Disclaimer--If you like it, assume I don't own it. The Potterverse belongs to JKR, Steve Klowes, Scholastic and WB. Fanon belongs to the multitude...I'm simply paying homage with the sincerest form of flattery. Most of this scene is from GoF by JK Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made.
Author's Notes-- Progress has been a lot slower in this work. I hope you're still willing to stick with me anyway. As you all know, I may not own it, but I work hard, and I love it, so if you read it and enjoy it, please review it! Please don't print or post this elsewhere without my knowledge.
JamieBell--I think I know what you mean. I've always felt a little different than the others around me, as if I were seeing my life from a greater distance or something, which made me feel very out of place. And my boyfriend is always telling me I worry too much--he doesn't realize I worry about stuff so it WON'T happen! Thanks so much for your support! *hugs*
Raiining--Indeed it does. *chuckles evilly and rubs hands together while wiggling eyebrows* Indeed it does. *grins and winks*
J. Rhaye--I knew you weren't far behind! *hugs* The bit about the hat is turning out to be more significant than I realized! *laughs* I think that's great! I'm having a lot of fun with Ginny's interactions, too. :-) I couldn't agree with you more about Hermione. I think Ginny's good at controlling her reactions...partly because of Occulmency, and partly just because she learned the hard way that being too open leaves you vulnerable...so I suspect it's not really a huge black mark against her brothers that they didn't notice her disappointment. Exactly. She sees the danger instead of the fun. In a lot of ways, she's already lost her youth, the way Harry starts to loose his in GoF. *sighs* It's very sad, but it does suit them to understanding each other...and, as you say, they just are meant for normal, quiet lives. *hugs*
EEDOE--Ginny and the twins are indeed a trio. I've only lately realized that while Harry only has one trio, I've managed to give Ginny three...which is...interesting. *grins and shrugs* Ah, the banned list. *smirks* I'm sure the twins look on it as a monument to their greatness. *winks* Oooh...poor Oliver! He'd have had to be revived! As for Dumbledore...*grins* I still think that he allows a lot of things to happen simply so he can laugh about them later. *giggles* But maybe I'm projecting. *winks* *hugs*
Bill--I love the phrase "unusually aerated". *grins* You make an excellent and very important point about Hermione. She and Umbridge do have similar tendencies in common...and how Hermione begins to deal with those tendencies, now and in the future, determines whether she will be more like Umbridge or Professor McGonagall in the future. It's a great example of the road to hell paved with good intentions, and therefore I find it quite likely to be a deliberate point JKR is making. *grins and shrugs* It will be interesting to see Ginny's reaction to Hermione's overbearing tendency...and even more interesting to see those ramifications you expect in book 6. *winks* Ginny does tend to be rather prescient...but, then, so does Ron...maybe it runs in the family.*coughs and looks innocent* As for how much is just coincidence and how much is real...I'd love to say it was for me to know and you to find out, but I'm not sure I do know! *looks sheepish* I want to know the rest of that joke, too! It does sound truly awful. *giggles* *hugs*
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"Ginny!" Hermione burst into the room, scattering sleep. "Do you know what Nearly Headless Nick told me?" Ginny stifled a yawn and struggled to come up to speed as Hermione charged on full tilt ahead. "You'll never guess…I mean "Hogwarts: A History" never even mentions…not once in a thousand pages…House-elves," Hermione said expansively. Ginny had known this conversation was coming, but she had hoped it would wait until morning. Optimistically, as she now realized. "Hundreds. Hogwarts employs them." Hermione snorted, pushing her bushy hair out of her face with her hands before commencing to wave them around for emphasis, nearly knocking over Patricia Hart as she tried to come in. "Employs! More like enslaves! I mean, honestly, can you imagine?" The rest of Ginny's roommates eased around Hermione, eyeing her a bit warily.
"Well," Ginny spoke as cautiously as they moved, "actually…I can. Lots of old and important magical dwellings have them, and--" she plunged in, feeling as though she were attempting the verbal equivalent of picking her way through a swap infested with hinkypucks, "Hogwarts is a castle, Hermione. It's about as old, important, and magical as you can get--"
"What are you trying to say?" Hermione snapped.
"Hermione," Ginny said, annoyed to find she was using what sounded like Mum's "be-reasonable" voice, "Don't you think you're over-reacting just a bit?"
"Oh, come on, Ginny," Tempest Zabini said with enthusiasm. "How can she help it? It's the Triwizard Tournament! Here! And we're going to see it! Lighten up, already!"
"Yeah," gushed Leonore Lyman. "That's why we're getting back so late—the whole school spent ages standing around just discussing what it will be like! It's so exciting!"
