Chapter 81

4th Year Beginnings

An owl came for Ginny Weasley one morning about a week before school was to start. She opened it up quickly when she noticed that it was from Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She saw that it said that the same notice was going out to a few of her fellow third years. She saw the list of people that it was going out to also, and noticed that it was going out to the ones that were in the group of friends, and a couple of others also. She read the note and smiled before running up to show her mother what was being offered to her and some of her friends.

Mrs. Weasley smiled at her daughters enthusiasm and said. "Well looks like a great opportunity for you and some of your classmates. Do you want to do it?"

"Oh mum, you don't know how much I want to, but it's going to be so much more work. I know that we can do it, because we will have Harry, Ron and them helping us out. Can I please have permission to go for it?" She was practically bouncing on her heels as she waited for the answer from her mother.

"I don't have a problem with you doing it, but we do need to ask your father. Don't worry, I don't think that he will have any problems with it. Why don't you go floo him and tell him about it, and I will get things together for you to go to Diagon Alley again to get the extra books and supplies. Why don't you floo your friends also and ask if they want to go with us to go." She smiled as Ginny went flying to the fireplace to check with her father and her friends. "Albus, you are one smart cookie. Thank you for bringing that group together into the same year." She said this as she looked down at the letter that her daughter had just got and smiled as she read it again.

Dear Ginerva Weasley:

I'm sorry that this is getting to you so close to the start of term, but we didn't want to bother you or your friends while you were on vacation. This is to inform you that you and a few of your fellow upcoming third years, are being offered the opportunity to go into an accelerated third year that will have you finishing it over the Christmas Holidays. You will then be joining your fellow fourth years after the holidays. You will be taking your third year courses in the evenings, and taking the fourth year courses along with the other fourth years. Please send a response via owl if you are interested in doing this.

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Molly quickly sent a message to Minerva saying that Ginny would do it as she waited for her daughter to come back. When she next saw Ginny, she was followed by a couple of her friends that weren't staying at the burrow for the summer, along with the ones that were staying there.

"Mum, dad said that it was ok that I can do it. I need to send a note to Professor McGonagall saying that I will." She looked around for a piece of parchment while her mother handed her a note that she had wrote out for her, and she signed it. The others sent off their own notes also with the owl to the school saying that they would do it.

The trip to Diagon Alley was fun for the whole group, and they spent the day shopping and having fun. They stopped at the ice cream parlor for ice cream and lunch. They were talking a bit about what it was going to be like going through the accelerated third year. They all knew that it was going to be hard, but they also knew that they were going to have the support and help of their friends and family.

On September 1st, they made their way to platform 9 3/4 and the Hogwart's Express. They all said their good byes, and made to find compartments for the ride to school. They were all excited about the new year, and Hermione was found with Harry and Draco helping their friends that were going to be joining them in their year learn some of the what they were going to be learning in the accelerated 3rd year. The ones that weren't with them on vacation, were given special dispensation to use magic for the rest of the summer, and were all staying at the burrow and were learning about the year, and also learning now on the train ride. They were picking it up rather quickly, and were happy to learn that they were probably going to be done with the third year work by Halloween instead of Christmas.

When they got to the school, they all got carriages, and made their way to the school, and into the Great Hall for the feast. The feast was quite an affair for the whole school. They were sitting and had the sorting where there was an equal amount of people sorted into each house. Then the Headmaster dropped the bomb onto the whole school which had them talking all night about it.

The headmaster tapped his glass, and the whole of the Great Hall shut up quickly. "Students and professors alike, I have a major announcement to make. One is that there won't be any official Quidditch this year." After the moans of the whole school, he went on. "There is a good reason for this, and I hope that once you hear my reasoning, you will all get excited. Instead we will be hosting two other schools from Europe here for a once in a lifetime tournament called the Tri-Wizard tournament, that will be starting in a couple of months. We will be hosting Beauxbautons from France, and Durmstrang from Bulgaria. The Tri-Wizard Tournament is a three event style tournament for 6th and 7th years only. There will be sign ups once the other schools get here. There will also be spells to keep those to young from signing up, so don't think that you will be able to." He looked at the Weasley Twins when he said this in particular, and the whole school had a laugh when he said this. "While there won't be any official Quidditch, we will be having a small tournament in April between the three schools. They will each put up a all-star squad to play in it. If your interested, please put your name in with your head of house. Now that everyone is finished with their dinner, and I am done with my speeches, prefects take them to your dorms, and good night all." The students went off towards their respective dorms, and started talking about what they had learned before they went to bed that night.