"Chapter One"
A small red-headed girl pulled her head out from under the covers of her blanket. It seemed just a couple weeks ago she had finished her fifth year at Hogwarts. Now, she was beginning her sixth year. Her trunks were packed; her clothes were already spread out on the floor, waiting to be put on. The small girl was no one other than Ginny Weasley. Ginny could hear her mother yelling in her high-pitched motherly scream, "Ginny! Get out of bed this instant, and get ready, you're going to make everybody late!"
Ginny looked over at her muggle clock that her father had placed into her room, it was only nine o'clock. She had plenty of time to get ready, her mother always did this. Made her get up extra-early, then make her sit and wait at the platform for another hour. But, knowing her mother, if she kept sleeping her mother would storm up the stairs and wake her up personally, which wasn't what Ginny wanted to experience. "Ginny, are you awake yet?"
"Yes, Mum!" Ginny called from her bedroom. Sitting up on her four-poster bed, the sixteen-year-old rubbed her eyes. After a half in hour, Ginny had brushed her hair, double checked her trunks to make sure they had every thing in it, gotten dressed, avoided yet another prank from Fred or George, eaten breakfast, brushed her teeth, and was ready to go.
Ginny waited by the door with her trunk, along with Ron, who was the only other Weasley going to Hogwarts at that time. Molly Weasley appeared from the kitchen, and said, "Okay Ron, Ginny, you have everything right?"
"Yes, Mum. We already double checked." Ron, who was nearly a foot taller than Ginny, answered.
"You're sure?"
"Yes!"
"Okay, well come on then!"
Ginny silently followed her mother and elder brother out of the door, about thirty minutes later they reached the platforms nine and ten. Following their normal schedule, Ron went first because he was older. Having watched her brothers go through the wall many times (and her going through herself) didn't look any more astonshied then she had over the years. Once Ron had gone through, Ginny gripped her cart like she had done the previous five times, and ran through the barrier.
"Gin!" A familiar voice called from one of the benches.
"Colin!" Ginny ran over to the fellow Gryffindor sixth year. "How was you're summer?"
"Great! I got loads of pictures from America!" Colin replied, Colin had visited America over the summer. "How was yours?"
"A typical summer." Ginny said, every year she explained how her summer went, and it was always the same so she didn't see the point in explaining how her summer went.
"Did Fred and George try anything on you?" Colin asked as a man took their trunks, and they boarded the train.
"Nah. They decided to avoid me this summer because Mum threatened to make them sleep with the pigs if they tried anything over the summer." Ginny laughed half heartily, taking a moment to look into one of the compartments to see who was in it. Luna Lovegood sat by herself in one of the compartments.
"Hey Luna, do you mind if we sit with you?" Ginny asked shyly, she was never good at talking to anyone in a higher year than her.
"Of course not, Ginny!" Luna said, looking over her Quibbler Magazine that she was reading upside down. Ginny took a seat next across from Luna, while Colin took a seat next to Ginny. After a while, the train made its way to Hogwarts.
After three games of exploding snap, two games of Wizards chess, and an hour of trading chocolate frog cards, a group of five walked past the compartment that Ginny, Colin, and Luna were sitting in. Three past, but the fourth was just about to pass when the black-haired girl stopped at the entrance of their compartment. Ginny could recognize her anywhere. Pansy Parkinson. The boy behind her was Blaze Zambini, and the three in front were Crabbe, Goyle, and a blonde that Ginny didn't recognize.
"Hey, you lot." Pansy yelled at the three boys who had kept walking. "Look what we have here."
The three boys were soon back at the entrance of the compartment. Ginny and Colin had their cards spread across the floor. Crabbe soon said, "Pansy, we don't have time for this! I want to get the candy!"
"Shut it, Crabbe." The blonde snapped at Crabbe who didn't look like he changed at all.
"Sorry, Draco." Crabbe said, looking down at his feet.
That was Malfoy? That didn't even look like him! He was probably a good half-foot taller than Ginny; he had grown out his hair so that it was at eye level.
