Chapter 5- Down with Holladay
"Alright, I think I'm ready," Ginny said. She could almost feel the crease in her forehead from concentrating on the small and fading instructions. Notes were scribbled in the margins, but the writing was almost more impossible to read than that of the book's.
"Ready?" Ginny asked Luna who didn't seem to hear. "Luna? Luna."
"Do you think you could become a Blinklehammer?"
Ginny didn't ask for an explanation, but answered, "The instructions say that it must be non-magic."
Luna shrugged. "Okay, what next?"
Ginny stood and took a deep breath. "To try I suppose." Both just stood. It was silent for several minutes as Ginny concentrated once more, her eyes closed and squinting. Eyes still closed, Ginny's eyebrows rose. "Am I a fox?"
Luna shook her head. "Though your nose does look a bit longer," she added.
Ginny thought of a mirror and one appeared to her right. "No, Luna, that's my regular nose."
"Well it's a bit larger than I remember it then," she replied, cocking her head to the side.
"Thanks." Ginny had spent weeks going through what seemed to be hundreds of books on transfigurations. Several had some not-so-pleasant looking results of transfigurations gone entirely wrong. She skimmed most of that; she didn't want to think about the numerous possibilities. There had been others that had a lot more to do with wizarding law concerning transfiguration. She had read the part on animagi, but closed it with a loud thump after that.
"Alright," Ginny contemplated.
"Maybe you can't change into one on the grounds? Kind of like Apparating?"
"No, McGonagall has changed," Ginny said. She paced the length of the room. "Then again, security measures, but I still don't see how they'd separate that from any other transfiguration."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, in one of the books I read, magic in their general forms can be blocked as a mass, but charms are charms, and jinxes are jinxes. In other words, you can't block the spell to become an animagus without blocking other forms of Transfigurations. Apparation is really a magic of its own, so it can be blocked."
"That was all in one book?"
"Somewhere, yes," Ginny responded. "I guess we'll have to try this again another day." She bent down and picked up her book and bag. The fabric gave a rip and everything fell out the bottom.
Ginny devoted her time to transfigurations, both in and out of class, and spent the little energy she had left on Quidditch, and even less on her other classes. "When are we going to get you for one of our little parties," Slughorn had asked.
Ginny didn't mind the gatherings, actually. She felt appreciated at least. Dean was on her about training the others too. There was even a row in front of the team and no one seemed to talk to her for a few days. Except for Luna. Thank Merlin for her quirky, loyal friend. Ginny wished there were more Lunas in the world.
The time had finally come up for their first game against Ravenclaw. Dean was droning into a long speech, but Ginny's eyes were scanning yet another book. "Ginny… Ginny… Ginny would you please pay attention!"
"What?"
"How do expect to win if your nose is in that book?"
"It's a warm-up exercise," Ginny retorted closing the pages. No use, most of it anyways. Just theories and heaps of dung making her eyes cross.
"How do you figure?" Dennis Creevey asked, apparently amused.
"If I can read that without going crazy, my eyes should be able to target in on the snitch," she said with a shrug.
"Well, take a break from your warm up then, and pay attention," said Dean. He always showed his stress by talking too much. Normally he was so easy going, but he seemed to forget about calm when it came down to the wire. It drove Ginny nuts. "Now, Ravenclaw has been on the up and up at their practices," Ginny and Dean had been "spying" on the other teams. None of them were doing well, and Ginny knew that Dean was full of it, but they had agreed to leave the Gryffindor team out of the loop so they wouldn't let their guard down. "Keep on the center goal. Their chasers don't seem to go for much else. Either way, they can be fairly predictable and…"
Ginny stopped hearing what was going on as the doors to the locker room opened and two teachers seemed to be approaching, shouting and gesturing wildly. "I say this is most unfair. If it were of any other house you know that you wouldn't allow this."
Everyone else on the team seemed to have stopped listening to Dean as well. Dean himself was finally paying attention as Professors Holladay and McGonagall approached. "Unjust if she's allowed—"
"Please let me have a moment to talk," Professor McGonagall said. "Ms. Weasley, please come here."
