So it's that time of the week again. Update day. Before I go on I will remind you that this story is AU. Not everything that happens will happen as you know it. I know that some people don't like it when the original stories are screwed with, well in that case I say go read somewhere else. I work very hard on this story, each week bringing about new chapters. I research, edit and edit again to make sure all the information I have is correct, and then to make the characters be like themselves. Ok so rant over. We have over 5000 reads ! Makes me very happy .
KuKia - thanks for the review. Letting Harry get to know Ginny sooner is imperative to this story so I am glad you like - thanks for your review. The rational route is for a smarter Harry, after all he doesn't want to risk getting expelled from the only home he has ever known.
thatperfectsomeone - Thanks for reviewing ! Yes some things have been changing. some small, some big. Read on to see how it effects the story line.
Drollittle - Thanks for the review. Ron's thoughts are going to be right at the end of this story, and hopefully his jealousy will be dealt with. Please Read on!
oracle987 - As I have written pretty much at the start, this story is AU! This means things that happened in the books may not happen in this story. It does stick quite well to the books in the events that happen each year but the squishy bits in the middle have all been messed around and changed. There will be many journeys throughout the story, it's just that this one was not needed. I mean, does Harry really want to risk expulsion from the only place he has ever called home, go back to the Dursley's for the rest of his life?
sbmcneil - Thanks for your review. Well from what I have picked from scouring the internet for this information, it is assumed that they thought that Ron and Harry had already gotten on the train, they were in a rush after all. Then when they couldn't get back through the gate Mrs Weasley probably apparated back to the Burrow, whilst Mr Weasley apparated to work, planning on picking up the car after work.
Lilykees - thanks for the review. Here's the next chapter for you .
Thanks for all the reviews, I love to read your thoughts! Please review more!
Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter in any shape or form.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Part 1
Harry looked around in awe. So this was Dumbledore's office. Well, he thought, it definitely matched with the eccentric man he had come to know. It was a circular room with many portraits of sleeping wizards on the wall, he assumed they were past headmasters. Then there were the many small strange instruments littering the desk and cupboards, some were puffing like a little steam train. Then, there was a beautiful bird sat on a perch. Harry rubbed his eyes. It couldn't be a phoenix, they were really rare. This phoenix was very majestic, feathers primped to perfection in red and gold colours. He heard a small cough and looked up to see the headmaster peering over his half-moon spectacles, his bright blue eyes sparkling with mirth.
"I do hope you enjoyed examining my office Harry." He blushed, quickly picked himself up from off the floo, pulling Ron up with him. He brushed himself down before turning to the two professors. "I must admit, it's getting a bit cluttered in my old age. Fawkes believes that I should get rid of all of them, however I feel like I don't want to part with any of them." Harry smiled and saw Ron give him an odd look.
"I'm sorry if we caused any problems professors but we didn't really know what to do..." Dumbledore put up his hand stopping Harry mid-sentence.
"You did the correct thing Harry. I would award points, but alas the term has not officially started. I'm sure that if you made your way to the common room, you may find a late lunch waiting for you, courtesy of the Hogwarts house elves." Harry laughed as he saw Ron's face light up at the mention of food.
"Thank you professors. I should probably get Ron to the common room before he faints from hunger." Ron scoffed. "It was nice to meet Fawkes sir. He is truly magnificent." Dumbledore nodded.
"He is, but we don't tell him very often. He tends to get a big head otherwise. I'll tell you the story if our meeting in the future if you would like?" Harry nodded.
"I would like that very much sir. See you at the feast." He turned to leave following Ron out of the door, before quickly turning back around. "What's the password?" he asked sheepishly. McGonagall smiled.
"It's Wattlebird."
"Thank you Professor."
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Harry sat by the fire in the Gryffindor common room. It was getting quite late and he was the only person left in the deserted common room. It had been nearly two months since the return to Hogwarts. Tomorrow was Halloween and already the homework was piling up, although in Harry's case he'd already finished it all. He smiled. Hermione would probably die of shock if she knew he had actually done his homework. The thing about Hermione was that she was always pestering him to let her proof read it before he handed it in. He had always denied her, she was more than welcome to look at Ron's but he wanted his work to be his own.
His mind went over the lessons of the first half of the term. He was pleased with his performance. He made sure never to get the spell right first time, leaving that to Hermione who seemed to love basking in the glow of a teacher's word of approval. In secret he could do most spells up to fourth year, he'd been reading ahead, especially in DADA. The first lesson with Lockhart had been a fiasco. He'd let loose a cage of Cornish pixies into the classroom, not knowing how to control them. Hermione had finally stopped them with a freezing charm, but the damage was already done. Ron's wand had been in his hand when the pixies had dropped Neville right on top of him. It hadn't completely split in two, but it was broken enough that he had trouble with all his spells. Neville had apologised profoundly for what had happened. There lessons from then on had been dead boring. All he did was recite passages from his books, which by the way were entirely works of fiction. The amount of continuity errors was unheard of, there was even a time when he was in two different places at the same time. How no one had noticed he wasn't sure, probably because they were all taken in by his fame and charming smile. So because Lockhart wasn't teaching him anything he had upped his reading of DADA materials. He had found himself enjoying it.
His thoughts turned to Ginny. Happily she had been sorted into Gryffindor like the rest of the Weasley's, however Harry had noticed that she wasn't entirely like herself.
Flashback
The library was quiet just as Harry liked it. Then again if it wasn't, a scary Madame Pince would chuck you out!