"Hey, Hermione," added Patricia, "Who do you think Hogwarts' School Champion will be?"
"Yeah!" Leonore exclaimed. "I bet you already know, don't you, Hermione? We're always telling everybody you know everything."
"Umm," Hermione responded intelligently. "Well…"
"Would you look at the time?" Tempest said in surprise. "It really is quite late."
"Classes start tomorrow!" gasped Hermione, the perfect image of horrified embarrassment. "What if we don't get enough sleep and someone falls asleep in class? We might miss something important! See you tomorrow, Ginny!"
"Hey, are okay," Tempest asked Ginny as she stared at Hermione's suddenly-empty spot, feeling flattened. "It sounded like you two might be having a fight or something."
Tempest Zabini had been a friend of Ginny's ever since her first year, when she had felt isolated and ignored by everyone but Tom. Ginny knew she meant well, but she couldn't help remembering the way Tempest had delighted in spreading Remus Lupin's painful secret at the end of the year before. Professor Lupin had been the kindest, gentlest, most dedicated teacher Ginny had ever known, and the thought still filled her with a twinge of annoyance, especially now, when she saw the other girls watching them with carefully concealed interest. "It wasn't a fight," she said as casually as she could, hoping Hermione knew that.
Cauldron-colored clouds still roiled across the Great Hall's enchanted ceiling when Ginny stumbled down to breakfast clutching the coffee mug that had been a treasured possession ever since she'd received it from Tempest and Colin. Hermione seemed a little unwilling to look her in the eye—though that might have been preoccupation with the course schedule she'd just been handed by Professor McGonagall—but otherwise amiable. Ginny decided to be satisfied with that as she filled her mug and helped herself to eggs and sausage, nearly missing her own schedule in the process.
Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions on Mondays and Wednesdays, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and Defense Against the Dark Arts on Tuesdays. Ancient Runes and Astronomy on Thursdays, and a second Astronomy class Professor Sinistra had given her permission to take on Fridays.
She had Herbology with Ravenclaw instead of Hufflepuff, and happy as she was at the prospect of spending time with Luna and Bion, the idea of facing Snape without them filled her with dread until she realized she had Potions with them as well. She had Care of Magical Creatures with Hufflepuff, and nothing at all with Slytherin, which prospect nearly made Ron faint in jealousy. Ginny herself breathed a quick sigh of relief. It looked like a good schedule. She was looking forward to it…but she still wished she didn't have to face Snape on Mondays.
Charms and Transfiguration were interesting and uneventful, but Potions turned out to be even worse than Ginny had expected. Professor Snape ordered them to brew a Scintillating Solution, and when most of the class had trouble—as he'd known all along they would—he spent the rest of the period raving about how much they'd forgotten over holiday and how hopeless they were to teach. By the time he finally released them to go to dinner, Ginny's head was pounding.
She was rubbing her temples, only half-listening to Bion and Luna's latest good-natured squabble, when she heard a sneering voice she seldom encountered but clearly remembered from somewhere behind them. "Weasley! Hey, Weasley!" Even though she had no desire whatsoever to talk to Draco Malfoy, she turned instinctively, but all she saw were the people directly behind her.
"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley," the unpleasantly familiar voice said even more loudly. "Listen to this! FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC."
Ginny didn't need to hear the tag line to know Rita Skeeter was responsible for writing it. That was one reporter she would love to swat, not that she'd ever have the chance. She sighed. The article claimed Arnold Weasley was responsible for involving the Ministry in a potential embarrassment by running interference with the muggle policemen for an obviously senile Mad-Eye Moody. "Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete non-entity, isn't it?"
At that very moment, Ginny decided revenge on Draco Malfoy.
"We'll help," Luna said cheerily, even though Ginny hadn't said a word about her intentions. "Right, Bion?"
"Uh," Bion said, blank but game, "Sure?"
Ginny wrapped an arm around each of them in a grateful hug as Malfoy continued, "And there's a picture, Weasley! A picture of your parents outside their house—if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"
Ginny knew her face was red, but for once it wasn't the color of embarrassment. It was rage. Pure and unadulterated. "I think," Bion said quietly, "this calls for the big guns—this calls for the twins." He'd apparently caught on to what Luna had been saying.
"Oh!" Luna said, clapping her hands together with delight, "I haven't seen them in ages."
"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter," Malfoy was still sneering, "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it the picture?"
"You know your mother, Malfoy?" Harry's reply came to her faintly, a thing more felt than sensed, like his presence could be. "That expression she's got like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was that just because you were with her?"
