Chapter Two

Ginny bounded down the steps two at a time the following morning, feeling considerably lighter-hearted. Granted, she had woken up to a delivery of cauldron cakes at her window by a swarm of giant butterflies. She gathered that Ron had owled Fred and George about her nightmares, and this was their way of showing their concern. Luckily, only one of the cauldron cakes was an exploding one, and she managed to avoid it since it began smoking shortly after being delivered.

She entered the kitchen where Ron was already seated at the table, buttering a large stack of toast. Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl, was perched on the table, obviously resting after delivering something to Ron.

"Morning, Ron ... had a letter then?" Ginny asked casually. She knew better than to thank him for asking Fred and George to do something nice for her, it would only embarrass him. Instead she had saved a few cauldron cakes for him and left them in his room.

"Yeah, Harry and Hermione are coming to Diagon Alley with us tomorrow." He said as he placed several pieces of toast in Hedwig's beak and carried her to the window. Ron was putting up a good show of being chipper, but Ginny saw how his shoulders sagged. She guessed that Harry's letter had been brief and given little rest to Ron's worries. She felt slightly indignant on her brother's behalf. Didn't Harry know how much Ron cared about him, how much all of them cared about him?

Brushing aside her temper, Ginny grabbed a piece of toast and hopped onto the counter. "Where's Mum?" she asked Ron, looking towards the Weasley family clock. Her father's clock hand was positioned at Work, as were Fred and George's. Bill and Charlie's hands were at Home, so Ginny supposed it was night time in whatever exotic countries they were currently in and they were both fast asleep. Percy's hand had been blasted off the clock by Mr. Weasley just a few weeks earlier, when Percy had reduced Ginny to tears by completely ignoring her birthday. Her mother's clock hand was in motion.

"Apparating to Hogsmeade for a meeting." Ron said bitterly, upset about being left out of important Order business again.

"Did she say anything?" Ginny asked hopefully.

Ron shook his head as he let Hedwig take flight. He watched Hedwig rise higher and higher until she was no more than a speck in the sky, and then turned back to Ginny.

"Want to play Quidditch after breakfast?" he asked.

Ginny was thrilled. She loved playing Quidditch, and her recent games against Ron had gotten increasingly challenging, not to mention fun. They were both getting quite good, in her opinion. Ron was a top-notch Keeper when he was able to focus all his energies on the role, and Ginny was working on her Chaser skills. Both Ron and Ginny agreed that Harry would most likely rejoin the Gryffindor House Team as Seeker, and Ginny was happy to renounce the position to be a Chaser instead. Being Seeker required too much patience for her ... she liked to be where the action was.

After Ginny finished her toast, the two grabbed brooms from the shed and flew lazily to the orchard, where they practiced for hours by tossing apples into the air. Once Ron had achieved his goal of blocking fifteen of Ginny's shots in a row, they headed back to the Burrow.

Mrs. Weasley was waiting for them in the doorway.

"Oh there you are! Where were you? I was looking everywhere for you!" she called out as they approached.

"Playing Quidditch, Mum. We didn't think you'd back for hours!" Ron said.

Mrs. Weasley's lips pressed into a thin line. She looked slightly weary, and Ginny knew that she did not like being away from her family. Yet the Order was extremely important to every one of the Weasleys, and she would never neglect her duties to Albus Dumbledore and the others.

"Come now, we've got important business to attend to, and he's requested that both of you be there." Mrs. Weasley ushered them inside quickly.

"Who has?" asked Ginny, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"What's going on?" added Ron, mirroring Ginny's expression.

Mrs. Weasley sighed as she rushed them over to the fireplace. "Why, Dumbledore of course! He's specifically asked for both of you to be there ... though I don't know why children need to be involved ... the very idea!"

"Children!" Ron shouted indignantly, just as Ginny asked, "Where?"

Mrs. Weasley turned to face them, her hands full of floo powder and her expression grave.

"My dears, we have to go to Grimmauld Place. They are reading Sirius Black's will today."

Ginny heard her brother's sharp intake of breath, and felt her own face drain of color. Sirius. How could she ever set foot in Grimmauld Place again?

"But – but what about Harry?" Ron fumbled for words.

"Harry will be arriving there with Remus. He's also arranged for Hermione to be there. We thought Harry would – would need you both." Mrs. Weasley handed the floo powder to Ron as she spoke, avoiding his eyes.

Ginny felt her heart drop. Harry only needed Hermione and Ron. Why then did Dumbledore ask for her to be there? So she could feel like an outsider as usual?

"Harry didn't say anything in his letter." said Ron, looking suspicious. He turned to Ginny for support, but she was looking at the ground.

"Well, I suppose he's just found out about this too. Goodness, I hope Remus doesn't have any trouble with those awful Muggles!" Mrs. Weasley turned back to the fireplace, fretting to herself.

"Why does Dumbledore want Ginny to come?" Ron asked, noting his sister's deflated mood.

Mrs. Weasley placed another handful of Floo Powder in Ginny's palm. "Enough questions, we're getting late! Now, you first Ron. Floo over to the Ministry, and then we'll be heading there with your father."

Ron stepped towards the flames with a sideways glance at Ginny, then tossed the powder into the grate and hopped in, shouting, "Ministry of Magic" as he went. With a blaze of greenish light, he was gone.

"Come along, Ginny. Let's not keep Dumbledore waiting!" Mrs. Weasley nudged Ginny towards the fire.

Ginny tossed the powder into the flames with a heavy heart, and called out "Ministry of Magic!" just as her brother had. As the warmth and brightness surrounded her, she wondered if she would ever feel like she belonged anywhere.

Author's Note:  I'm sorry to post 2 chapters and leave, but I'm headed to India for 3 weeks and won't be able to update until I get back.  However, I'd love to have a bunch of comments & criticisms to incorporate into Chapter 3.  Thanks!!!