The Adventure Continued

Chapter 3: Sides Never Seen

A/N: Another chapter! How convenient.Trust me, it gets exciting. Ok, maybe not exciting enough, but interesting at least. Hope you enjoy enough to review! If not, oh well. I will still write like the little enginethatcould...until the engine breaks down, that is ;)

Ginny laughed at the surprised looks on her friends' faces. Mrs. Weasley peered over casually, trying to hide the grin on her face. Mrs. Weasley knew very well of her daughter's plans and had pride in Ginny's decision. At least she didn't turn out like Fred or George!

"Why didn't you tell me, Gin? I'm your own brother, for Merlin's sake!" Ron cried exasperated that his sister would keep something so important from him.

Ginny tried to hold back her enormous grin as she answered, "I was going to tell you, really. I just wanted to make sure that this was something I really wanted to do. I didn't send my answer to McGonagall until yesterday. Besides Mum and Dad, you three are the first to know."

Harry stared at the wavy redhead in astonishment. Ginny is only a kid! How could she be teaching transfiguration when she herself was barely out of school? "Yeah, but she's twenty, she's not a child anymore," the other part of his brain echoed in his mind. Sure, Harry and Ginny dated in their sixth year, but Harry couldn't get it out of his head the little girl whom he had seen running after the train nearly ten years ago.

"What made you choose transfiguration, of all subjects?" Hermione recovered enough from the shock to ask.

"McGonagall suggest it," Ginny continued, still trying to hold back her smile. "I talked with her last year when the Ministry decided to let Hogwarts open again. She said I've always had excellent marks in the subject, and with a few classes that the ministry is offering, I would do fairly well teaching. I'm an animagus, as you know. I've really developed that part of my training. I'm hoping to be as good as McGonagall one day." The last comment seemed to be to herself rather than her audience.

This was definitely a side Harry had never seen of Ginny, but it left a feeling of loss in his gut. Harry had always been on track for a career as an auror, with Ginny straggling behind trying to discover her purpose. Now that Ginny had chosen her career, it would mean she had chosen a life away from Harry.

"Wait," Harry thought, shaking his head. "We broke up a long time ago. She's just doing what she thinks is best. It doesn't mean anything concerning me…or at least I hope it doesn't…"

The conversation went on, with Ginny describing what she was going to do this next year. It had been four years since the school had closed. For some students, four years of school had to be made up. For fifth years, that meant four years had to be crammed into their brains before taking O.W.L.'s. Students who were over seventeen could take offered classes with the Ministry to replace the years they lost from the school closing. Ginny was one of many students that had taken this course.

When the conversation about ended, Harry realized it was nearly eleven. It wouldn't normally have bothered him much, but he was expected at the office at seven and four sleepless nights seemed to have caught up with him all at once. With a yawn and a hug for each friend (giving Ginny an extra long hug and a "Good luck!") and Mrs. Weasley, the four disappeared, leaving Harry alone in the house. He had so much to think about, but his brain shut down before he could ponder more…

"Oops, sorry, ma'am," Harry apologized as he bumped into a witch on his way out of the elevator and into the Auror Office, causing the latter to fall over. His lack of attention to his surroundings was to blame on a few memos in his hand. One was the results of the raid. Just as Tonks predicted and to Harry's disappointment, nothing was found at the Malfoys' estate. Ernie sent his own note to Harry, but it must not have contained anything valuable as Harry crumpled it up and shoved it in his pocket. With the last memo, a note from Tonks, Harry became even more distracted, resulting in knocking over the witch in front of him.

"Do watch where you're going from now on, Potter," came the stern reply.

Harry looked up and almost tripped over himself.