Ginny looked at her teammates. She stood and walked over with the two adults. Professor McGonagall led them into a private corridor. "What is this about?" Ginny asked. The game was to start in moments.
"This is about your horrendous performance in my class," Professor Holladay informed Ginny.
Ginny looked between him and Professor McGonagall, fury rising in her chest. "I would do just fine if—"
"If what? You showed up on time and didn't spend half the class talking?"
"I do not!—"
"Please, the both of you," McGonagall said, giving a look at Professor Holladay and then addressed Ginny. "From my understanding, your marks have been lower than usual in Transfigurations. You knew from the beginning that grades and behavior had to be satisfactory to continue playing Quidditch. I would like to know what you have to say in your defense?"
Ginny felt blood pounding in her ears. Her face was certain to be a bright red, but McGonagall's words kept their fair place: self control, self control. Ginny took a deep breath and looked at Professor Holladay, who seemed triumphant. "I'm sorry," Ginny said. "I'll try harder."
Professor McGonagall seemed to almost smile, but turned to Professor Holladay. "Since you failed to inform me of this issue prior to the Quidditch game, Ms. Weasley will be permitted to keep her position for today."
"But she—"
"No buts," McGonagall said. "I expect that you would give the other students the courtesy of finding a replacement and be able to play as they have planned. For today, she'll play. After this I expect a progress report to be placed on my desk each week."
"This is ludicrous!" Professor Holladay shouted.
"You are excused," McGonagall said. With a huff Professor Holladay left.
"Thank you," Ginny said breathless once Holladay had stormed out.
"You are to fulfill your duties," Professor McGonagall said. "All of them."
Ginny nodded and watched as McGonagall left. She'd worry about Transfiguration marks later… for now she was going to play!
Trivial matters such as grades were blown from Ginny's mind with celebration. She was carried halfway back to school with the rest of the team until she hopped down and told them she'd catch them in a bit. Hermione would have stopped her, but no one in this lot would care. They probably wouldn't even notice. She received an odd look from Romilda as she turned the corner and pulled out the Marauder's Map. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," Ginny whispered. She thought she heard someone behind her but looked around and saw nothing. She continued to the hunched witch and tapped it.
As usual, the tunnel was empty. Carefully she slipped up the trap door, but realized all the stealth was unnecessary as Honeyduke's was abandoned. Ginny sighed. She walked out and picked up a sign that read "Closed until Christmas".
How should that be taken? A long leave? Either way, Ginny got the creeps being in this usual cheery location. She slid out the door and found a crowd to follow carefully until she got to The Three Broomsticks. Business seemed to have taken a hit, which was not a surprise. Between the slowing down at Hogsmeade and what had happened last year… there just wasn't too much to be surprised about anymore. Ginny pulled her cloak's hood over her face and walked in looking very cold. She pulled out a handful of coins that Fred and George had given her for helping smuggle their products in and gave them to Madame Rosmerta.
"Who are you?" She asked anxiously. She seemed nervous in her manners.
"It's me," Ginny said, pulling her hood up just enough to show her eyes. "I just need some butterbeer," she added.
"You shouldn't be here," Madam Rosmerta said, going behind the counter.
"Please," Ginny begged.
"Fine, but I don't want to be associated with this," Rosmerta said, looking around. "Next time just send a note before a match and I'll have it ready."
Ginny smiled. "Thanks," she said.
Ginny grabbed the crate of beverages and made her way up the street again. She was close to opening the Honeyduke's entrance when a hand wrapped around her arm and pulled her around. A wand was in her face. Ginny's breath caught and she closed her eyes tight. A couple bottles fell and shattered against the cobblestone..
"Ginny?" The grip loosened. "What are you doing here?"
Ginny opened her eyes. "Tonks!" she exclaimed in relief. A couple people were looking on, but they started to move away. Ginny tried to rebalance the tray of bottles. Tonks helped.
"What in Merlin's beard are you doing down here!" Tonks sounded angry. "Risking life and limb for butterbeer?"
Ginny's cheeks went pink. "We always come to get some to celebrate."
"You won your match then," Tonks said with the angry tone still. Ginny nodded. "Well, let's get you back the normal way."
"There's a shortcut," Ginny said.