"Weasley. Trading cards? That does seem a bit babyish doesn't it?" Malfoy said, scanning her. She stood up, as did that annoying Gryffindor boy that always brought his camera with him everywhere. Draco looked at her more closely. "Come on Pansy. Lets go. We've got better things to do."
They left as quickly as they came. Luna hadn't even noticed that they even came. The train came to a sudden stop. They were there, at Hogwarts, again. Stepping off the train she remembered what had happened her first year. How Tom had talked her, made her do awful things. Releasing the basilisk, everything. She watched as the many first years trembled as they walked over to Hagrid.
"C'mon, Gin, we'll be late!" Colin said, tugging at her robe sleeve. She followed her best friend into the great hall, where the candles floated by themselves. The second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh year students sat down at their house tables. Chatter filled amongst the students, glad chatter, everyone happy to be back at Hogwarts. Ginny glanced up at the head table. Every teacher there, except McGonagall who was with the first year students.
"Hey, Ginny, you okay?" Colin asked, noticing his friend's blank expression.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Ginny lied, every year at Hogwarts something big had happened, she was scared something else was going to happen, perhaps the war with Harry vs. Voldemort. She knew something would happen, something always happened, Ginny just wished something wouldn't happened.
The sixteen-year-old was snapped back into realty when the door opened. McGonagall walked through the doors, showing no emotion. Thirteen frightful first years, some not so scared, followed the head of Gryffindor into the Great Hall.
The normal procedure followed. After fifteen minutes, there were three new Huffelpuffs, four new Ravenclaws, three new Slytherins, and three new Gryffindors. Ginny clapped at everyone. Except when Slytherins were called she quietly clapped under the table. She clapped at them ever since her second year, it seemed like a habit ever since- well, Tom. That's what she called him inside her head and to herself. She never talked about it out aloud. Tom was in Slytherin- he had been her best friend, she hadn't known he was making her do those things until the end. Colin hadn't become her best friend until her second year.
Ginny and Colin walked up to the common room together after they ate. After saying good-night Ginny walked into the girl's dorm. She changed into Ron's old pajamas, and snuggled underneath the covers on her four-poster bed.
It had been a week since they had gotten back. Nearly all of the first years had gotten lost, and were just arriving at dinner thirty minutes after it had started. Playing around with the peas on her plate, Ginny dozed off.
"Earth to Ginny, is anyone there?" Colin waved his hands in front of her face.
"Oh what?" Ginny said, seeing Colin, Ginny added, "Sorry."
"You've seemed as if you're in another world, Gin." Colin replied, eating another piece of his apple. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes. Everything's fine, I'm just tired. I was up studying all night last night." Ginny lied, she kept dozing off because- well she just was- she couldn't seem to help it.
"I know what you mean. Professor Snape has been giving us WAY too many essays." Colin said, "We've only been back a week, and he has already given us two essays."
"What were you saying anyway?"
"Oh- yeah. Dumbledore is letting me fly on a broom during the games so I can get a better view when I take pictures..", Colin began, but Ginny dozed off picking and mushing corn around on her plate. She snapped back into realty when Dumbledore said it was time to go back to bed.
At 11:46, Ginny woke with a sudden start. She had had a nightmare. Closing her eyes, Ginny tried to get back to sleep, but somehow she couldn't. Not really thinking of consequences, Ginny slipped on her slippers very carefully, and pulled on one of her robes. Making sure no one saw her get up, she shut the door behind her when she left the girl's dorm.
Ginny didn't really know why she liked the Astronomy tower so much, but she did know she liked the stars, maybe she was drawn to the tower cause of her liking for stars. Ginny really didn't know. But, nonetheless, she ended up at the tower. Ginny went onto the porch, and sat on the railing. Dangling her feet, Ginny absentmindly picker her hands off the railing and lost her balance. Barley managing to grab the railing, Ginny screamed, and tried to pull her self up, it was a positive 100 meters fall to the ground.
Her fingers were slipping, suddenly, a warm hand grabbed the Gryffindor's slipping hands. The person helped her up, and set her down on the ground, not harshly, but gently.
Ginny looked up, and stared straight up into the eyes of Draco Malfoy..
