Chapter two: Awakening and Realisations, Gryffindors and Snape
When Ginny next awoke it was nighttime. She took in her surroundings. The hospital wing, it looked the same, but different. There was definitely something odd about this whole situation. It didn't make sense. The girl she didn't know, too many students in Hogsmeade, no Aurors or Order members. And there was that time when she thought she woke, it didn't feel like a dream but it must have been. Because there was Dumbledore.
"Ah!" Said a brisk voice, startling her out of her reverie. "I thought you might be waking up about now." It was Madam Pomfrey, but she looked – younger. "Now how are you feeling?"
"Um, fine. My head hurts?" It came out as more of a question than a statement.
"Well that's not surprising. Death Eaters in Hogsmeade! I never thought I'd see the day when that lot dared to come anywhere near Professor Dumbledore!"
"Um, what's the date?" Ginny had a dreadful feeling about this.
"It's Monday evening, two days after you were attacked. October. The 31st." Madam Pomfrey continued, as Ginny remained confused. She'd been in Hogsmeade on the 1st of November – she knew that because it was the day after Halloween. The Halloween feast had been a subdued affair that year. There was precious little to celebrate. Now Madam Pomfrey was saying that Halloween was, well, today?
"I'm sorry I'm confused." Said Ginny. "I can't remember, what year is it?"
"Oh dear, you are confused aren't you. Well I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, the Cruciatus curse on a child! It was bound to upset you. It's 1977 dear."
"Oh." Said Ginny faintly. "Of course."
"Now you settle back and get some more rest. Here drink this. The Headmaster will be along in the morning." Ginny took the potion from her, noting, almost absently, that it was a dreamless sleep potion. She drank it in one gulp and, almost immediately, went back to sleep.
In the morning, when she awoke, she found her head was clear. '1977' she remembered. 'It's 1977'.
"Good morning, young lady." It was Dumbledore. She knew he was alive, of course she did, but it was still a shock seeing him.
"Good morning Professor Dumbledore." She said quietly.
"I'm afraid you have the advantage of me." Ginny looked at him confused. "I don't know your name." He clarified.
"Oh. Of course." Ginny thought. "Professor, I'm going to tell you something that I'm not sure you are going to believe." She paused; he nodded for her to continue. "My name is Genevra Molly Weasley, although everyone calls me Ginny. I was born on the 11th of August, 1981. I'm 16. Before the fight on Saturday, when I was wandering around Hogsmeade, the date was 1st November 1997. I don't know how, or why, but I think I've come back in time."
Professor Dumbledore studied the girl in front of him. She certainly seemed to believe she was telling him the truth. And it would make some sort of sense, she did look like a Weasley but there hadn't been a girl born in that family for generations.
"I know it's hard to believe Professor but …"
He held up his hand to stop her. "It is an … unusual story to be sure. Perhaps you will allow me to ask a few questions?"
"Um, Professor, I don't think I should, you know, say anything that might change things."
"Oh I quite understand Miss Weasley. Perhaps you could tell me who your parents are, and do you have any brothers or sisters?"
Ginny smiled. "Brothers! Lots of them! My Dad is Arthur Weasley, my Mum is Molly Weasley, her maiden name is Prewitt. My oldest brother is Bill." She paused in astonishment. "Gosh he must be coming up to seven now, he was nearly 27 when I left! Charlie is next. He's nearly 25, or five now I suppose. Then there's Percy, he's 21 and then the twins, they are 19: Fred and George – hey, I've just thought. Mum must be pregnant with them right now." She turned amazed eyes to Professor Dumbledore. "Imagine that!"
He smiled at her. "Well that certainly is a large number of brothers Miss Weasley."
"I haven't even mentioned Ron!" Dumbledore's eyebrows raised and she smiled in response. "He's 17, just one year older than me. I'm the youngest. The first Weasley girl in seven generations." Her face fell as she thought of Ron, and by extension of Harry and Hermione. Where were they? Were they alright?
Dumbledore was relieved, Molly Weasley's pregnancy was, at least, something he could verify. "I take it that you are a Hogwarts student?" She nodded. "Which house?"
"Gryffindor." She said with pride. "All the Weasley's have been in Gryffindor."
"Indeed they have. Well, I think the simplest thing" Dumbledore continued, "is to have you enrol as a student in this time until we figure out a way to get you back where you belong." He paused for a moment. "We should come up with a background story, and perhaps a change of name."
Ginny nodded. "What about Jennifer?" She suggested. "Then people can call me Jenny, it's not much different from Ginny so I'm not likely to forget to answer."
"That will do fine. Jennifer Weston I think. From New Zealand perhaps, then at least your familiarity with the language won't be remarked upon." Ginny nodded. "Then I think I'll fetch the Head Girl, she has been concerned about you. It was her life you saved back there in Hogsmeade."
"What's her name?"
"Her name is Lily Evans."
Ginny started in surprise. "Oh!" She said quietly.
"Do you recognise the name?"
"Professor, some of the people at Hogwarts, at this time – I mean it wasn't until I recognised the name, they must be … the war you see, um."
Dumbledore seemed to understand her dilemma. "Ah, well yes. I suspect that there are some students now, who by your time will be dead or injured."
"Yes." She said slowly. "And there are others who will be Death Eaters themselves with horrible things to their names." She pointed out, thinking of Snape.
"Yes, it will be difficult for you I expect." The Professor's voice was filled with sympathy and understanding. "If you ever need to talk, Miss Weasley, my office door is always open to you. The password is Mint Humbug." She smiled at him, in thanks. "I will tell Professor McGonagall, your Head of House, but I don't feel the other teachers need to know. Not right now."