He had managed to escape from Ron and Hermione, who had been bickering as usual, by saying he was going for a walk before curfew. In actuality he had to return some books and pick up some new ones.
He was sitting at his usual desk in the back of the library, hidden behind the many shelves of books that the library held. The desk gave him a spot of pure privacy, no one ever came back here, and it could not be seen from the main part of the library. He glanced at his watch and quickly closed the book he was reading. It was coming close to curfew. He slung his bag over his shoulder, quickly checking behind him that he had left nothing behind, before exiting his hiding place. As he was reaching the exit he saw a head of Weasley red hair at one of the desks. She was writing furiously into a little black book, with a kind of dreamy look on her face.
"Ginny?" She looked up and upon seeing who it was who had called her blushed and quickly closed the book she had been writing in.
"Hi Harry," she said in a small voice as she carefully packed her book in her bag. Harry smiled.
"It's near curfew. Would the lady allow a poor peasant to escort her back to her abode?" he asked, keeping his face as straight as possible. The sound of her laughter filled the air of the library.
"Me a Lady? My mother wishes." She laughed again. "You're not half bad Potter." Harry grinned.
"I aim to please. I do believe that is 2-nil to me." Ginny grinned.
"Not for long mister, I bet the twins 2 galleons if I win this." Harry grimaced.
"You let the twins bet on us? That's never a good sign." Ginny nodded smiling.
"Oh it is when you're their little sister! I am not going to lose, do you know how cold the black lake is? It's freezing all through the year!" Harry laughed at the expression of pure horror on her face.
"You're the one that suggested it. I was going to say you had to eat one of Hagrid's rock cakes. There like stones them things." Ginny nodded.
"Well in any case I'm not losing. I have the Weasley reputation to uphold." Harry smirked.
"What reputation? The smallest red head in the school?" Ginny wacked the back of his head with her hand.
"It's an expression you idiot. You know I will make you laugh, after all I'm related to the twins," she grinned cheekily at Harry. Harry smiled and nodded glad that she was smiling again. This was more like the Ginny he had come to know at the Burrow. He had finally managed to get her past her nervousness around him. Once that had happened they had spent the little time remaining trying to prank each other. Yet since the events at Flourish and Blotts she had again become quiet and withdrawn. He had seen her around school, but every time he saw her she headed off in a different direction. Maybe she was having trouble being away from home. It was something he never experienced as he already felt like he was home. He looked up again to see Ginny looking at him as they walked along the corridor to the main staircase.
"You look miles away there Harry." He smiled.
"Just thinking. This is the first time you've spoken to me since we got here. I thought maybe you didn't want to be my friend anymore." Ginny looked up at him and sighed.
"I'm sorry Harry, I guess I've been so busy trying to assimilate that I haven't really thought about it." Harry nodded. He opened his mouth to say something when he was interrupted by a familiar drawl.
"Well well well, look at what we found boys. A potty and a female weasel," Malfoy sneered. Harry groaned. Did Malfoy always have to cause a confrontation, he was really not in the mood to deal with him right now.
"Get lost Malfoy."
"I think we need to teach Potter and the blood traitor a lesson."
"I'd like to see you try Malfoy," he threw back.
He drew out his wand keeping an eye on Ginny who had been slowly backing away. She'd never been in a duel before and if Lockhart continued teaching like he was, she never would.
"Tarentallegra," Malfoy shouted. Harry pulled Ginny behind him before shouting,
"Protego." Malfoy's spell hid the blue shield and bounced back, hitting Goyle. Harry quickly went to send the body bind spell when Professor McGonagall appeared.
"What do you two think you are doing?" she yelled. All five of them had quickly looked up at her, stopping the spells that had been on their lips. "You know the rules! No duelling in the corridor. I'm disappointed in you Mr Potter, and don't think you've been forgotten Mr Malfoy. Your head of house will be informed. Now twenty points from each of you and you will both have detention. You'll receive a note when I have arranged them." Both boys nodded, both had looks of loathing on their face. "Now get back to your common rooms, it's almost curfew." Both he and Ginny had scarpered before getting into more trouble with their head of house. As soon as they got to the common room they had both fell about laughing.
"Thanks Harry." Harry grinned.
"No problem, Malfoys a jerk, it's about time he got taught a lesson." Ginny nodded her head, yawning. She headed off on up to bed whilst he went to explain to Ron and Hermione.
Present
He smiled, it had felt good to get back at Malfoy but the detention he had received had been worse than he had ever imagined. Answering Lockhart's fan mail. It might possibly have been the worst detention he had ever received, it was up there with finding Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest. He couldn't stand the guy. He was bloody awful. All he ever thought about was himself. Maybe he should marry himself. Then there had been that strange voice. Lockhart had claimed not to have heard it, so how could he? Maybe he was finally going mad. Ron's explanation had been that he was tired, but he wasn't so sure. He supposed it was a good thing that he hadn't heard it since then though.
He sighed and thought about the next day. Halloween. His not so favourite part of the year. As a child living with the Dursley's he had always dreamed about going trick or treating, but since finding out his parents had been murdered on that day had taken all the fun out of it. He was actually glad that he wasn't going to the feast tomorrow, they would all be happy and smiling whilst all he wanted to do was curl up in bed with his photo album. No instead he was going to Nick's death day party, a favour to Nick for helping to get him out of trouble with Filch. Still tomorrow would be interesting.