Ginny sat in the corner of the corridor, waiting for Luna to arrive with the items they'd need. She'd finished her part of the preparations the night before, and now was just waiting on Luna. They had designed their plan over hours and hours of discussion, argument, and practical examination of their skills. The end result had been more than a little depressing, but they would work with what they had.

Less than impressive dueling skills, especially compared to witches older and more vicious. Not nearly enough time to prepare. The element of surprise.

Really, that was what it would all come down to. Were she and Luna strong enough, with the element of surprise, to take down their tormentors in one fell swoop? Would the preparations they had completed be enough to cover their own personal shortcomings?

These doubts and more plagued Ginny as she sat in the darkness, twirling her wand in agitated patience. What was taking Luna so long? They were working on a time limit!

It was only a few more minutes, though it felt like hours more, when Luna finally arrived. She held her rucksack in her arms while she skipped gaily in.

"Did you get enough, do you think?" Ginny probed.

Luna had a grin that reached ear to ear as she simply opened the rucksack and emptied it. Clothes, quills, notebooks, a whole school year's worth of items came tumbling out. "You tell me."

"Perfect! Let's get started right away. We haven't a moment to waste."

Their corridor was filled with light mutters and the quiet flick, flick, swish of wands through the air. About one in every four or five charms Ginny cast wasn't quite right. Either it had a bit too much allure on it or not quite enough. Sometimes it just slid off entirely. For the most part, though, the Emphasis Charms she cast were just right and they settled over the assortment of objects like a film of snow over the tops of trees. You could clearly see the object beneath, but the snow covered it like a second skin.

Luna only had to recast about one in ten Charms, which didn't surprise Ginny in the least. Luna had a way with some of the subtler magics that Ginny just couldn't quite grasp no matter how hard she tried.

The first time they had to pause was because Ginny almost had a panic attack. Her hand hovered an inch, maybe less, above a black leather-bound book. It was too small and slim to be a textbook, which was what Luna had said she would grab.

The book looked different than hers. Tom's. The one she used to write in. But an unfamiliar slim black book of sleek leather still managed to give her pause, even after all the nights where she forced herself to write in the one she'd received as a gift. She straightened her spine and forced herself to speak.

"L-Luna, did you grab only their textbooks?"

"I grabbed as many of their textbooks as I could find, why do you ask?"

"Because this looks more like a diary." Slowly, like she was afraid it might bite, Ginny reached out for the book. She cracked it open, and was surprised when it easily gave way. "Luna, they didn't even Charm it locked!"

"Overconfident, is what they are. Anything good in there?"

"We don't have time to check now, but we can keep it with us? Find out future dirt on them if we need it."

"We should keep our eyes peeled for the other two as well; they may not have locked theirs either!"

The second time they stopped was less for a good find, and more out of incredulity on Ginny's part.

"Animadvertus Corusca! Oh shoot, that's another one gone. Finite. Finite! I stuck it on quite well. Ginny, a bit of help?"

"Finite Incantatem." Ginny flicked her wand with a harsh swipe in the direction of the item of clothing that Luna had Charmed. "Luna, what is that?" It was too small to be a shirt, unless their shirt was only going to cover to their belly buttons.

"It's Felicity's pants."

"Luna!" Ginny laughed. "You don't think that's too far?"

"They stole mine. It's only fair."

"When? You never told me they -."

"It was last year. They didn't do it more than once, but it still happened. It was so embarrassing getting it down. We hadn't learned the Levitation Charm yet, so I'd needed to ask for help. I think that's why they'd never done it again, they'd gotten some nasty looks from the prefect who helped me."

"Nothing more than a nasty look? Honestly, what's wrong with people." Ginny huffed under her breath. Her spellcasting was a lot more vicious after that, sharper flicks and harsher twirls, her cadence more pronounced and choppier. She started having to redo about every other Charm, at which point she forced herself to sit back and breathe.

She felt her body, each inch of it, from top to bottom. She let her sole focus be on the way her body felt and allowed her anger to bleed away like rain upon a window pane. It would keep coming, she was sure, but so long as it dripped down and off, she could still see through the anger and be effective.

