Disclaimer: I don't own it.
.::G.::.H::.
The sorting was as could be expected, one hundred or more frightened eleven year olds trying on a battered, old hat. Before the plates filled with food, Dumbledore stood up and the Great Hall fell silent.
"Welcome, welcome, to another year at Hogwarts! First I would like to introduce all of you to our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Elladora S. Bell," a woman sitting two seats away from Dumbledore, stood up. "I would like to remind all of you that the Dark Forest is forbidden to all students. Anything from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes is forbidden, and a full list is posted on Filch's door.
"Now you are all probably starving, so tuck in!" the headmaster waved his outstretched hand with a flourish, and food covered the tables. Though most students were ravenous, many males hadn't touched their plates. They were all staring at their new D.A.D.A. teacher, Prof. Bell. She was very beautiful, with her long almost black hair, olive skin, and startling purple-blue eyes.
After goggling for a few seconds, the male population started to eat. "So Gin, what's with the new look?" asked one of Ginny's friends, Carla Frazetti. She was a very tall girl with warm grey eyes and strawberry-blonde hair. "I'll tell you in the common room," she said nodding toward Harry, who was sitting one seat away, diagonal from Ginny. Carla nodded, understanding that she didn't want Harry to hear.
"Hey, Mione', why didn't you get Head Girl?" Harry asked. Hermione shrugged and replied, "I'm sort of glad I didn't. I have more time to concentrate on schoolwork if I don't have Head Girl duties."
When the plates cleared, Carla (who was a prefect) left to lead the first years to their common rooms. Ginny, Jules, Colin Creevy, and Ryan Shorting, who almost never left each other's sides, meandered up to Gryffindor Tower. Ginny was getting many up and downs from boys her age and older, and couldn't help blushing. They reached the Fat Lady just as Carla and Hermione were saying that the new password was "Giant Squid".
The quartet made their way through the portrait hole, and found Carla waiting at the entrance. "Now, about the change in attire..." Carla said, giving Ginny an up and down, herself. So, Ginny once more told the story of how she got the makeover. Not but a second after she had finished, Hermione walked down the girl's staircase and asked, "Did you tell them about the bet?" The five sixteen year olds nodded, grinning from ear to ear.
.::G.::.H::.
Ginny woke up with a warm, bubbly feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was the first day of term, and that always made her anxious. She got into her school robes and walked down to the Great Hall, yawning and stretching. She sat down by Hermione and her friends and piled eggs onto her plate. "Here's your timetable," Ryan said, handing her a slip of parchment.
"Oh Bugger! Double Potions today," she grumbled. Ron sauntered up and sat down. He gave Ginny's attire a disapproving look, before saying, "'Morning." "But we've got D.A.D.A. first!" Colin said excitedly. Noticing that everyone was looking at him questioningly, he added, "Professor Bell is drop dead gorgeous!" Ryan, Harry, and Ron all nodded, while the girls looked at each other and laughed.
"As you all know, I am Prof. Bell. But please don't call me that; it makes me sound old. You can call me Elladora," the 19 year old witch said when everyone had entered the classroom. "Please put your textbooks away. I think textbooks were created by the devil in order to bore people to death," the class laughed, "Today I'm going to teach you how to repel a manticore."
She waved her wand, and a model of the part man, lion, and scorpion creature appeared to the left of her. It was so realistic that when it bared its silvery teeth a few people (including Colin) shrieked. Elladora proceeded to show them the various places they could aim a spell at. She then taught them a strong stunning spell, and about ten minutes before the bell rang she stopped them from practicing.
"I know you're probably eager to learn, but I have a few questions to ask all of you.
"I may sound strange in asking this, who are on the House Quidditch teams?" Ell asked. The students were a bit surprised by such an off topic question. Ginny raised her hand. Elladora pointed to her and she said, "On the Gryffindor team there's Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, me - I'm Ginny Weasley, Ryan Shorting, Jules Noriega, Dennis Creevy, and Natalie McDonald."
Jill (a girl from Ravenclaw) then named the Ravenclaw team. Colin then named the Slytherin team, "Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Malcolm Baddok, Graham Pritchard, Chet Moss, Tyler Edwards, and Matt Warren." Ryan named the Hufflepuff team. "Thank you, I'm a very devoted Quidditch fan," Elladora said, giving them a toothy smile (many boys were drooling by now).
The bell rang and everyone gathered their stuff and left the room. "I'm telling you, that teacher is h-o-t, hot!" Ryan exclaimed once they were halfway to the charms classroom. "I bet you, she shags a seventh year before Christmas," Ginny muttered. "Hey! She seems like a good person!" Colin said defensively. The girls shrugged and kept walking.
At lunch the four walked into the Great Hall to find Harry sitting next to Parvati and flirting quite obviously. Ginny clicked her tongue and went to sit down on the other side of Harry. "Hey Harry!" she said, smiling coquettishly. "Oh, uh, hey Gin," he said turning back to Parvati. How rude! She thought. She just started eating, pretending not to listen to their conversation.
"Harry, your glasses are crooked," Parvati said and reached up her hand to straighten them. Ginny just glared at her plate. "Ha-ha, thanks. Um, Parvati, do you want to go to the first Hogsmeade weekend? It's supposed to be one week from now," he said a bit shyly. "I'd love to!" she squealed. "Great!" he said, finally touching his food.
Ginny just continued to glare at her plate. "So Ginny, did you want to tell me something?" he asked, giving her a smile that made her heart do a flip-flop (why, she didn't know). I'm over the whole elbow in the butter dish thing! She told herself. "No, never mind," she said and got up, making sure she brushed his side with her hip.
.::G.::.H::.
A/N: Sorry about taking so long for this chap! I know it might seem like this chap is a bit pointless, but trust me, it is crucial to the point to introduce Prof. Bell. Things to come:
Hogsmeade weekend
Ginny gets a kiss
Prof. Bell plays a HUGE part
Ryan Shorting plays a big part