"Yes Professor. Um" It suddenly occurred to her, "I don't have my things."
"Worry not, I will arrange that for you."
Ginny was getting out of bed when Madam Pomfrey came round. She checked her over and pronounced her good to go. "A little less confused I hope Miss Weston."
"Yes, thank you Madam Pomfrey. Um, could you tell me, something hit me from behind and I was wondering?"
"I'm not sure what it was, some form of curse. It hit both you and Miss Evans but she recovered within a day. You were affected worse because of the Cruciatus curse."
"Was anyone else hurt?" Ginny asked, mortified that she hadn't thought to enquire before
"No. We were very lucky." Madam Pomfrey regarded her gravely "I hope you don't make a habit of fighting Death Eaters."
"Not usually." Said Ginny, well aware that she was not being entirely truthful. "Only when there's no other choice." She amended. "Did they get away?"
"Most of them. One of them was captured."
"Well that's one less we have to worry about I suppose." By this time Ginny was completely dressed.
"Jennifer Weston?" A diffident voice came from behind her. Ginny spun round and saw, Harry's eyes. Harry's eyes looking at her from within the face of the girl she had fought beside the other day.
"Jenny." She said. "Just Jenny."
Gryffindor Tower was an ordeal. First of all there was Harry's eyes, looking at her with gratitude, making her feel, well, odd as she tried not to remember what had happened to Lily Evans, what was going to happen in a few years. Then they walked into the Gryffindor Common Room and she saw Harry. Of course it wasn't really him but James, Harry's father, looked so much like Harry that it was hard to think about anything else – unless she looked in his eyes. His eyes were safe.
There was one shock after another. Meeting a small blond, friendly looking, boy who turned out to be Pettigrew, the betrayer. Meeting Remus, her old Professor, looking so, well young. At one point she had turned to greet a tall, handsome boy, with laughing eyes, and had nearly fainted in shock when she realised that this was Sirius. She wasn't even safe with the sixth year students. A quiet, confident, young man offered to help her settle in and show her where her classes were but she recognised the face, and the name, from old pictures she'd seen of Order members. Benjy Fenwick. She could remember, as clear as day, Moody's voice. "We only ever found bits of him."
When she retreated to the sixth year girls' dorm she felt safe. None of their names or faces had rung any bells. But then Alice, a pretty, vivacious, round faced girl confessed to her that the Death Eater who had been captured, had been taken to the Ministry holding cells by her boyfriend Frank, the trainee Auror. Ginny looked into Alice's eyes and saw Neville. She didn't need to ask Frank's surname – it was obvious. She asked anyway, trying to pretend it wasn't true. It was.
Lying in bed that night, awake, listening to the breathing of the other girls, Ginny tried to convince herself that she could do this. That she was brave, that she was strong. Then she remembered Snape. She had barely been able to stomach shaking hands with Peter once she knew who he was, how was she going to handle Snape? Eventually, by using the Muggle meditation techniques Hermione had taught her a couple of years ago, she persuaded herself. Calm. Calm. I will just ignore him. He isn't my year, he isn't my house, I can just avoid him.
The very next morning, however, she discovered it wasn't going to be that easy. She was sat at the Gryffindor table for breakfast, with the other sixth and seventh year students. The other students were chatting away, the usual breakfast nonsense. Ginny was being very quiet. The others had come to the conclusion that she was shy, and that they shouldn't overwhelm her too much. Her old school must have been much smaller than Hogwarts so she probably wasn't used to being around this many people. As she was trying to concentrate on her breakfast, rather than on the worryingly part-familiar faces around her she heard a voice from behind her.
"Hungry this morning Lupin?" enquired Snape "You seem to be wolfing down your breakfast." He sneered.
Ginny tensed and she could feel to her right that James had too.
"What did you want Snivellus?" asked Remus calmly.
"Nothing from you!" he sneered.
"Then why don't you be a good little serpent and slither off!" Said Sirius dismissively.
Snape's eyes narrowed. "Actually, we were just discussing the new laws on half-breeds: vampires, werewolves that sort of thing. Perhaps you have some insights into the matter you'd like to discuss with us?"
Ginny's head snapped round, "And exactly what are your fascinating insights on the matter?" She snapped at him.
Looking a little startled at her involvement in the conversation, he soon recovered himself and sneered at her "Well, I believe that there is a lot to be said about putting these dangerous animals" his eyes flicked to Remus and back again "out of their misery, don't you think so?"
"Why you …" Ginny leapt to her feet. "For your information one of my best teachers ever was a werewolf and it was because of idiots like you he had to leave and we got stuck with second-rate prats! Since he stopped teaching I've been privileged to know him as a mentor and a friend and let me assure you he is twice the man you could ever be you greasy piece of human wreckage! And" she added with sudden inspiration, "his girlfriend is really cool too, which, I guess, you wouldn't be likely to know anything about you little worm since you are likely to remain pathetically alone until your, hopefully painful, death!" With that, she grabbed her book bag, pushed past the stunned Slytherin and stormed out of the Great Hall.
'Way to go being calm and ignoring the traitor, Ginny!' she thought to herself as she walked through the corridor.
Back in the hall there was a surprised silence at that end of the Gryffindor table. "Well that about sums it up, don't you think Mr 'Human Wreckage'?" Sirius said grinning at Snape.
Snape scowled and walked off with the other Slytherins muttering about "Getting girls to fight their battles" and "Fabled Gryffindor courage".
"I think I'm going to like that girl!" Sirius said with a grin.
"Me too." Remus grinned right back. "Me too!"