"Talk about something to help distract me while we cast?" Ginny asked Luna when she'd finally calmed enough to be effective with the spell a few minutes later.

"You know it's funny, but I think they were right."

"Who was right?" Ginny asked.

"Felicity, Kim, and Olivia."

"You're not going soft on me, are you Luna? We've been planning this all year."

"No, of course not. They deserve whatever we're about to give them, and more." There was a harshness to Luna's words that Ginny admired then, even though it was so at odds with her ordinary demeanor. "But we aren't being very brave in how we're approaching this, are we? Do you think we sort too young? Look how much you've changed since you got Sorted. You might actually make a much better Slytherin now."

If it were anyone else, Ginny would take great offense. As it was, even with the words being Luna's Ginny still felt her hackles rise up in defense, sharp barbed words coalescing to be spat with haste and fervor in defense. She held them back, swallowed them up, and answered instead "I think nobody is just one singular thing. Just because I sometimes think like a Slytherin, sometimes act like a Slytherin, and sometimes speak like a Slytherin, that doesn't make me only a Slytherin. A Hufflepuff can be brave in the defense of their friends. A Ravenclaw can be ambitious in their choice of research. A Slytherin can work hard to achieve their goals. A Gryffindor can show wisdom when they choose the right moment to stand against their fears. And on and on and on."

"I suppose that's true."

"And!" Luna raised her eyes at her, but Ginny was on a roll and getting in to it now "And, and, and! Didn't you hear what Fernando whats-his-face said? Surprise works! Ambush is completely valid as a method of attack. We didn't start this fight, but we're going to finish it, and using strategy and tactics doesn't make us cowards, it just makes us smart."

"I've Charmed more objects than you, Ginny, I'm certainly on board. You don't have to convince me."

"I know, you just got me worked up."

"That's alright, just do your best to catch up."

"Animadvertus Corusca!"

They fell back into their routine of casting spells. Ginny checked the time with a quick "Tempus," every so often to keep themselves on track.

"Alright, Luna, we have just enough time to finish up. We've Charmed enough, don't you think? They should be coming back from Hogsmeade within the hour, so let's set up. It's our only chance at this."

"I told you we didn't have to wait until the absolute last Hogsmeade visit to do this, Ginny. We could have given ourselves multiple tries."

"I know, but I want them to take this with them over the Summer Hols and let it stew without having to see us going to classes every day. I want their last memories of us to be of us beating them. They can't have a chance to come back from this or react in any way if we want to be successful."

"I know, you've said it before. I agree with you. I was just saying, was all."

They worked diligently to bait their trap, stringing their Charmed objects up nooks and crannies around the castle corridor. Tiny clues set along the path to tempt their foes off their beaten path from the Great Hall to the Ravenclaw Tower and instead invite them into their spider's web.

The two friends then hunkered back down in their alcove. They had found more than enough locations in their investigations with Hermione and Roni that might have worked in their favor. They'd eventually settled on this little nook, a winding corridor that seemed as though it must have crossed itself at least three times although it never did, and eventually ended in a small dead-end landing. It had furniture scattered about and was lit only by torchlight. Paintings and tapestries adorned the walls, but not a single one had any inhabitants. It was purely landscapes and objects depicted on the walls.

They'd had so many places to choose from, they'd been stifled with indecision for nearly a week. At the end of it, they'd chosen this location for two reasons. The passageway was a thin corridor, almost unnoticeable it was so well hidden amongst the statues and decorations along one of the regular hallways of the castle. The way it twisted and turned was disorienting to walk along, and it had a side effect of leaving you feeling a bit cut off from the rest of the world.

The second was their hiding place. While there were enough places to hide hidden among the furniture, one of the tapestries hid the entrance to a secret tunnel. This wouldn't be enough on its own to be the deciding factor, but the secret tunnel they'd found led directly to one of the other locations they were considering to use as an ambush location. Having a backup plan had been the clincher for them.

They made sure to bait the entrance to their back up location as well before heading back to their hiding spot. Ginny took a knut out of her pocket and held it on its edge against the ground. She took a few calming breaths and allowed herself to envision perfectly the hallway outside their corridor. The color of the stone floor, the pattern on the walls, the details of the marble statue and the way the Charmed item lightly begged for attention just out of view. She saw clearly in her mind's eye the three bullies walking through the hallway, right up to the corridor, imagining it in as vivid detail as she could.

