Author's Ramblings: I have been informed that the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw ghosts are called the Fat Friar and the Grey Lady. But I've decided not to bother changing them because I want to use my ghosts as part of the plot. So there.
Disclaimer: Flobberwarble ding-bat on a stick. My lawyer never came, so I will continue to say nothing of sense until he gets here.
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Mind: The Gap.
Chapter Three.
"Ginn-"
Neville made one final bid for freedom, lunging past the ever-advancing Ginny towards the door. She'd anticipated this; it seemed, because before Neville could move more than a cauldron's width to the door she pounced, throwing him back hard against the wall, knocking the wind out of him. He gasped in pain, spots of light dancing in front of his eyes. Blinking, he tried to clear his vision- to get away, but before he could take any action, she plunged her head forward, silencing him.
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"You left Argus Filch?! To guard the entire castle?! Sir, please, tell me you left someone else- anyone- to look after the most powerful and respected building in the whole world?" squeaked Minerva.
Dumbledore popped a lemon drop in his mouth and sucked, wincing slightly at the underlying bitter tang of lemon. "I believed it was more important for us to be here, besides, I think that the school's janitor will care for the castle for the few hours we are away. It is best that we are here," he emphesised.
"But- but why? And why Filch? I mean really sir, if Voldemort were to attack Hogwarts he could just waltz right in and take over! Then where would we be?"
"I'm sure that won't happen, dear, now calm down. Even if he did attack, there's no way of knowing, and no way to get there faster than the mode of transport we are on now."
"But that's exactly it!" interrupted Madame Hooch, "why are we on this train? Every other year we've been at the castle a few days before the students arrive, what's so different about this year?"
The Headmaster coughed into his beard, "I feel it is not my place to tell you about it at this moment in time, suffice it to say, this train journey could get a little interesting I'll warrant. So be on your toes."
And the teachers of Hogwarts could not get another word out of him.
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Harry sat alone in the compartment, reading a book Ron had lent him called 'Chudley Canons: can they make it?' After reading it for about half an hour, he highly doubted it. Their main tactics seemed to comprise of following the other team's players until they dropped the quaffle, or just flying round in circles until something happened. It wasn't very inspiring. He wondered why Ron supported them.
Sighing discontentedly, Harry put the book down and reached into his bag to grab some leftover chocolate frogs that were lurking at the bottom. Shoving off the wrapper of one, he grabbed at the living chocolate and went to put it in his mouth, but paused as he heard a sound out side his door.
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"Hey Neville! Guess what? We found your toa-"
Ron choked on his words, stopping suddenly in the doorway, leaving Hermione to bump into his back.
"What? Ron?"
Ginny whipped her head round, eyes piercing, glaring at the intruders. Ron stared back at her and Neville's compromising position, mouth agape. Hermione shoved her way through, trying to see past the immobile redhead.
She dropped the toad she still had grasped in her fist, Trevor, finally free, hopped off to safety.
"Ron! Hermione! It's not what it looks like, she just jumped me!"
But Neville's pleas went unheard as Ron launched himself at the pair of them. "Get off my sister!" he yelled, regardless of the fact that Ginny was on top of Neville. He tried to drag Ginny away, but to his surprise she was having none of it. She scratched out at him, screaming senselessly, baring her teeth in a feral growl.
Ron backed away, hands held up in a sign of peace. Hermione stepped forward.
"Ginny? What's wrong?"
Ginny shed away, suddenly afraid, like a cat that had found itself in an unfamiliar place, tucking her hands to her chest. She made no sound, but when Neville tried to get up, she whipped round and shoved him down with a hiss of disapproval.
Hermione crept forward, making little clucking sounds like she'd done when her and Ron were trying to retrieve Trevor the toad.
"Ginny honey, what's up? Is something wrong, did something happen?" she crooned, turning to Neville carefully, she asked in a quiet voice, "what happened to her?"
Neville seemed incapable of speech, but was coherent enough to hold up the Fa-lovru Seduceious and Hermione, knowledgeable as always, understood what he meant.
"Did that plant do this to you?" she enquired to Ginny who was staring at them suspiciously, her eyes wide.
Ginny didn't answer however, and only turned slightly to clutch at Neville who was sitting up slowly against the wall. He patted her head awkwardly, and Ron glared at him as if he were taking advantage of her.
"Sh-she was fine until I showed her my flower, then…then she went all funny and-" He shuddered.
Hermione and Ron looked incredulously at the red haired girl who was padding at Neville's shirt, adoration, and to Ron's annoyance, lust in her eyes as she gazed up at him.
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"Harry? You all alone in here?" said one of the Weasley twins- he couldn't tell which- as he popped his head round the door.
He grinned, "yep, join me?" he asked hopefully.
George - or was it Fred - widened the door's opening and stepped in, closely followed by Fred – or was it George? Harry shuffled over, and swiped some chocolate frog wrappers onto the floor to make room for them and they sat down.
"So-"
"Where's our little brother-"
"And the bookworm?"
Harry smiled, "I wish I could do that."
The twins looked at each other, an identical shocked expression on their faces. "Do what?" they said in unison.
Harry laughed, "Never mind- Ron's out doing prefecty-type stuff and Hermione's with him, remember she's head girl now. And don't call her bookworm! So I'm all alone as you can see."
"No more! We have some new products that we'd love for you to try out, in fact we have all of them right here" Fred – or possibly George - pulled out some small bags from his pockets and dumped them into Harry's lap, "we can keep you occupied for the entire train ride!"
Harry fervently hoped Ron would come back soon.
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Ginny suddenly jumped away, racing towards the compartment door, opening it with a crash, and sprinting away down the corridor. Neville gasped at the abrupt disappearance, and Ron whirled round hoping to catch her as she ran from the room.
"Ginny!" he yelled after her.
Hermione took control quickly, "Ron, I'll stay with Neville and try to hide him, you go after her, and don't lose her! There's no telling what she'll do!"
Ron nodded and dashed from the door, his robes billowing out from behind him and snapping in a sharp flick of cloth as he ran round the corner, disappearing from sight. Hermione held out her hand to Neville impatiently, and he grabbed it, letting her pull him up.
"Come on, once she thinks it's safe she'll come back after you, we've got to find a place to hide you."
Neville nodded in anxious agreement and followed her out of the compartment, almost running to catch up with her fast nervous strides. Leaving the mysterious plant behind.
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A/N: OK, I know I said this would be longer but would you believe I spent most of the time working out the plot to this thing! Not an ending, but still, actual planning! Me! I know, I was shocked too when I found I'd thought up a plot. It's going to be quite a long confusing one, so bear with me. We'll get through this together! And by together I mean I need encouragement here - reviews are j'adored, and they will remind me to update - so it's all in your interests really.
This is Squibakou signing out.
P.S. This story is so far un-bataed, anyone want to beta? I'll leave the old chapters with their mistakes, but my next ones I feel might need beta. I haven't written them yet, however, so you don't have to set aside time to do it anytime soon. Thanks folks!