A small red-headed girl pulled her head out from under the covers of her blanket. It seemed just a couple weeks ago she had finished her fifth year at Hogwarts. Now, she was beginning her sixth year. Her trunks were packed; her clothes were already spread out on the floor, waiting to be put on. The small girl was no one other than Ginny Weasley. Ginny could hear her mother yelling in her high-pitched motherly scream, "Ginny! Get out of bed this instant, and get ready, you're going to make everybody late!"
Ginny looked over at her muggle clock that her father had placed into her room, it was only nine o'clock. She had plenty of time to get ready, her mother always did this. Made her get up extra-early, then make her sit and wait at the platform for another hour. But, knowing her mother, if she kept sleeping her mother would storm up the stairs and wake her up personally, which wasn't what Ginny wanted to experience. "Ginny, are you awake yet?"
"Yes, Mum!" Ginny called from her bedroom. Sitting up on her four-poster bed, the sixteen-year-old rubbed her eyes. After a half in hour, Ginny had brushed her hair, double checked her trunks to make sure they had every thing in it, gotten dressed, avoided yet another prank from Fred or George, eaten breakfast, brushed her teeth, and was ready to go.
Ginny waited by the door with her trunk, along with Ron, who was the only other Weasley going to Hogwarts at that time. Molly Weasley appeared from the kitchen, and said, "Okay Ron, Ginny, you have everything right?"
"Yes, Mum. We already double checked." Ron, who was nearly a foot taller than Ginny, answered.
"You're sure?"
"Yes!"
"Okay, well come on then!"
Ginny silently followed her mother and elder brother out of the door, about thirty minutes later they reached the platforms nine and ten. Following their normal schedule, Ron went first because he was older. Having watched her brothers go through the wall many times (and her going through herself) didn't look any more astonshied then she had over the years. Once Ron had gone through, Ginny gripped her cart like she had done the previous five times, and ran through the barrier.
"Gin!" A familiar voice called from one of the benches.
"Colin!" Ginny ran over to the fellow Gryffindor sixth year. "How was you're summer?"
"Great! I got loads of pictures from America!" Colin replied, Colin had visited America over the summer. "How was yours?"
"A typical summer." Ginny said, every year she explained how her summer went, and it was always the same so she didn't see the point in explaining how her summer went.
"Did Fred and George try anything on you?" Colin asked as a man took their trunks, and they boarded the train.
"Nah. They decided to avoid me this summer because Mum threatened to make them sleep with the pigs if they tried anything over the summer." Ginny laughed half heartily, taking a moment to look into one of the compartments to see who was in it. Luna Lovegood sat by herself in one of the compartments.
"Hey Luna, do you mind if we sit with you?" Ginny asked shyly, she was never good at talking to anyone in a higher year than her.
"Of course not, Ginny!" Luna said, looking over her Quibbler Magazine that she was reading upside down. Ginny took a seat next across from Luna, while Colin took a seat next to Ginny. After a while, the train made its way to Hogwarts.
After three games of exploding snap, two games of Wizards chess, and an hour of trading chocolate frog cards, a group of five walked past the compartment that Ginny, Colin, and Luna were sitting in. Three past, but the fourth was just about to pass when the black-haired girl stopped at the entrance of their compartment. Ginny could recognize her anywhere. Pansy Parkinson. The boy behind her was Blaze Zambini, and the three in front were Crabbe, Goyle, and a blonde that Ginny didn't recognize.
"Hey, you lot." Pansy yelled at the three boys who had kept walking. "Look what we have here."
The three boys were soon back at the entrance of the compartment. Ginny and Colin had their cards spread across the floor. Crabbe soon said, "Pansy, we don't have time for this! I want to get the candy!"
"Shut it, Crabbe." The blonde snapped at Crabbe who didn't look like he changed at all.
"Sorry, Draco." Crabbe said, looking down at his feet.
That was Malfoy? That didn't even look like him! He was probably a good half-foot taller than Ginny; he had grown out his hair so that it was at eye level.