Ginny touched her wand to the knut and held the coin wedged between the tip and the floor. She breathed out "Titimas arordúr." She slowly, with great care, pulled her wand away and breathed a sigh of relief as the coin stayed standing.

"I still say scrying would have been the better choice," Luna whispered.

"Yes, I do too, but scrying is hard, Luna. I could get impressions, vague colors and images, but I couldn't get nearly anything clear enough to be useful. This, on the other hand, is simple enough that I can do it nearly reliably."

"True. I couldn't scry reliably either. Didn't even manage to get any colors in my mirror. I don't think I focused on one place hard enough. But it did give me an insight into this." She waved her wand with a mischievous grin and muttered something Ginny didn't quite catch. The inside of the tapestry they were hiding behind turned translucent.

"Luna, this is perfect!"

"I know! I was worried about only having to rely on what we could hear or having to peek around the edge of the tapestry to see."

"We'll get them, for sure." Ginny grabbed Luna's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. They sat, leaned against the wall with the standing coin in plain view, and settled in for a long wait.

It didn't have to wait very long at all, which was just as they'd expected. They'd planned it all too well for it to go any other way. But the seconds ticked by at a glacial pace. Ginny counted her heart beating and the moments between breaths as she readied herself. They'd been planning this for most of the year, and a nervous energy began to fill her. Adrenaline, anticipation, some nebulous energy she couldn't define. It coursed through her causing her muscles to clench and her teeth to grind.

She was ready. They were ready. They had to be.

The ting and clatter of the knut falling jolted Ginny out of her intense focus. She peered through the sheer tapestry into the landing, straining her ears for any hint of their targets. The silence was deafening, until suddenly she thought she heard a murmur. Or was it just a trick of her mind?

She drew her wand in preparation and saw Luna do the same. Another murmur, louder this time and for certain someone else's voice echoing loudly through the corridor. Not a trick, but proof their scheme had worked.

"How did all our stuff get out here?"

"Felicity, is that your textbook?"

"It is! My first edition of Gadding with Ghouls!!"

"If whoever's been going about rifling through our things thinks they're just having a laugh, they've got another think coming." Growling it more than saying it, Felicity stalked in to the room behind Kim, Olivia following behind them both.

"Of course they do. We'll hex them to bits, we will. Look at all the things they've stole! Personal things! That's just not on."

It happened in an instant. They'd practiced so many times, incanting in sync. A squeeze of the hand on a shoulder and their arms would move in the same motion at the same lightning quick speed, through a twist and a twirl and a snap. They whispered in sync, so lightly they could barely hear each other, "Petrificus totalis."

Ginny wasn't sure, but she thought for a brief moment that they'd started casting just a hair before she had felt Luna squeeze her shoulder. They were still perfectly in sync, and had her amulet felt just a tad heavier against her breast?

She didn't have time for such thoughts, though, as she saw Felicity and Kim's bodies go ramrod straight before tilting back. Without hesitation Ginny darted forwards towards their enemies. She trusted Luna to already be casting the second Full Body Bind. Her eyes glinted in delight as she saw Olivia's bend over and her wand wave towards her friends, not towards Ginny. She saw the spell settle over the Petrified girl to no apparent effect.

Ginny was rushing ever faster towards the girl who had cut her, Felicity. She bent down low, never slowing as she plucked the girl's wand from her clenched fist. The dark wood was coarse against her fingers, and she looked up to smile at her only remaining bully as she heard a shout of "Protego!". Ginny felt a thrill of fear shiver down her spine at the look on her bully's face as Luna's follow up spell splashed harmlessly against the older girl's shield.

Ginny dodged out of the way of a hissed "Stimula!" from Olivia. She moved in the direction of the other Petrified bully, scooping up her wand as well. Smooth, where Felicity's had been rough. Her ambition cost her though, and she didn't dodge quite fast enough. She let out a wheeze of pain as she felt the hostile magic skim her cheek, but it was light in comparison to everything else she and Luna had endured this past year.