A loud bang echoed through the Entrance Hall, as if Ginny's head had finally exploded. Several people screamed, the sound nearly drowned out by another head-burstingly loud bang. People pushed in from all sides, making Ginny feel as though she were being trampled. She threw out her hands and pushed back without the slightest hesitation. The crowd didn't seem to notice, but at least she had some space.
"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE," boomed an unfamiliar voice. Professor Moody was on the staircase. The hall became so silent Ginny could hear his wooden leg click against the marble as he walked toward the source of the disturbance. "LEAVE IT!" Of what or to whom Moody might be speaking was ridiculously unclear. "I don't think so!" Suddenly Ginny, who couldn't see anything, saw something white flash over the crowd, and plummet ponderously toward the floor before shooting upward again. "What is that?"
"I think it's a ferret," Luna said matter-of-factly.
"Oh," Ginny said, rubbing her temples again. "Of course."
"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back is turned," Moody snarled as the ferret bounced endlessly, squealing and kicking in a vain attempt to escape. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do."
"That can't be allowed," Bion said, more reflective than worried.
"Never-do-that-again--" Moody intoned, punctuating each word with an adamant bounce.
"Professor Moody!" Professor McGonagall could do a fine impression of Hermione at her most prim and disapproving.
"Hello, Professor McGonagall," Professor Moody said, still absorbed in the ferret Ginny couldn't quite believe to be Draco Malfoy.
"What—what are you doing?" Professor McGonagall faltered, her reaction obviously akin to Ginny's.
"Teaching," Moody said shortly.
"Teach—Moody, is that a student?" Ginny had never heard Professor McGonagall shriek. In fact, she would have given even money on whether or not she even could. It was so unexpected, she hardly noticed the books hitting the floor. And neither did Professor McGonagall.
"Yep," said Moody.
"No!" protested McGonagall, rushing down stairs again as she pulled out her wand. There was a loud snapping noise, apparently restoring Malfoy to his normal disgusting form. "Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment! Surely Dumbledore mentioned that?"
"He might've mentioned it," Moody admitted, "but I thought--"
"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"
The excitement more or less over, the line began to move again. Malfoy seemed to have been punished sufficiently, but Ginny was still determined to avenge the Weasley name personally. She pulled Lee and the twins aside after a somewhat unexciting beef casserole and recounted what they had missed. After that, getting them to agree to help wasn't a problem…convincing them to wait for a well-planned prank rather than taking immediate action with their fists, on the other hand…Luckily, the twins were nothing if not devious, which might just have been what she admired most about them.
Author's Notes-- Progress has been a lot slower in this work. I hope you're still willing to stick with me anyway. As you all know, I may not own it, but I work hard, and I love it, so if you read it and enjoy it, please review it! Please don't print or post this elsewhere without my knowledge.
JamieBell--I think I know what you mean. I've always felt a little different than the others around me, as if I were seeing my life from a greater distance or something, which made me feel very out of place. And my boyfriend is always telling me I worry too much--he doesn't realize I worry about stuff so it WON'T happen! Thanks so much for your support! *hugs*
Raiining--Indeed it does. *chuckles evilly and rubs hands together while wiggling eyebrows* Indeed it does. *grins and winks*
J. Rhaye--I knew you weren't far behind! *hugs* The bit about the hat is turning out to be more significant than I realized! *laughs* I think that's great! I'm having a lot of fun with Ginny's interactions, too. :-) I couldn't agree with you more about Hermione. I think Ginny's good at controlling her reactions...partly because of Occulmency, and partly just because she learned the hard way that being too open leaves you vulnerable...so I suspect it's not really a huge black mark against her brothers that they didn't notice her disappointment. Exactly. She sees the danger instead of the fun. In a lot of ways, she's already lost her youth, the way Harry starts to loose his in GoF. *sighs* It's very sad, but it does suit them to understanding each other...and, as you say, they just are meant for normal, quiet lives. *hugs*
EEDOE--Ginny and the twins are indeed a trio. I've only lately realized that while Harry only has one trio, I've managed to give Ginny three...which is...interesting. *grins and shrugs* Ah, the banned list. *smirks* I'm sure the twins look on it as a monument to their greatness. *winks* Oooh...poor Oliver! He'd have had to be revived! As for Dumbledore...*grins* I still think that he allows a lot of things to happen simply so he can laugh about them later. *giggles* But maybe I'm projecting. *winks* *hugs*
Bill--I love the phrase "unusually aerated". *grins* You make an excellent and very important point about Hermione. She and Umbridge do have similar tendencies in common...and how Hermione begins to deal with those tendencies, now and in the future, determines whether she will be more like Umbridge or Professor McGonagall in the future. It's a great example of the road to hell paved with good intentions, and therefore I find it quite likely to be a deliberate point JKR is making. *grins and shrugs* It will be interesting to see Ginny's reaction to Hermione's overbearing tendency...and even more interesting to see those ramifications you expect in book 6. *winks* Ginny does tend to be rather prescient...but, then, so does Ron...maybe it runs in the family.*coughs and looks innocent* As for how much is just coincidence and how much is real...I'd love to say it was for me to know and you to find out, but I'm not sure I do know! *looks sheepish* I want to know the rest of that joke, too! It does sound truly awful. *giggles* *hugs*
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"Ginny!" Hermione burst into the room, scattering sleep. "Do you know what Nearly Headless Nick told me?" Ginny stifled a yawn and struggled to come up to speed as Hermione charged on full tilt ahead. "You'll never guess…I mean "Hogwarts: A History" never even mentions…not once in a thousand pages…House-elves," Hermione said expansively. Ginny had known this conversation was coming, but she had hoped it would wait until morning. Optimistically, as she now realized. "Hundreds. Hogwarts employs them." Hermione snorted, pushing her bushy hair out of her face with her hands before commencing to wave them around for emphasis, nearly knocking over Patricia Hart as she tried to come in. "Employs! More like enslaves! I mean, honestly, can you imagine?" The rest of Ginny's roommates eased around Hermione, eyeing her a bit warily.
