Disclaimer: Must I always say that I don't own Harry Potter? Don't you all know that by now?
A/N: Two updates in one week! Bow before my greatness!
Chapter 5
A small yellow beam of light shot directly at Harry's scar before the room flashed a brilliant white and faded into the past.
The sky was dark, and the streetlight was out, but the light from the small windows of the Potter house illuminated the street.
"Ow. That hurt." Ginny groaned, picking herself up off the sidewalk before screaming. Harry and Dumbledore jumped in surprise, and looked into the shadows where Ginny was pointing, terrified.
"You have done well Peter. And look, there is the reason for all of this now." A tall, thin, snake-like creature pointed up at the window, where baby Harry's face and hands were currently pressed against the glass. Lily and James could be seen in the background cleaning the nursery.
"Master…you promised…the girl…" Peter stuttered, looking hungrily up at Lily, who had just come to the window. Harry gagged.
"Yes, yes." Voldermort waved his hand impatiently. "If I wish her to live the girl will be given to you for amusement." Harry gagged again.
A light flashed then, as Lily screamed from the window, and suddenly Dumbledore, Harry, and Ginny found themselves in the nursery. James and Lily stood crying over a small crib, where baby Harry looked up confusedly at them out of bright green eyes.
Then the whole house shook, and baby Harry let out a cry of surprise. Blasting sounds could be heard from the front of the house, and smoke drifted up past the window. Dumbledore took hold of Harry and Ginny who were both sobbing and shaking at the scene.
"I think it's best if we leave for now. Don't you?" The two children nodded, and Harry took one last look at his parents, before a brilliant white light engulfed them, and they were transported back to the future.
The two children reappeared sobbing in the armchairs, and immediately grasped each other's hand for support. Dumbledore shook his head sadly; his eyes empty of the familiar twinkle, a small tear disappearing into his beard.
"If you don't mind, there is some urgent business that I must attend to. You both may stay here until you have fully regained your composure, and then I advise you to make your way to the Entrance Hall. The feast should start within the next couple of hours." Dumbledore nodded at the still crying pair, and hurriedly disappeared from the room.
"Harry. That was so horrible!" Ginny wailed, throwing herself into Harry's arms, and burrowing her face into his shoulder. "I can't believe that you even remember all that!"
"I…I didn't. Not really. I didn't remember anything from before the Dursleys. But now…Gin…I remember everything. From before that night. I remember…Gin, I remember my parents!" Harry cried in part happiness and part despair. Ginny wound her arms around Harry and they just stood there holding each other for several minutes before Ginny stepped back, wiping her tears away on her sleeves. Harry did the same, and took a deep breath, before smiling contentedly, as he caught sight of Ginny's ring again.
"Are we okay now?" Ginny asked unsurely. Harry nodded.
"Yeah. Thanks Ginny. You know, for being there for me and everything." Ginny smiled as Harry blushed.
"Hey, what are wives for?" Ginny laughed. "That sounds so weird." Harry laughed.
"So we going down to the Entrance Hall, then?"
"Yeah I guess."
Harry took Ginny's hand and together they walked down the stairs out of Dumbledore's office, and down the hallway to the large doors of the Entrance Hall.
There a tall, thin woman stood waiting, looking over a small roll of parchment, frowning slightly. Harry and Ginny approached her warily.
"Um, excuse me?" Harry tentatively stepped forward. The woman's head snapped up, and she jumped slightly. "Are you Professor McGonnagal?"
"Yes, that's me. What is it you need?" Ginny stepped out from behind Harry.
"Professor Dumbledore told us to come find you."
"Why is that?"
"We're supposed to be, um, sorted or something tonight." Harry said nervously under McGonnagal's stern gaze.
"You're both first years?" Ginny nodded. "Alright. Well, then the rest of the students should be arriving soon. You may sit over there and wait for them." McGonnagal pointed over by the wall and Harry and Ginny moved there quickly.
The three of them sat silent for several minutes. McGonnagal glancing up at the two students, every so often.
"What are your names?" Harry jumped slightly, and both him and Ginny looked up at the Professor.
"Um, Harry and Ginny." Harry answered. The professor nodded exasperatedly.
"Last names?" Harry looked questioningly at Ginny, who nodded back at him.
"Potter." Harry answered. McGonnagal's eyebrows rose significantly, as her eyes scanned the list in front of her.
"Well, all seems to be in order here. May I ask what you are both doing here so early?"
"There was an incident on the platform, and we ended up just being brought here." McGonnagal nodded, and went back to the list. Ginny smiled mischievously at Harry.
"Excuse me Professor?" McGonnagal looked up at them. "Um, Professor Dumbledore told us that maybe you would tell us about the um, the Marauders?" The Professor looked surprised, and frowned slightly.