Ginny popped up, ready to fight, vitriol and incantations dripping just behind her lips, ready and waiting to be released. The older girl had a nasty glower on her face when she saw that she had missed Ginny and that she was now in dire straits.

The two girls stared at each other, prepared to duel each other for the sake of their closest friends.

It was unfortunate, then, for Olivia that the tables had turned from their previous encounters. Ginny and Luna now had the advantage of numbers with two against one, and they were both stronger than they had been in any of their previous fights.

Ginny felt a thrum in her chest, suspiciously close to the necklace that lay upon her chest, that felt like the surge of a wave against a cliff. She couldn't say how she knew, but she paused to duck low to the ground. She heard a belated shout from Luna telling her to "Move, Ginny!" before a moment later she felt the magical energy crackle overhead as another spell whizzed right over her.

Olivia's expression ended up stuck in that nasty snarl when Luna's magic washed over her.

Ginny hadn't meant to block Luna's view. The had practiced and drilled this sequence over and over again, but the two of them had forgotten that their opponents were people, not targets. They moved and reacted, cast shields and spells of their own. They had known that, had prepared for it even, but hadn't thought to prepare for getting in each other's way. No plan ever survived contact with the enemy.

Ginny bent and scooped up the wand of the last girl as quick as she could, keeping them all well out of range of their wielders. She felt a moment's hesitation, an undeniable temptation. Three flimsy little pieces of wood, just as precious as they were fragile. All it would take was a quick snap, snap, snap and her tormentors would learn a real lesson.

Instead she looked down at them all, frozen in shock and anger. The Full Body Bind was not a popular spell. It had a long incantation and some over the top wand motions, but it was still a good one. Complete immobilization, but it kept those under its influence awake and aware. More dangerous, in that it left them conscious enough to try and escape, but more satisfying in that you could lord your victory over them and have them appreciate it. The one thing the Full Body Bind didn't freeze in place was the eyes. Ginny found she loved this as she looked down at her tormentors of the past year and saw something she didn't see on any of their faces, something she had never seen from any of them in any real way.

Fear.

It was oddly intoxicating. She felt powerful, in a way she hadn't in a long time. But the satisfaction at being feared felt ugly and vicious compared to the curling sense of pride at a plan executed successfully. She breathed deep and centered herself, forcing herself to shrug off the crowing pleasure she felt at dread she saw in their eyes and focusing instead on the warm sense of accomplishment.

"I could snap your wands, right now. All of them. And there'd be nothing you could do about it." Ginny mentioned this casually, while waving their wands around and around in an easy loop, limp at the wrist. "Luna didn't want me to. I think you owe her a thank you for that, though I doubt you'll give it to her. Just know this: what we've had this whole year? It's over now. You've had your fun, but we've taken you out once and we can do it again. If we have to do it again, I might not listen to Luna when she tells me not to snap your wands."

"They really aren't worth the punishment you might get for going that far, Ginny."

"I know, Luna, you've said as much before. I just want to make myself clear. You understand, don't you girls? You can try and pick on us all you want, but we'll always get even."

Ginny fingered her own wand then, on the precipice of a decision. She hadn't mentioned it yet to Luna, although she knew Luna would never judge her. Was it really something she wanted for herself, though? Was it worth it? Would she be lashing out in anger, or sticking up for herself?

She pointed her wand down at Felicity, the word tickling the tip of her tongue.

"Diffindo." She murmured. She was gentler in her incanting than Felicity had been, but she was sure her magic bit just as sharp. A line, whip thin and straight, appeared on Felicity's shoulder, a mirror image to the scar Ginny still bore.

Ginny wondered what her face looked like to them. Did she look fearsome? Terrifying? Did she look conflicted? Could they see her decision and turmoil splayed across her face?

Their own faces were frozen solid with magic, so Ginny would never know.

"You match now. Isn't that nice?" Luna mentioned mildly, the way one might discuss their most recent grade on a test.

"I told them, Luna, didn't I? We'll always get even. Don't worry, ickle Fell-y, it'll heal quickly. Within a few weeks you'll barely feel the twinge when you write. Promise; I'm talking from experience, after all."

Ginny turned and Luna turned with her, then they walked away from their nightmares together.

