Chapter Three

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Nice Boys

When Ron joined Hermione and Harry at their usual table, Hermione was saying, "She must be smart."

"What makes you think so?" Harry asked.

"I think that she's been moved into our class because she's exceptionally good at magic," explained Hermione.

"Who's been moved into our class?" Ron inquired, shuffling through his schoolbooks and crunching on an apple.

"Ginny," said Hermione very matter-of-factly.

Ron gasped, spitting out half the apple from his mouth. A bit landed on Harry, and he started wiping off the spittle and apple pieces frantically.

"Who?"

"Ginny," she repeated. "Ginny has been moved into our class."

"Bloody hell," sighed Ron, calming down a little. "She must be smart."

"That's Hermione's theory," said Harry.

Although Hermione didn't understand why, her friends' focus on Ginny made her feel uncomfortable. Deliberately changing the subject, she said, "I can't wait till next year."

Since the first day of school, the class had been focused on two things: their position as third years and their future status. Hermione was determined not to let the arrival of a new classmate change that.

As though on cue, Ron said, "Me neither. Just think: we'll be more than half way through Hogwarts!"

"Right," Hermione said.

"I can't wait till we have better access to Hogsmeade."

"Right," Hermione said again.

"And imagine being able to choose more of your classes!"

"Right," Hermione repeated. She felt like a cheerleader urging her team to victory.

A hoot rose up from the next table, and then the boys scattered, leaving Nevile sitting alone, a bottle of shrinking powder on each hand.

"Not again," said Harry.

Hermione shook her head. "He keeps falling for that trick." To Richard, she said, "Why do you keep falling for that trick? Your hands have barely grown back fully from the last time."

"I thought I could do it this time," Nevile mumbled. He raised one hand off the table slowly, held it in the air for several seconds, and then lowered it carefully so as not to spill the shrinking powder. Sighing heavily, he tried the other hand.

"Use your mouth," Hermione said. She meant for him to remove the bottle with his teeth. That would free a hand so that he could replace both bottles on the table without spilling any of the powder.

For several seconds, he looked confused. Then, his face brightened with understanding. "Help!" he said.

Hermione, Harry and Ron exchanged can-you-believe-it glances.

"Nevile!" Hermione said as she got to her feet.

"You told me to use my mouth," he said.

"I didn't mean like that!"

"Wait a minute. I've got an idea," Nevile said as he raised one hand again.

Hermione knew what was coming. "Nevile! Don't!" she warned.

Too late.

He dropped his hand suddenly. The bottle teetered and tipped, spattering the powder as it headed for the floor. Nevile grinned sheepishly as his hands began to shrink. "It didn't work," he said.

Hermione turned to Harry and Ron. "Boys are so stupid."

o-o-o-o-o

Out in the hallway, Lavender Brown was standing beside Ginny. Her mousy brown hair was limp and nearly past her shoulders. When she saw the other girls, she took Ginny's arm and marched toward them.

"She's still wearing that awful dress," Ron said.

Even Hermione, who thought the fine wale corduroy dress looked nice on Ginny, was surprised she hadn't changed into jeans or slacks when she saw everyone else wearing them.

Running backwards for a catch, Malfoy stumbled into Ginny and Lavender's path.

"Watch it," Lavender barked.

Ginny flashed her dimpled smile.

"She's actually smiling at Malfoy!" Ron marvelled.

As she approached Ron, Harry and Hermione, Ginny's smile widened. Her dimples deepened. She seemed bubbly and confident. Not at all the shy girl she had appeared to be this morning.

"They are so nice," she said and tossed a glance over her shoulder at the boys.

Harry groaned. "Nice. Nice? Nice!" He repeated the word as if she'd just heard it for the first time and was trying to figure out its meaning.

"In my class, the boys were awful," said Ginny.

"Ginny's class had the most awful boys," Lavender repeated, as if nobody had heard Ginny speaking the first time.

"Boys are awful everywhere," Hermione scoffed.

Ginny smiled at the boys, who were huddled a few feet away, watching.

"Did you ever see anybody so boy crazy?" Hermione whispered to Ron.

Harry nudged her disapprovingly.

Crabbe did a handstand and fell over on his back. Scrambling to his feet, he said, "I meant to do that."

Ginny laughed. "I thought it would be hard coming into a new class," she said. "But everybody's so nice."

"Ginny's mother makes candy," Lavender announce importantly.

No one quite understood what that had to do with anything, but they welcomed the change of subject.

"What kind?" Malfoy asked, coming up behind Ginny.

"All kinds," Ginny answered.

Like a broken record, Harry kept shaking his head and mumbling, "Nice," as he cast glances at Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.

Goyle's eyes widened. "Chocolate creams?"

Ginny nodded.

"Where's her store?" Goyle asked.

"She makes it at home," Ginny said.

"But where does she sell it?" Goyle persisted. Harry, Ron and Hermione translated that to mean, Where can I buy it? Candy - especially chocolate creams – was Goyle's weakness.

"She takes orders," Ginny told him.

Goyle stepped back and put his hands on his hips. His expression was disbelieving. "Your mother makes candy at home," he repeated. "It's a hobby."

Ginny nodded again.

"Then how come you aren't" – Goyle looked her up and down – "fat?"

Hermione blushed as if she'd been the one to ask that rude question.

"Because I don't like candy," Ginny explained simply. Then she smiled at Hermione. "I never saw anybody's ears get so red!"

Although her tone wasn't unkind, Hermione felt a sting in the words. Obviously, Ginny was as tactless as Goyle. And probably not too smart. Besides her dimples, Hermione wondered what else Ginny had to recommend her.