"Would you please?" Harry asked. "I'd like to hear about my dad…that is if you want to." That was the clincher. McGonnagal's face softened and she sighed, before conjuring a chair to sit on, and moving it over to where Harry and Ginny were sitting.
"Oh alright. Now let's see. Oh yes. There was one time in their fourth year that they decided that it would be a good idea to conjure farm animals and have them race on the tables in the Great Hall. Except, they weren't so skilled at conjuring then, and so all they got were a bunch of mutated chickens, that could spit fire, and decided to rampage the staff table. And while they may have thought it funny then, it wasn't so funny when they had to manually build a new staff table." Harry and Ginny laughed.
"But what happened to the chickens?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Well, they had to take care of them, especially as the poor chickens seemed to think that James, Sirius, and Remus were their mothers." McGonnagal's face darkened at the mention of Sirius. However Harry didn't notice.
"Good that they weren't following Peter." Harry mumbled darkly. "He'd probably stew them up and eat them." McGonnagal looked dismayed.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"He's the one who betrayed my parents. We…we just saw my memory of it. Whoever is being punished was wrongfully accused, and Dumbledore's currently trying to get them out of jail." McGonnagal looked shocked.
"Well that's…shocking to say the least. But not improbable." McGonnagal seemed lost in thought.
"What happened to the chickens, Professor?" Ginny asked, pulling the professor's focus back to them.
"Well, after a week we got a farm on the far end of Hogsmeade, the village near here, to take them. I think that your father and the rest of the them still visited those poor birds once a month, and even after school ended." Harry and Ginny laughed quietly. McGonnagal smiled, and her eyes took on a soft, almost maternal sparkle.
"And then their was the time they decided to light your mother on fire. Those poor boys…."
"…and James looked around looking like cousin it, for three days before anyone could convince him to cut his hair!" An hour later, McGonnagal had really gotten into the spirit of storytelling, and Harry and Ginny were nearly rolling on the floor with laughter.
The clock nearby chimed out the hour and McGonnagal stood quickly. She smoother her robes, fixed her hat, and banished her small chair.
"You two might want to just fix yourselves up quickly. The rest of the school will be arriving soon. I need to go and collect the first years in a moment. Just wait here until I get back alright?" Both children nodded.
"Thank you Professor." Harry said softly. "It really means a lot to me to hear about my parents." McGonnagal smiled softly and nodded before heading towards the door, where she turned around, a mischievous look in her eyes.
"I know I'm not supposed to pick favorites, but I really hope you both end up in Gryffindor." She winked conspiratorially, before disappearing at the door.
"She's not so bad." Ginny said thoughtfully. "My brothers called her The Dragon Lady, but she's actually really nice. Like a little cat." Harry snorted. Picturing the stern faced woman as a cat.
"Don't let her hear you say that." Harry chuckled.
"Why not? I'd take it as a compliment." Harry looked at her like she was crazy. Ginny giggled. "Alright, so maybe I wouldn't."
Then the doors to the Entrance Hall burst open, and students filed past, into the Great Hall talking loudly with each other. Harry and Ginny received some curious looks but were for the most part ignored by the student body.
Professor McGonnagal was soon in sight, leading a bunch of frightened looking students into the Entrance Hall. Harry and Ginny quickly joined the group, blending in with the other nervous faces, as they walked into the Great Hall. Ginny tugged anxiously on Harry's sleeve.
"Harry! What if the sorting is like what Fred and George said?"
"What did they say?" He whispered back.
"They said that they broadcast your mind to the whole school so the teacher's can judge you!"
"Can they do that?"
"I don't know!" Ginny cried softly, squeezing Harry's arm tightly.
"What's the hat for?" Harry asked confused.
"I don't know." McGonnagal took her place at the front of the Hall. "Maybe she'll tell us?" Harry nodded thoughtfully, and turned to watch the professor.
"Attention, students. This is the Sorting Hat. Unfortunately, the hat is feeling somewhat ill this evening and so is unable to grace us with a song."
A collective groan went through the Hall, accompanied by small twin snickers. Ginny smiled knowingly.
"When I call your name, come forward. I will place the hat on your head, and you will be sorted and shall go to your house table." Ginny sighed in frustration and hissed at Harry quietly.
"But how do we get sorted exactly?!" Harry shrugged and the first name was called.
"Abbot, Hannah!" A small, nervous looking girl in blonde pigtails walked unsurely forward. She sat down on the stool McGonnagal gestured to, and the professor put the small hat on the girl's head.
Silence reigned over the Hall, as the Hat slowly slid down over the girl's brown eyes, before a small tear opened in the Hat's brim.
"Hufflepuff!" A loud cheer went p from the table under yellow and purple banners. The girl sighed happily and walked quickly over to the table before sitting down.