It was shortly before the leaving feast that Ginny and Luna saw their three bullies being scolded by one very irate half-goblin professor. The three girls sat at the Ravenclaw table, where Ginny was walking Luna towards, with their eyes downcast as they fiddled with silverware on the table in shame.

"I'm shocked, simply shocked that not just one, but all three of you would do this. Why, if it weren't for the generosity of two younger girls, I'm certain you may have never found them again! By the Forbidden Forest, what in all the cave's wonders were you doing out there!"

Luna and Ginny snickered to each other, easily able to hear him from all the way down the table.

"Sorry I can't sit with you, Luna."

"I know the rules, Ginny. You must sit with your housemates at the Welcome and Leaving feasts. Nothing we can do about it."

Ginny smiled and fingered the small piece of parchment in the pocket of her robes. It was almost time.

"I'll give them back to you this time, but you best be certain to be more responsible in the future! Or else!" The small man squeaked his diatribe, and Ginny knew she'd never get a better chance. As he walked away, she gleefully took in one last time her bullies dejected expression before she tore the paper in half. She felt a whoosh of magic as the hall was quite suddenly filled with full sized pieces of paper. The Great Hall looked like images she'd seen of the Muggle World when they'd thrown pamphlets and what not out of their flying contraptions over the tops of cities to get the word out about things.

The whole room erupted into at first shouts of confusion, then of laughter as the Hogwarts students began to read what was falling to them from the heavens.

Ginny picked one up herself and was pleased to see one of her favorite passages. A rambling confession of love for some Hufflepuff two years her senior, Kim had extolled at length all his undeniable virtues. She used the phrase "true love" at least 15 times. As laughter rolled throughout the Great Hall, Ginny couldn't think of anything that would make her smile wider than she was at that moment.

"My diary!" was the shout from Kim that proved her wrong, though. "And yours too, Felicity! Olivia, this is your handwriting. Who stole our diaries!"

Ginny and Luna weren't monsters. They weren't going to air all the girl's dirty laundry and then also expose the secrets as theirs. They weren't trying to be cruel. They wanted to embarrass the girls but didn't want the whole school to know about it, necessarily. They'd managed to keep their own plight silent enough this year, they could offer their tormentors the same respect. The pages had flittered down, but Ginny and Luna had scoured the pages to ensure it never mentioned their bullies names, not even once.

If they outed themselves, though, well that wasn't Ginny's fault, now was it?

She sauntered by, enjoying the tinkling sound of Luna's laughter as she sat down at her table, away from the embarrassed trio. Ginny passed the three girls and gave them a wink as they glared at her. They knew who did this, but honestly, were they going to admit to being bested by two younger girls? Ginny doubted it. Especially not the two kind girls who had just returned their wands from the Forbidden Forest, if their story to Flitwick was to be believed.

She leaned over, as though about to console them, and whispered "You didn't think one afternoon of boredom, defeat, and private humiliation made up for an entire year of torment, did you? But now? Now we're even."

Ginny Felicity's shoulder a friendly pat, ensuring she was just a bit too rough with the fresh scar before walking back to her fellow Gryffindors. She nestled herself between her two twin brothers and across from Hermione. She saw Roni looking at her from all the way across the Hall at the Slytherin table and gave her a wave.

"Remember our deal, yeah?" Fred elbowed her side.

"'Course I will. Your help was just what we needed; our prank went off without a hitch. I was basically doing all Ron' chores last Summer anyways, figured I'd be doing either yours or Percy's this Summer as well. Definitely worth it."

"'Atta girl. Bit 'o hard work never hurt anybody," George smiled at her.

"Except you, apparently," Hermione turned her nose up in the air.

"Oh, right to the heart! She wounds us, brother dear!" Fred clutched at his chest as he pantomimed dying.

Ginny settled in to her table and smiled bright and wide as she caught Luna's gaze from across the room. It was one of the best Feasts she'd ever had at Hogwarts.

The train whistled loudly, steam rising into the summer breeze as Ginny and Luna stepped off the train together with Roni. They both peered through the crowds, searching for a recognizable adult. Roni saw hers first, and gave them both quick, tight hugs before darting off into the crowd with a muttered "Goodbye! Don't forget to write!"

