, not with Ginny as mad as she was. Ron and Harry had a few bruises, nothing compared to Malfoy. He looked like his head had gone through a window.
"Stay away from my sister, Malfoy," Ron warned.
"Maybe she won't want me to," he smirked. "She's grown quite a body over the summer. That must have been when Longbottom grew a spine."
"Don't you come near her," Harry yelled.
"Scared of the competition Potter?" Malfoy said before he left.
On the way to the compartment, Ron and Harry kicked a still unconscious Crabbe and Goyle. Inside they found Hermione searching through several spellbooks as Colin nursed a busted lip. Ginny was hugged Trevor and was by now almost in tears.
Was it just him or was Trevor blushing, Harry thought.
Ron looked around the compartment. Something was definitely a little off.
"Uh, where's Neville. I see Trevor," he said pointing to the toad in Ginny's arms.
"That's not Trevor," Colin said, pulling a toad out from under the seat. "This is."
"Malfoy turned him into a toad after Neville wouldn't leave," Ginny said softly. "We managed to hex Crabbe and Goyle, but we couldn't get Malfoy. Then he did this and my wand went flying."
"I found it!" Hermione shouted putting down a book. "Ginny put Neville down."
Ginny gingerly set the toad down beside her.
"Revealre Corpus," Hermione said with a quick swish of her wand.
A light shot out of her want and Neville suddenly appeared, very dazed beside Ginny.
"What happened?"
"Are you all right, Neville?" Ginny asked.
"Are you?" he said, very concerned. "He didn't -"
"No. I'm fine," she said. "Colin found Harry, Ron and Hermione."
"Oh," Neville said. "Thanks."
"What did Malfoy want?" Ron demanded his anger sneaking into the tone.
"Something he'll never get. I really don't want to discuss it," Ginny said sternly as she turned to make sure Neville was indeed all right.
Special thanks to Lady LifeCharm for her review. Now on with the tale.
The train ride back to Hogwarts for his sixth year had not been a good one for Harry. Ginny, who had become a prefect, and Ron and Hermione all went to a meeting. Though it was brief, it still left Harry alone in a compartment with Neville. The two were not discussing anything, but both contemplating the events in the Ministry of Magic at the end of their fifth- year.
The prefect meeting was short, however upon entering the compartment; Ginny had made a sarcastic comment about the joyful atmosphere there. Harry had sent her a glare, and she had taken the hint. "Come on Neville," she said, grabbing the other boy's hand. "Let's go see what Colin's up to. It's obvious we're not wanted here."
The two had then left. Harry wondered how in the world Ginny could try to have him cheer up. Despite being angry with her, he had to admit the moment she left the compartment, his world seemed a little dimmer if that was at all possible. He shook his head, best not to think about why that was. After all, he reasoned she's just Ginny.
Not a half hour after Ginny and Neville left something unusual happened.
Colin Creevey had burst into Harry, Ron and Hermione's compartment. He was pale and looked frazzled. What surprised everyone was that he paid not attention to Harry, turning his glance quickly to Ron.
"Ron, you better come quick. It's Ginny," he said. The three of them sprung to their feet and quickly followed Colin through the train asking questions as they went.
"What's wrong with Ginny," Ron worried.
"Malfoy."
"Malfoy?" Harry asked as a wave of fury ran through him. Colin nodded.
"He just burst into our compartment with Crabbe and Goyle. He said he needed to talk to Ginny alone. He told us to leave. I went to find you, but Neville wouldn't go. He told Malfoy he'd have to curse him, and I think he did."
They entered another car and there in the hallway laid Goyle and Crabbe. It looked like Neville had got a stun curse off at least. Ron swung the door to the compartment open and immediately had to be restrained by Hermione.
Ginny was sitting on Malfoy's lap, but not by choice. He had a death grip around both her wrists. It looked like he was nudging Ginny's neck with his nose. His check was bleeding and there were a few boils on his face. Obviously Ginny was able to get hit him a few times fighting before he got the upper hand. Ginny looked like she was going to murder Malfoy as soon as he let go.
"There they are now," Malfoy sneered, letting go of Ginny's wrists and getting up. "Your sister and I were just having a bit of fun."
Harry saw Hermione tighten her grip on Ron. "What did you say!" Ron spat.
Harry too noticed his fists were clenched and wanted very much to pummel Malfoy into dust. He looked to Ginny, who still looked very much like she was going to kill Malfoy, but did not get up from her seat. "Let him go Ron. He's just trying to get a rise off you," she said, still shooting a murderous glare at Malfoy. He just smirked and made his way past Ron and Harry. Hermione was losing her grip on Ron as he tensed with fury.
"Well," Malfoy said as he smirked at Ginny. "Not like the rise you've given me, my dear."
That was it. Harry propelled himself toward Malfoy with Ron right behind him, followed by Colin. Punches were going everywhere. None of them paid much attention to Hermione or Ginny's yells. Harry had the notion that someone pulled Colin out of the brawl, and was trying to pull both him and Ron out to, but to no avail.
A loud, irritated shriek filled the air and Harry and Ron were thrown backwards as Malfoy was thrown in the other direction. Harry looked up to see Hermione and Colin looking a little terrified at the sight of Ginny, but then he didn't blame her.
Her hands were clinched so hard her knuckles were turning white. Her face was red and her nose scrunched up as her anger got the best of her. Then Harry noticed no where did she have a wand and she still had that murderous glare in her eyes. She must have done some wandless magic using all the anger she had stored in her at that moment, Harry thought, if she wanted to she could quite easily use the killing curse wand or no wand. The thought made a slight chill run down his spine.
"He's not worth it," she spat at Ron and Harry before going back into the compartment. "Hermione, Colin come and help me with Neville."
They nodded and left Ron and Harry in the hall with Malfoy. They weren't about to start anything again, not with Ginny as mad as she was. Ron and Harry had a few bruises, nothing compared to Malfoy. He looked like his head had gone through a window.
"Stay away from my sister, Malfoy," Ron warned.
"Maybe she won't want me to," he smirked. "She's grown quite a body over the summer. That must have been when Longbottom grew a spine."
"Don't you come near her," Harry yelled.
"Scared of the competition Potter?" Malfoy said before he left.
On the way to the compartment, Ron and Harry kicked a still unconscious Crabbe and Goyle. Inside they found Hermione searching through several spellbooks as Colin nursed a busted lip. Ginny was hugged Trevor and was by now almost in tears.
Was it just him or was Trevor blushing, Harry thought.
Ron looked around the compartment. Something was definitely a little off.
"Uh, where's Neville. I see Trevor," he said pointing to the toad in Ginny's arms.
"That's not Trevor," Colin said, pulling a toad out from under the seat. "This is."
"Malfoy turned him into a toad after Neville wouldn't leave," Ginny said softly. "We managed to hex Crabbe and Goyle, but we couldn't get Malfoy. Then he did this and my wand went flying."
"I found it!" Hermione shouted putting down a book. "Ginny put Neville down."
Ginny gingerly set the toad down beside her.
"Revealre Corpus," Hermione said with a quick swish of her wand.
A light shot out of her want and Neville suddenly appeared, very dazed beside Ginny.
"What happened?"
"Are you all right, Neville?" Ginny asked.
"Are you?" he said, very concerned. "He didn't -"
"No. I'm fine," she said. "Colin found Harry, Ron and Hermione."
"Oh," Neville said. "Thanks."
"What did Malfoy want?" Ron demanded his anger sneaking into the tone.
"Something he'll never get. I really don't want to discuss it," Ginny said sternly as she turned to make sure Neville was indeed all right.