Chapter Two – Glimpse At Darkness

Its been two weeks since my flash back to my escapade in the Ministries of Magic and I was readily awaiting the Hogsmeade trip that was scheduled for this gorgeous Saturday. Deciding to wear all black attire even in the scorching heat I grabbed one of Ron's hand-me-down cloaks and pulled the hood over my head, blocking the sun from my sensitive eyes. Instead of going with Anita and Salina, I went off by myself and made sure that no one was watching me too closely.

As I neared my destination I saw Dean making his way in my direction and cast my eyes down in hopes he wouldn't notice me. My luck wasn't available when needed so I had to stick it out with the git and talked patiently, not hinting that I had business to attend to. It was now or in two months and I would love to finish buying my ingredients soon so I could start the true fun.

Forcing a large smile onto my face I pulled my hood down and greeted the elder boy with a "special handshake" that everyone had to do before talking with him. Going through the motions, I didn't concentrate on what I was doing, just watched the large clock behind him tick off the precious seconds being wasted.

"Hello Dean." I greeted.

"What's a girl like you doing without a posy of friends?"

"It's called a me day. Cannot always be with the girls." I flipped by hair back and noticed that it was a mistake for Deans eyes darkened in what I guessed was desire. Trying to take his gaze of my exposed neck I went on, "I see you are all alone. I guess we both are taking a me day, right?"

"Not a planed one," his eyes leveled with mine, "and I would like to have some company right about now. How about we get ourselves some butterbeers. We have so much to catch up on. What do you say to that?"

'No way I have time for this. Get out of the way before I make you!'

"I don't know Dean," I stuttered. 'Must pull self together…must get to Knockturn Alley.' "I don't think I can, I mean I have lots…"

"Don't be silly Ginny. Come on, let's get a drink and get out of the sun."

Wrapping his strong arm around my shoulders, I was steered in the opposite direction I needed to go and felt my blood begin to boil in anger. 'Why wont this kid let me be! All I ask for is one day to plot and scheme in secret but no, I don't get that pleasure!'

Dean opened the door, and being a true gentleman pulled out my chair for me at our table. I sat down and thanked him like he expected of me and slyly looked at my watch without him noticing. I discarded my cloak and one of the black shirts I had worn for the days failed mission, leaving me in a skimpy tank top that would have had Ron throw a fit.

'If he can't handle it, too bad for him. And I can see Dean appreciates it.'

Having caught Dean staring at me again I coughed to get him to stop, making him flush red in embarrassment. In a joking manner, or so it seemed, I said, "If you would rather I can put my other shirt back on."

Clearing his throat, Dean mumbled something or other about seeing no problem with what I was wearing. 'Of course not, you're a man.' Shrugging my shoulders in an unconcerned fashion, I made small talk with Dean until our butterbeers arrived and silently drank it all, listening to Dean. He finally shut up for a second to leave for the restroom and I again looked at the time and sighed.

'Already coming on 4:15! What a waste of a day.'

Closing my eyes I let myself drift into a dream.

"Your late Mrs. Weasley. You know what that means, detention before breakfast and two hours tomorrow helping the house elves clean the Gryffindor common room." Professor Sprout turned back to the rest of the class and continued to lecture about the various plants sitting on a table centered in the middle of the greenhouse.

Under the circumstances I would have normally taken the punishment calmly and understand that I was at fault and was responsible for my actions, but I felt something stir in my mouth which caused me to begin speaking.

"Professor Sprout, please be reasonable. I came from the opposite side of the castle!"

Huffing at the interruption, the woman shook a soil-covered finger at me. "You shouldn't have dawdled to class. Everyone else got here on time." I felt myself again begin to speak and immediately bit my lip as I heard what reached the ears of my fellow classmates.

"I don't think you understand. I won't take this from you just because you're millions of decades older then me." Clenching my fist tighter I walked closer to her and said, "Maybe if you got a man you wouldn't be so uptight. Others have lives you know!"

Thankfully she yelled during my tirade, stopping me in mid-sentence before more damage was done. Her voice rang through my ears as she dragged me to McGonagall's room. I gulped in sudden fear and started to talk rapidly to my enraged teacher, telling her that I hadn't meant a word of it. All Sprout did was silence me with a look that should have stopped my heart.

In my head I kept thinking, 'why did I say such vial things to a professor I respect?' Part of me said, 'because she always pushes me around, the twit got what was told. If only I had said it earlier.'

