July 31, 1995, 12 Grimmauld Place
It's Harry's birthday today, and I just watched as Ron and Hermione sent off their presents with Pigwidgeon. Hermione told me that she worried Harry won't accept their gifts, but what person in their right minds wouldn't accept two bags filled with chocolate from Honeydukes?
I certainly wouldn't, that's for sure.
I wonder if Harry is having a happy birthday. I mean, if you were forced to live with three insufferable Muggles for most of the summer holiday, would you have a happy fifteenth birthday?
I should think not!
The moods of everyone in the house are very solemn, and it's got everything to do with that Order meeting yesterday. I finally figured everything out. Well, okay, I listened in on a conversation, but I still have the right information, so that's all that matters at the moment. I can hardly blame the members of the Order for being so serious…
Okay.
This morning, during breakfast, I started eavesdropping on a conversation between Dad and Professor Lupin. Yes, I know, eavesdropping is wrong, but I wouldn't have found out anything if I hadn't bent the rules a bit. So, anyway, the two of them were talking about yesterday's emergency meeting, and I actually found out quite a bit.
Apparently, Tonks was on guard duty two nights ago at the Ministry. She saw Lucius Malfoy hanging around the place she was supposed to be guarding, and this was a cause for alarm for the Order. Members are guarding something from You-Know-Who, and now everyone's worried that he knows what they're guarding.
Malfoy is a Death Eater (but the rest of the world has yet to find out), and everyone believes that You-Know-Who told Malfoy to "check up" on whatever the Order is guarding. Malfoy walked away as soon as Tonks spotted him, but he's still very suspicious, and it's a bump in the Order's plans.
I didn't hear anything else, because Dad left for the Ministry and Professor Lupin had a meeting with Dumbledore up at Hogwarts. I tried to act as though my I hadn't heard a single thing of what they were saying, but my heart was pounding a mile a minute and I could barely focus on my breakfast.
Mum noticed, and she'd taken to her head that I'm sick, so she sent me upstairs to my bedroom, where I've been ever since then. Hermione came in later, and I told her all that I had heard in the conversation between Dad and Professor Lupin. She gasped and ran off to tell Ron, Fred, and George. Ron asked Hermione and I if we wanted to play chess, but I opted against it, seeing as Mum would get suspicious if she saw me out of bed.
I've been listening to the Dream Lullaby, in hopes that it will help clear my troubled thoughts, but it doesn't seem to be working. The melody is only causing me to dwell even more on what I heard Dad and Professor Lupin talking about.
There's a Death Eater working at the Ministry, practically right alongside Dad! I guess I never really realized it until today. It's a rather scary thought, now that I'm thinking about it. You-Know-Who is probably getting a daily report about the Ministry from Malfoy, and it's becoming a huge threat to the Order.
I'm wearing my ruby necklace, underneath my tank top, of course. It's usually comforting to me when I wear it around my neck, but in this case, it doesn't seem to be much of a help. The feel of the cold gold chain against my skin isn't as reassuring as it usually is.
Speaking of the ruby necklace, I received a reply from Michael this morning, just after Mum sent me upstairs to bed. It seems that his family is on the fence about deciding if You-Know-Who is really back or not. His mother wants to believe Dumbledore, but at the same time, she wants to feel safe and secure within her own home, so she wants to side with the Ministry as well. It all sounds so confusing, and I pity Michael just a little bit.
Michael asked me about Diagon Alley, and I have yet to ask Mum and Dad. I'm not even sure if we're even going to Diagon Alley this year, but I really hope we do. It's not just because I'll probably be meeting Michael, but the entire place just has a sense of comfort and happiness, even within this troubled times of You-Know-Who.
Oh. Hermione's just come back from Ron's room, and she looks a little pink in the face. She's telling me about how she just lost three straight games of chess against Ron. She must know that Ron wins just about every chess game he plays. That's why I don't agree to play against him. The outcome is so predictable that even Buckbeak could tell that Ron is an expert chess player who wins all the time.
What was I talking about again? Oh, yes, the emergency Order meeting.
Bill stopped by about an hour ago to see how I was doing, because Mum told him that I was sick. I said that I was fine, and then I started grilling him for details on the meeting. I didn't dare tell him about how I eavesdropped on Dad and Professor Lupin, but Bill still wouldn't tell me any other details. There's got to be more Death Eaters working at the Ministry, though. I'm almost sure of it.
My head is starting to hurt from all of these stressful thoughts. And Hermione's talking to me again. Can't she see that I'm writing? Ah, well, I'd better listen to her. She might be saying something important.
I hope I'll be able to get to sleep tonight. I'm praying that all this Order information doesn't make me have another nightmare, because I haven't had one of those in a long while, and I'd prefer it if I didn't have one again. I just can't stop thinking about what Dad and Professor Lupin said. Death Eaters at the Ministry…and no one but the Order knows…
Hopefully I'll get some sleep. I need my rest!
Oh, dear. Now I sound like Hermione when she's complaining about the "invention noise" coming from Fred and George's room. Personally, I don't know what she's complaining about. Those two are going to back a fat sack of Galleons with their joke products. Maybe they'll sell their ideas to Zonko's, or even start their own joke shop.
Mum would just love that.
Hermione's giving me the evil eye because I'm not responding to her. I'd better go.
Good night!
-Ginny
Hooray! Longer chapter! I had to write this one twice because my floppy disk wasn't working, so I hope all of you enjoyed it!
I'd like to formally apologize for the yesterday's entry. There were loads of typos, and I just didn't put as much effort into it. I basically just rushed through the whole thing. Sorry!
How do you like this chapter? Sorry, I can't make this note too long. I'm supposed to be cleaning my room, and my mom's hovering over my shoulder right now.
Please, review! Thanks so much!
-Rox