"Well," Ginny spoke as cautiously as they moved, "actually…I can. Lots of old and important magical dwellings have them, and--" she plunged in, feeling as though she were attempting the verbal equivalent of picking her way through a swap infested with hinkypucks, "Hogwarts is a castle, Hermione. It's about as old, important, and magical as you can get--"
"What are you trying to say?" Hermione snapped.
"Hermione," Ginny said, annoyed to find she was using what sounded like Mum's "be-reasonable" voice, "Don't you think you're over-reacting just a bit?"
"Oh, come on, Ginny," Tempest Zabini said with enthusiasm. "How can she help it? It's the Triwizard Tournament! Here! And we're going to see it! Lighten up, already!"
"Yeah," gushed Leonore Lyman. "That's why we're getting back so late—the whole school spent ages standing around just discussing what it will be like! It's so exciting!"
"Hey, Hermione," added Patricia, "Who do you think Hogwarts' School Champion will be?"
"Yeah!" Leonore exclaimed. "I bet you already know, don't you, Hermione? We're always telling everybody you know everything."
"Umm," Hermione responded intelligently. "Well…"
"Would you look at the time?" Tempest said in surprise. "It really is quite late."
"Classes start tomorrow!" gasped Hermione, the perfect image of horrified embarrassment. "What if we don't get enough sleep and someone falls asleep in class? We might miss something important! See you tomorrow, Ginny!"
"Hey, are okay," Tempest asked Ginny as she stared at Hermione's suddenly-empty spot, feeling flattened. "It sounded like you two might be having a fight or something."
Tempest Zabini had been a friend of Ginny's ever since her first year, when she had felt isolated and ignored by everyone but Tom. Ginny knew she meant well, but she couldn't help remembering the way Tempest had delighted in spreading Remus Lupin's painful secret at the end of the year before. Professor Lupin had been the kindest, gentlest, most dedicated teacher Ginny had ever known, and the thought still filled her with a twinge of annoyance, especially now, when she saw the other girls watching them with carefully concealed interest. "It wasn't a fight," she said as casually as she could, hoping Hermione knew that.
Cauldron-colored clouds still roiled across the Great Hall's enchanted ceiling when Ginny stumbled down to breakfast clutching the coffee mug that had been a treasured possession ever since she'd received it from Tempest and Colin. Hermione seemed a little unwilling to look her in the eye—though that might have been preoccupation with the course schedule she'd just been handed by Professor McGonagall—but otherwise amiable. Ginny decided to be satisfied with that as she filled her mug and helped herself to eggs and sausage, nearly missing her own schedule in the process.
Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions on Mondays and Wednesdays, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and Defense Against the Dark Arts on Tuesdays. Ancient Runes and Astronomy on Thursdays, and a second Astronomy class Professor Sinistra had given her permission to take on Fridays.
She had Herbology with Ravenclaw instead of Hufflepuff, and happy as she was at the prospect of spending time with Luna and Bion, the idea of facing Snape without them filled her with dread until she realized she had Potions with them as well. She had Care of Magical Creatures with Hufflepuff, and nothing at all with Slytherin, which prospect nearly made Ron faint in jealousy. Ginny herself breathed a quick sigh of relief. It looked like a good schedule. She was looking forward to it…but she still wished she didn't have to face Snape on Mondays.