"I know." Tonks continued to walk the other way. "If you can get back there, though, just think of the others that can."
Annoyed, Ginny followed. Tonks took one side of the crate and eased up as they started towards the gate. "How's school?" Tonks asked, finally breaking the silence.
Despite the thought to ignore the question, Ginny spilled all that had been happening. The frustrations of her professor, the way most of the girls around school were acting, and most of all how lonely she felt. Tonks just listened for a long time. "And on top of it, I can't figure out how to…" Ginny paused. "Tonks… do you know how to transfigure?"
"In what way?" Tonks asked.
"I mean, how do you transfigure into what you want to be?"
"I couldn't quite say. It's something that I can normally do," Tonks answered looking over curiously. "Why?"
"I," Ginny said, then licked her lips. "Can I tell you something?"
"I think you've told me a lot," Tonks said.
"You can't tell anyone, though."
"Depends, I suppose then," Tonks said. "So long as you're not putting yourself in danger."
Ginny thought for a minute. She didn't see how the concept would be putting herself in danger, so she told of her plans.
"I wouldn't know about that. I can just change my image," Tonks said. "But I would be careful about that if I were you. I've heard of some catastrophes."
"I know."
They were quiet for a bit longer until they were just beyond the gate. There was someone coming towards them, shoulders covered in snow, long black robes blowing in the wind. "Ms. Weasley," a voice shouted.
Ginny's heart sank. "Who's that?" Tonks asked. There was an edge to her voice, much like Madam Rosmerta's. Ginny, for once, agreed with such a tone.
"Ginny Weasley," Professor Holladay said with a bit of bounce to his voice, as if he'd just won a prize for his mum at the carnival. "I could have suspected that you would be the student out of bounds."
"I am perfectly in the boundaries."
"Yes, but where did you get those drinks from?" Caught. By the worst person possible.
"I brought them to her," Tonks said with a bit of defiance. "Ginny met me at the gate to assist in bringing them to the school."
"And who are you?" Holladay pressed.
"I am working as an auror in Hogsmeade."
They both seemed infuriated at the others' interference. "We'll just see what the headmistress has to say about that," Holladay said, turning with an expectation to be followed.
"Yes we will," Tonks countered and pulled out her wand, a wolf's image emerging from the tip and running far ahead.
By the time they got up to the castle, McGonagall was waiting for them. "What in Troll Haven is going on?" she asked, a mixture of frustration and exasperation coming through.
"Ms. Weasley has been sneaking off to--"
"She has not!" Tonks jumped in. Ginny had to suppress a smile. "Ginny met me down by the gate to help me carry this crate up."
"I have it on good authority that she's been sneaking through hidden passageways!" Holladay shouted. He was obviously not planning on having his discovery foiled.
Ginny was waiting for McGonagall to turn to her and ask for her side of the story, and Ginny already had the alibi that Tonks had given expanded into a great monologue. Instead, McGonagall held up her hand to silence the other two adults in the room. She turned to Professor Holladay. "I have been reviewing the scores and assignments you gave to Ms. Weasley, and I daresay that any teacher must give each student a fair and unbiased mark for each of the--"
"But you must know!--"
"I know enough," McGonagall said raising her hand to silence any further arguments. "From this moment I will be supervising Ms. Weasley's education in the department of Transfigurations. If I hear of any more students being likewise mistreated you will be dismissed from my school. Am I made clear?"
Ginny had never witnessed anything of the sort. She looked between the two Professors. Holladay looked like a sulky schoolboy. "Yes."
"Yes what?" McGonagall demanded.
"Yes, Ma'am," Holladay said.
In a moment McGonagall turned to Tonks, clearly dismissing Holladay from the ranks. "I would like you to help Ms. Weasley back to her commons and then report to my office."
Tonks nodded.
"And Ms. Weasley," McGonagall started just as she thought she was home free. "Please don't put yourself in jeopardy again. I will see you Monday during your usual Transfiguration hour."
Ginny nodded. She knew that she had just got by and that if it weren't for Holladay infuriating the Headmistress, she wouldn't have stood a chance. Thank Merlin for Holladay!
A/N: Another end to another chapter... and an anxious author awaiting your votes... I mean reviews :)