They watched as Theodore Nott seemed to appear out of nowhere and strolled past them and towards the direction Roni had run off in. He gave them a dip of his head in acknowledgement and nothing more. Hermione was with Ron and Harry, giving Harry a pep talk to get ready for heading back to his awful relatives.

Between Ginny and Luna, Luna saw her Dad first. Mr. Lovegood's platinum blond hair topped on his tall, willowy frame was easily visible in the crowd.

"Daddy!" she cried as she rushed him and leapt into his arms.

"Dirigible Plum! How good to see you again! How was your year?"

"The best so far, Daddy. Ginny and I had all sorts of adventures. I can't wait to tell you all about them!"

"I can't wait to hear all about them! Although it may take some time, my Fluttering Ferkunkle."

"Oh?" Luna didn't sound confused, but more anxious or perhaps hopeful to Ginny's ear. She had a smile graced on her face and an eager glint in her eyes.

"Ah, our travel Visas came through just in time, it seems. We'll be heading out shortly for our trip!"

"Oh, that's wonderful Daddy!"

"Ginny!" she whirled at the sound of her name, and saw her parents making their way towards her.

"Mum, Dad!" any shame a normal twelve year old might have left her as she bolted towards them, and jumped in to their arms for a hug. She may not truly need them anymore, may not truly believe they could protect her from any of the evils in the world, but that didn't mean she wouldn't always miss them when they were gone.

"Oh, my firefly," her dad murmured into her hair. "We're so glad to have you back."

Her mum looked up and saw Mr. Lovegood and Luna and started in surprise. "Oh, Xeno! Have you told her, then?"

"Told me what?" Ginny looked up at her parents, then over at Mr. Lovegood.

"Ah, not as of yet. I wanted to ensure we had the Visa's first. Which, as it turns out, just arrived this morning!"

"That's wonderful news! Truly, we can't thank you enough. We're more than happy to offer you - ."

"I shan't hear of it!" He said.

"I should like to hear of it! What are you talking about!" Ginny interrupted.

"The trip we're taking you on, of course." It was Luna who finally filled her in.

"Taking me? On a trip?"

"That is what I said, yes. Although you said it backwards. You haven't said anything backwards at all today until now. I wonder if there are any - ."

"Focus Luna!" Ginny giggled at her friend. "Don't get distracted! What trip are you talking about!"

"Well, every year Daddy and I go on a trip to look for a Crumple Horned Snorcack. We haven't found one yet, but I'm sure we will soon! I remember you talking about how much you enjoyed Egypt and I just thought, well, if you were interested you might enjoying seeing some place else new as well this summer."

"Luna." Ginny murmured, walking slowly closer to her friend.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner!" She babbled. "I just didn't want to get your hopes up in case the Visa didn't come through as I thought of it rather late, or if your parents said you couldn't go, or for any other number of reasons."

Ginny eyed her parents suspiciously. "You didn't say I couldn't go, did you?"

"Of course not! We think it would be good for you." They smiled at her, bright and hopeful against the summer sunlight gleaming off the Hogwarts Express.

"Well then," Ginny said as she turned to her best friend. "When do we leave?"

AN:

Well then that's it! I honestly didn't know if I'd ever finish this. It is, perhaps, one of the greatest accomplishments I've ever achieved. Something I started and made sure I saw through to the end, even if it took longer than expected. I don't know that this is really the best story it could be. I think if I'd written the whole thing and then edited it, there would have been quite a few changes. But also I don't know that I would have posted it at all if I hadn't posted it when I did about a year and a week ago.

So, yeah. This happened. Wow.

Please, please, please tell me what you think. I tried to make this as much of a self contained story as I could, and I tried to give it a fulfilling ending. It's was originally, in my mind, Book 1 out of maybe a 3 or 4 book series, but I don't know if I have it in me to write the rest. There are a few other ideas rumbling around in my head that I certainly will want to work on before I even consider a big project like a sequel to this. But if you liked this and want a sequel, please let me know! The more people that want it, the more motivation I'll have to write it.

Thanks once again to all the people who have supported me and helped me get here. Thanks to all those random few readers who somehow became regular commenters. Your feedback means the world to me.

I'll stop rambling now. Thank you again, so much!