The next day, it was announced that there would be a ball. No explanation for the ball was given, only that it would happen in an indefinite amount of time that meant the next chapter. Interestingly, no one seemed confused that there was an unexplained ball taking place in the next chapter, seeing as the only ball they had ever had before was the Yule Ball for the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
Ginny was asked out by a multitude of boys, none of whom seemed to have existed before she became goth. But when deeper inquisition was set forth, it was discovered that they were really all secondary characters who had gone 'punk', 'goth', or 'emo'. Ginny turned them all down of course, because her heart belonged only to Draco.
This made no sense, of course, since he seemed to be no different from all the other boys who had suddenly taken a liking to Hot Topic, but you know how those things go.
Over the course of the next week, the entire Gryffindor house was alerted on just how drastic Ginny's over-the-summer change was. She covered her section of the dorm with black and purple paint, then over that she plastered on muggle band posters, most of which were American and did not exist in the 90's, or were still too unknown for her to have cared about.
"So, Ginny," Hermione asked her one night in the dorms, trying in some way to connect, "What's Evanescence?" she gestured to the multiple posters of the band that were tacked on the wall.
Ginny stared at her. Her jaw dropped open. "What… is… Evanescence?" she asked, horrified, "PREP! IT'S A EFFING PREP! OMG! PREP ALERT!"
Ginny looked expectantly at the other girls, who hurriedly looked away, embarrassed. "Aren't you going to do anything?" she asked. When they didn't reply, she screamed and ran out the door.
"What's up with her?" asked a girl
"I… don't… know." Hermione asked, also confused.
"Wait- Hermione!" asked the girl, "Why are you in our dorms?!"
Hermione had no idea. Especially since, providing Ginny actually was sixteen (her age being strangely subject to change), and starting her sixth year, Hermione should have been off with Ron and Harry, fighting against the Dark Lord. But, thinking about that too much made even Hermione's head hurt, so she went to sleep.
The next day, all other subjects of gossip at Hogwarts became obsolete. Every bit of juicy info was tossed aside as dry. There was one thing that the Hogwartsians were talking about- even the teachers. It was something that had happened at breakfast the next day.
It was about halfway through the morning meal, and students were blearily munching on bagels and toast and fruit. They were grumbling about their classes that day. They were disappointedly remarking upon the gray sky. All in all, it appeared quite normal.
Until Draco Malfoy marched straight over to one Ginny Weasley and said, "I don't care about what my father thinks- and I don't care that you're not a Slytherin. My friends have approved, so this is okay!"
He promptly plopped a wet one on her.
It was a surreally perfect kiss, like the ones you see in the movie. For a moment, everyone went awwww, which was helped by the collective applause (mainly from the school's resident poser goth/emo/punk group, which was growing with each day). Until everyone who still had a grasp of canon realized something- this was so wrong.
Ginny Weasley was… a Weasley. She was a blood traitor, why would she be kissing someone like Draco Malfoy, on of the snottiest pureblood priders there was? Then again, he was seeming extremely blood traitor-y these days. In fact, today he had traded in his robes for a My Chemical Romance tee, tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight black skinny jeans, and black vans.
So, for the rest of the school day, people were debating the idea of Draco and Ginny. Had she changed that much? Had he changed the much? Or had they both become completely different people?
And by the end of a day, they had a new name: Drinny.
Whatever it was that had happened to Drinny, it was happening all over the school. People were noticing their friends acting differently. New fashion, new music, new hair and makeup and outlook on life. They called themselves individuals, but they were forming an almost cult-like group of people almost identical to each other.
"Something's wrong." Ron stated one evening
"You don't think, Ronald?" Hermione asked
Ron rolled his eyes. "Must you keep calling me that Hermione? You sound like my mother."
Hermione shook her head in bewilderment. "It isn't me! Lately, I try to say Ron and it comes out Ronald!"
Ron's eyes widened. "Whoah! I've been getting something like that, too! Lately I've been getting all these strange, overprotective feelings towards Ginny. I mean, she's my little sister and all and I'll pound any boy who comes near her, but I feel like I'm going mental! And I've been feeling weird about Harry lately… I mean, it's like I suddenly worship him or something." He turned to Harry, "I mean, you're my best mate, but this is creepy."
Harry leaned back. "And I've been getting urges to…" he winced, "cut my wrists."
Hermione sighed. "Something's up. And it's up to us to stop it!"
"Why us, exactly?" Harry sighed. He was getting very irritated that people always looked to him to save the day.
Hermione looked confused. "I'm… not sure… I have this funny feeling we could get some great help from a mysterious, beautiful girl with a troubled past and a hard to pronounce name who's really Harry's long-lost sister, but I think we'll do alright on our own."
At breakfast the next day, the Golden Trio was greeted by a chilling sight- almost the entire Slytherin house was sporting new, Hot Topicesque muggle clothing and choppy haircuts. Half the Ravenclaws seemed to be going down the same route, and even the light hearted Hufflepuffs seemed considerably more emo.
As for Gryffindor, the transformation was much worse- it seemed like almost everyone, eleven to fifteen had become almost as 'harcore' as Ginny had decided to be, overnight.
"Okay, this is bogus." Harry muttered. "This has got to stop now, and we're going to do something. Not because we always save the day, but because if I hear one more person talk in chatspeak, I think I'm going to kill myself."
"Ah, death," a voice rang out behind them. It was Draco, walking hand in hand with Ginny, "such a deceptively simple escape from this dreadful thing called life. I wrote a song about death last night, my band is playing it when we open for MCR in the Hogsmeade show this weekend."
"Drake is verryyy poetic." Ginny purred.
"Wait- MCR? What's an MCR show?" Hermione asked, genuinely curious. She continued to try and stay on Ginny's good side, not wanting to lose their friendship because of Ginny's new lifestyle. Ginny, however, would have none of it.
"PREP! PREP ALERT! PREP!!" she shrieked. Draco glared at Hermione and hissed.
"Stupid muggle," he sighed, "Doesn't know anything. Come on, Virginia darling,"
Hermione looked as if she had been slapped. She really shouldn't have been so offended, though, seeing as My Chemical Romance was a muggle band.
"HEY!" Ron shouted after Draco as he walked away, "Her name is GINEVRA!"