"Weasley. Trading cards? That does seem a bit babyish doesn't it?" Malfoy said, scanning her. She stood up, as did that annoying Gryffindor boy that always brought his camera with him everywhere. Draco looked at her more closely. "Come on Pansy. Lets go. We've got better things to do."
They left as quickly as they came. Luna hadn't even noticed that they even came. The train came to a sudden stop. They were there, at Hogwarts, again. Stepping off the train she remembered what had happened her first year. How Tom had talked her, made her do awful things. Releasing the basilisk, everything. She watched as the many first years trembled as they walked over to Hagrid.
"C'mon, Gin, we'll be late!" Colin said, tugging at her robe sleeve. She followed her best friend into the great hall, where the candles floated by themselves. The second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh year students sat down at their house tables. Chatter filled amongst the students, glad chatter, everyone happy to be back at Hogwarts. Ginny glanced up at the head table. Every teacher there, except McGonagall who was with the first year students.
"Hey, Ginny, you okay?" Colin asked, noticing his friend's blank expression.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine." Ginny lied, every year at Hogwarts something big had happened, she was scared something else was going to happen, perhaps the war with Harry vs. Voldemort. She knew something would happen, something always happened, Ginny just wished something wouldn't happened.
The sixteen-year-old was snapped back into realty when the door opened. McGonagall walked through the doors, showing no emotion. Thirteen frightful first years, some not so scared, followed the head of Gryffindor into the Great Hall.
The normal procedure followed. After fifteen minutes, there were three new Huffelpuffs, four new Ravenclaws, three new Slytherins, and three new Gryffindors. Ginny clapped at everyone. Except when Slytherins were called she quietly clapped under the table. She clapped at them ever since her second year, it seemed like a habit ever since- well, Tom. That's what she called him inside her head and to herself. She never talked about it out aloud. Tom was in Slytherin- he had been her best friend, she hadn't known he was making her do those things until the end. Colin hadn't become her best friend until her second year.
Ginny and Colin walked up to the common room together after they ate. After saying good-night Ginny walked into the girl's dorm. She changed into Ron's old pajamas, and snuggled underneath the covers on her four-poster bed.
It had been a week since they had gotten back. Nearly all of the first years had gotten lost, and were just arriving at dinner thirty minutes after it had started. Playing around with the peas on her plate, Ginny dozed off.
"Earth to Ginny, is anyone there?" Colin waved his hands in front of her face.
"Oh what?" Ginny said, seeing Colin, Ginny added, "Sorry."
"You've seemed as if you're in another world, Gin." Colin replied, eating another piece of his apple. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes. Everything's fine, I'm just tired. I was up studying all night last night." Ginny lied, she kept dozing off because- well she just was- she couldn't seem to help it.
"I know what you mean. Professor Snape has been giving us WAY too many essays." Colin said, "We've only been back a week, and he has already given us two essays."
"What were you saying anyway?"
"Oh- yeah. Dumbledore is letting me fly on a broom during the games so I can get a better view when I take pictures..", Colin began, but Ginny dozed off picking and mushing corn around on her plate. She snapped back into realty when Dumbledore said it was time to go back to bed.
At 11:46, Ginny woke with a sudden start. She had had a nightmare. Closing her eyes, Ginny tried to get back to sleep, but somehow she couldn't. Not really thinking of consequences, Ginny slipped on her slippers very carefully, and pulled on one of her robes. Making sure no one saw her get up, she shut the door behind her when she left the girl's dorm.
Ginny didn't really know why she liked the Astronomy tower so much, but she did know she liked the stars, maybe she was drawn to the tower cause of her liking for stars. Ginny really didn't know. But, nonetheless, she ended up at the tower. Ginny went onto the porch, and sat on the railing. Dangling her feet, Ginny absentmindly picker her hands off the railing and lost her balance. Barley managing to grab the railing, Ginny screamed, and tried to pull her self up, it was a positive 100 meters fall to the ground.
Her fingers were slipping, suddenly, a warm hand grabbed the Gryffindor's slipping hands. The person helped her up, and set her down on the ground, not harshly, but gently.
Ginny looked up, and stared straight up into the eyes of Draco Malfoy..