The sorting resumed and many children were sorted, including Hermione Granger to Gryffindor, and Draco Malfoy to Slytherin.
"Potter, Harry!" Silence regained its absolute control over the Hall, as students all leaned forward eagerly to see the Boy-Who-Lived be sorted.
Harry squeezed Ginny's hand reassuringly before walking nervously up to the stool. McGonnagal smiled reassuringly, before placing the Hat upon his head.
"Ah, young Mr. Potter. You're very difficult to place aren't you?" The Hat said excitedly. "Much courage, and such loyalty! Oh and such an intelligent boy you are! Such possibility! But wait…what's this? A soul bond! You are a special young man! Now where to put you…" Harry blushed at the Hat's praise.
"Well, better be GRYFFINDOR!" Harry sighed, thanked the Hat quickly, making the Hat burst with joy, and quickly went over to the Gryffindor table, where he was immediately jumped on by the twins, who shook his hands happily.
Harry turned and smiled reassuringly at Ginny before sitting down to watch.
"Potter, Ginny!" The whole Hall gasped, and frantic whisperings swept down the tables. Ginny flushed as all eyes turned on her. She nervously walked up to the stool, and the Sorting Hat was placed on her head.
"This must be my lucky day! A Weasley turned Potter! No question as to where you should go, though you have enough traits to be placed anywhere. You shall be, GRYFFINDOR!" Ginny thanked the Hat, relieved, and quickly ran to Harry's side. She sat down beaming and grabbed his hand under the table. Fred and George stared at her, their mouths wide open in shock. A tall, snobby looking redhead bared down the table and looked disapprovingly at Ginny.
"What are you doing here?" Ginny rolled her eyes.
"I'm eating paste, Percy." The boy named Percy scowled.
"Mum will hear about this." Ginny snorted.
"Like she doesn't already know." Percy looked dumbstruck, and stalked back to his seat.
"Weasley, Ronald!" Ginny sat up straighter, watching her brother excitedly. Fred and George turned to watch as well, their mouths still hanging open.
"GRYFFINDOR!" Ron scurried quickly over to the table and took the only remaining seat, in between the twins and Hermione Granger.
"Hey guys, what's up?" Ron asked the still gobsmacked twins.
"Hello. I'm Hermione Granger. I believe your brothers are in shock because she…" Hermione pointed to Ginny, "…has changed her last name without your knowledge, and she looks about 10, so I'm guessing that they weren't even expecting her to be here." The twins turned their dumbfounded looks on Hermione and Ron accompanied them.
"Hey!" Ginny protested. "I'll have you know that I'm 10 ½!" Harry chuckled slightly at Ginny's indigence. Ginny glared at Harry, and reached across the table with her left hand to shake Hermione's hand. "It's nice to meet you Hermione. My name's Ginny Potter. How exactly did you know all that?" Hermione shook her hand and nodded.
"Well, you all have red hair, and they looked especially shocked when you're name came up, and Ron's obviously your brother, and he has a different last name. It was pretty obvious if you gave it some thought." Ginny nodded thoughtfully. Ron seemed to snap out of his stupor then and turned to Hermione.
"Why aren't you in Ravenclaw? You're really smart." Hermione blushed slightly.
"Well, the Hat wanted to put me in Ravenclaw originally but then decided that I would do better in Gryffindor, I suppose." Ron nodded.
Just then food appeared in front of them. Harry gasped in surprise at the large amount of food. Ron took one look at Harry and burst out laughing. Harry blushed, and watched as everyone served themselves food.
"Harry, aren't you going to have some? If you don't hurry Ron will eat all the good stuff." Ron looked outraged and went to open his mouth to protest, when Hermione cut him off.
"Oh, Ron. She's just trying to get a rise out of you, and it's working. Ignore her and she'll leave you alone." Hermione patted Ron's hand absentmindedly and Ron's ears turned bright red. Ginny giggled.
Harry looked around and saw that everyone else had food, and then started to serve himself. He took a meager portion of the foods around him and began to eat hungrily. Ginny looked over at his plate and frowned.
"Harry you can have more to eat than that. Here let me help you." She took a generous portion of a bunch of the foods in front of him and dumped it on his place. Harry rolled his eyes and chuckled softly.
"Yes, Mrs. Potter." He whispered in her ear, making her blush.
"Shut up and eat." Harry grinned, and tucked in, smiling broadly.
A/N: Ok so I lost all the reviews, except for a few that I'm planning on replying to in the next few minutes. Anything that was sent in before my computer crashed is unfortunately lost. Thanks to anyone who mentioned cheesecake. You know who you are.
I love all of you. Even if you don't review, though I like it more if you do. :)
Thanks for reading, and thanks for caring!
Bee :)