The door leading to McGonagall's squeaked in protest as it was opening, startling the cat sitting in front of a raging fire. At seeing that a student and teacher had entered the room, the cat stood on all fours and stretched. The peculiar circles around the cat's eyes reminded me of glasses. A startled gasp escaped my lips as my head of house transformed from a cat to her human form. Ron had, of course, told me all about her Animagus form and how she had caught Ron and Harry coming late to class the first day by pretending to be a cat, but never had I witnessed her transformation. Under different circumstances I would have applauded her for the cool stunt but couldn't find my voice.

'Now of all times I stay quiet, yet when I should zip my lips and throw away the key, I allow myself to blab like an idiot. Gosh, I am ridiculous.'

"Mrs. Weasley is this true!"

Looking at my head of house I guessed while I had been lost in thought the two teachers had been discussing my ordeal. I planned on shaking my head yes and leaving it at that but instead said in a bored voice, "No".

"Surely you cannot tell me that Professor has fantasized all of it."

"Professor McGonagall, I did nothing wrong. It was the plant lover who made a big deal out of nothing."

"You see Minerva! She has no respect for me, none what so ever! Surely you can get her expelled from the school!"

"Is that necessary?" Turning to look at me with a quizzical look, the transformation teacher lifted her wand and began to whisper a spell. Not allowing it to hit me I dodged behind a chair and peaked me head out to see what was going to be her next move.

Sprout shouted "Colloportus!", causing my bodying to spring into a frozen position. I came crashing to the floor and the next thing that happened was...

"Was I gone that long?"

"Huh?" Opening my eyes I found Dean with a light smile watching me as I slowly sat up into a sitting position. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as I asked the time, only to hear that we should be getting back to Hogwarts soon since dusk was about to settle over the village of Hogsmeade. Pulling out four Sickles and seven Knuts, I paid for my butterbeer and joined Dean on the deserted path to the school. Trudging through the dirt path we walked in silence, allowing me to reflect on my dream.

The events had been real; all of the actions and feelings had been mine at the beginning of the school year. It was when I had started to metamorphose into what I am now, the powerful human I had always been, hidden under the layers of innocents I had been shoved under. I understood now that the change was something I had no control over. For some reason my life had changed, yet I couldn't do anything about it. When I woke up in the school's informatory, I had been asked a series of fast paced question in which I learned that my behavior hadn't been a temporary lapse of judgment.

From then on I had made sure to cover my true feelings. In the begging I had tried desperately to uncover why my persona was developing into the complete opposite it had been, but nothing came to mind that would explain it. I hadn't had any life changing event disrupt my life, hadn't been given any of Fred or George's inventions, and had refrained from making potions and using spells on myself…so I gave up. I learned that I was different and had no choice but to live with it.

So, over time I mastered the art of acting. The people whom I use to associate with never noticed the looks of hatred or disappointment I sent their ways. Oh no, I was the girl they all loved and trusted with their deepest secrets.

And now look at me, a cynical teenager with no true friends. 'This must be what that Malfoy boy feels like. Surrounded with fakes that he cannot stand, always gritting his teeth in frustration.

'Speaking of Malfoy, he has been awfully pale this year. Looks weak and tired too.' It was true; Malfoy had permanent bags under his eyes and looked as if he was always locked in his room studying or something of that sort. Not that I had been watching him mind you. It wasn't only me who noticed the degeneration of his looks. Most of the girls in my dorm use to swarm into groups and talk about him for hours. Now all you heard was, "Oh, I saw him walk down the hall," and that was it.

'Enough about the past,' I told myself. My mind zoomed back to the present time and I gave Dean a friendly hug as I departed for my dorm room. Once I was out of the boy's sight, I began to wipe at my clothing, trying to get whatever it was he had on him off me.

Flopping onto my red bed, I pulled out my potions book and began to flip to page 429. Snape had told us it was time for us to start the hard work. Try as I might, I couldn't concentrate on my homework assignment. I kept thinking about the ingredients I needed for a top-secret spell that no one could know about. All I needed was a fourth cup of nettles, three lionfish spines, and one Abyssinian shrivelfig finely chopped. 'Shouldn't be too hard to find all those ingredients in Knockturn Alley.'

As I shuffled down to the Great Hall for dinner, I settled in my mind that next week on Sunday during the Quidditch celebrations I would go to Knockturn Alley and begin my plan.