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. 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, but I hope you'll all 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. I'm a bit confused about the ruckus FF.net is making about "keyboard dialogue", so I hope they don't object to our notes, but it seems unfair to ask for your feedback and not respond (besides, I LIKE responding).

CometMoon—I agree whole-heartedly. ;-)

Raiining—I love that I'm still writing, too! Glad you enjoyed the new POV on the surprise Champion. :-)

JamieBell—I'd be annoyed on behalf of my brothers, too. I'm excited we're getting into the action more, myself. This should be fun. :-)

J.Rhaye—I agree. Boys—especially Harry and Ron—are a bit thick! laughs Ginny's had the benefit of some nasty experience. Other people don't have as much reason to be concerned with magic items acting oddly….and they are kids. Yeah, poor Hermione—Ron and Harry keep her busy! I hope you really can see Ginny growing, developing, and evolving as the story unfolds—that's what I'm working to portray, and sometimes I'm not sure how good the portrayal is! hugs

EEDOE—Yeah. I always think most reactions do have more than one component…we just tend to notice the most predominant one…only sometimes there's more than one! I agree…if Ginny knew EVERYTHING that the reader knows, where would the fun be? I had to make the comparison, Fred and George made me. winks hugs

Bill—I couldn't have described Ginny's outlook or the situation between her and Harry better myself. grins I'll try to instill some humor…Too much angst gets kind of boring after a bit. Yes, yes, and…well…she's young and not entirely sure HOW to act, or even if she SHOULD. Hopefully more age and experience will change that. How could Ginny NOT write Remus? Some things just have to be done. grins Ginny flies almost all night—she did write a letter—but that sort of thing is easy enough to do when you loose track of yourself in something you love. hugs

From Hermione's description, Ginny had expected to find Ron in full and splendid auto-rant, but he was surprisingly pale and quiet when she arrived. The twins, on the other hand, looked absolutely delighted to see her, and she could tell they were dying to launch into full-frontal analysis of how Harry had managed it and what his chances in the competition were. She held them off with the slightest and most imperceptible shake of her head, and was halfway through a less than fascinating bowl of oatmeal with all three of them watching her all too closely, when Ron gave a violent start.

"I don't believe it!" Ginny and the twins exchanged glances, drawing mental lots as to which had to encourage elaboration on this extraordinary proclamation, but Ron, oblivious, was already resolving the problem. "I almost forgot! And I've only being doing everything I could think of--"

"Everything Hermione could think of, more like," George whispered knowingly to Fred.

"Ginny!"

Ginny blinked, somewhat uncomfortably at a loss as to what concerning her Ron might have forgotten.

"Happy Birthday!"

Ginny's throat almost instantly tightened, making speech all but impossible. Somehow, she, too, had forgotten her birthday, only to be presented—without thought or desire—with the one thing she'd really wanted and hadn't dared to expect.

He'd remembered.

Ron, her brother, the one who seemed to have forgotten all the years they'd been one another's only friend.

Ron had remembered.

"Oh, Gin, don't cry," he implored, alarmed by her reaction. "I'm sorry I almost forgot again, really—don't let it ruin your birthday...you're supposed to be happy!"

She threw her arms about him in response, gurgling incoherently. He patted her back awkwardly, looking over her shoulder at the twins. Whom, she had no doubt, looked equally terrified.

"Hurry up and finish your breakfast," Ron commanded. "I want to show you what I got—Go on."

Ginny grinned down at her unexciting porridge. "I didn't really want this anyway."

Ron whooped and jumped up, grabbing her arm. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get this show on the road!"

"What about Harry and Hermione?" Ginny asked breathlessly as she rushed to keep up, "Shouldn't we wait on them?"

"Oh," Ron scoffed, coming up short, "There's no need to bother Harry. He's far too busy and important for the likes of us."

"Ron!" Ginny remonstrated immediately. "You know that's not true! If Harry doesn't have time for you, why do I hardly ever see you two apart?" But she couldn't help hearing the words as she said them—it was true. Harry always had time for Ron, but didn't she spend most of her time thinking neither of them knew she existed? And Ron hadn't remembered her birthday a single time since he and Harry had been friends…until now. She tried to ignore the sudden plummeting of her heart through her stomach, tried to reverse it before it began, but she didn't succeed—not entirely.

"Yeah," Ron growled darkly, "well, we're not together now, are we? You think you know somebody…"

Ginny knew she ought to press the issue, but she wasn't sure she had the intestinal fortitude to manage it. Anyway, she knew Ron well enough to know he couldn't hold a grudge indefinitely—her conscience twinged at the memory of how he nearly had the year before—he'd forgive Harry as soon as he'd cooled off a bit. All he needed was a little space. Anyway, Harry had managed much worse situations on his own and been just fine. He didn't need her help, and might not appreciate her meddling in his problem. Besides, it was her birthday! She had a right to enjoy it instead of obsessing over Harry Potter, and she was going to do just that.

Ron hadn't been pulling her back to Gryffindor Tower as she'd assumed—they were in the inner courtyard. Ginny remembered telling him once—in a brief instance he'd happened to notice her existence her first year—that she loved the beauty of its open walls twined round with gnarled trees (which were currently in the now-sputtering vestiges of their explosive autumnal color). She thought he hadn't been listening. The courtyard was almost always empty, a trait Ginny loved almost as well as its beauty, but it wasn't empty now. It took a few seconds of staring to realize why.

Tempest, Colin, and all the girls from Ginny's dormitory were there, Fred and George had already located Lee, Neville was off in one corner, looking extremely shy, and Hagrid seemed to take up half the courtyard by himself. "Hey!" Ron objected, looking extremely affronted. "Where's Hermione? She must have skived off on account of him."

"That's okay," Ginny soothed, patting his arm. "I'm happy just knowing she planned to come."

"Well, I'm not," Ron snapped, but he looked somewhat mollified.

"I can't believe you organized this all on your own!" Ginny gushed, far too happy to pay any notice to minor flaws—though she did wish Professor Lupin could have attended.

Ron looked embarrassed. "Well, Fred and George caught wind of it, and for some reason they insisted on inviting Lee--" Ginny grinned—"and Hermione did help me a bit—I can't believe she's going to miss this!"

"Well, you two did a fantastic job," Ginny told him. "I can't imagine a better gift for my birthday."

"Sure," Ron said, looking uncomfortably pleased, "Well, anytime—you deserve it."