Charms and Transfiguration were interesting and uneventful, but Potions turned out to be even worse than Ginny had expected. Professor Snape ordered them to brew a Scintillating Solution, and when most of the class had trouble—as he'd known all along they would—he spent the rest of the period raving about how much they'd forgotten over holiday and how hopeless they were to teach. By the time he finally released them to go to dinner, Ginny's head was pounding.
She was rubbing her temples, only half-listening to Bion and Luna's latest good-natured squabble, when she heard a sneering voice she seldom encountered but clearly remembered from somewhere behind them. "Weasley! Hey, Weasley!" Even though she had no desire whatsoever to talk to Draco Malfoy, she turned instinctively, but all she saw were the people directly behind her.
"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley," the unpleasantly familiar voice said even more loudly. "Listen to this! FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC."
Ginny didn't need to hear the tag line to know Rita Skeeter was responsible for writing it. That was one reporter she would love to swat, not that she'd ever have the chance. She sighed. The article claimed Arnold Weasley was responsible for involving the Ministry in a potential embarrassment by running interference with the muggle policemen for an obviously senile Mad-Eye Moody. "Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It's almost as though he's a complete non-entity, isn't it?"
At that very moment, Ginny decided revenge on Draco Malfoy.
"We'll help," Luna said cheerily, even though Ginny hadn't said a word about her intentions. "Right, Bion?"
"Uh," Bion said, blank but game, "Sure?"
Ginny wrapped an arm around each of them in a grateful hug as Malfoy continued, "And there's a picture, Weasley! A picture of your parents outside their house—if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"
Ginny knew her face was red, but for once it wasn't the color of embarrassment. It was rage. Pure and unadulterated. "I think," Bion said quietly, "this calls for the big guns—this calls for the twins." He'd apparently caught on to what Luna had been saying.
"Oh!" Luna said, clapping her hands together with delight, "I haven't seen them in ages."
"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter," Malfoy was still sneering, "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it the picture?"
"You know your mother, Malfoy?" Harry's reply came to her faintly, a thing more felt than sensed, like his presence could be. "That expression she's got like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was that just because you were with her?"
A loud bang echoed through the Entrance Hall, as if Ginny's head had finally exploded. Several people screamed, the sound nearly drowned out by another head-burstingly loud bang. People pushed in from all sides, making Ginny feel as though she were being trampled. She threw out her hands and pushed back without the slightest hesitation. The crowd didn't seem to notice, but at least she had some space.
"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE," boomed an unfamiliar voice. Professor Moody was on the staircase. The hall became so silent Ginny could hear his wooden leg click against the marble as he walked toward the source of the disturbance. "LEAVE IT!" Of what or to whom Moody might be speaking was ridiculously unclear. "I don't think so!" Suddenly Ginny, who couldn't see anything, saw something white flash over the crowd, and plummet ponderously toward the floor before shooting upward again. "What is that?"
"I think it's a ferret," Luna said matter-of-factly.
"Oh," Ginny said, rubbing her temples again. "Of course."
"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back is turned," Moody snarled as the ferret bounced endlessly, squealing and kicking in a vain attempt to escape. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do."
"That can't be allowed," Bion said, more reflective than worried.
"Never-do-that-again--" Moody intoned, punctuating each word with an adamant bounce.
"Professor Moody!" Professor McGonagall could do a fine impression of Hermione at her most prim and disapproving.
"Hello, Professor McGonagall," Professor Moody said, still absorbed in the ferret Ginny couldn't quite believe to be Draco Malfoy.
"What—what are you doing?" Professor McGonagall faltered, her reaction obviously akin to Ginny's.
"Teaching," Moody said shortly.
"Teach—Moody, is that a student?" Ginny had never heard Professor McGonagall shriek. In fact, she would have given even money on whether or not she even could. It was so unexpected, she hardly noticed the books hitting the floor. And neither did Professor McGonagall.
"Yep," said Moody.
"No!" protested McGonagall, rushing down stairs again as she pulled out her wand. There was a loud snapping noise, apparently restoring Malfoy to his normal disgusting form. "Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment! Surely Dumbledore mentioned that?"
"He might've mentioned it," Moody admitted, "but I thought--"
"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"
The excitement more or less over, the line began to move again. Malfoy seemed to have been punished sufficiently, but Ginny was still determined to avenge the Weasley name personally. She pulled Lee and the twins aside after a somewhat unexciting beef casserole and recounted what they had missed. After that, getting them to agree to help wasn't a problem…convincing them to wait for a well-planned prank rather than taking immediate action with their fists, on the other hand…Luckily, the twins were nothing if not devious, which might just have been what she admired most about them.