I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story so far and I appreciate the reviews! As always I do not own Harry Potter! I do however, own the plot and at this point, that's all that matters to me. ;)

Chapter 4

Harry's first year at Hogwarts went by smoothly albeit a few run-ins with the Weasleys. He and Draco made friends with a few of the other Slytherins but Harry could care less about them. As much as he had proclaimed it was going to be a great year, truth be told, it would be even better when Ginny arrived. Harry was impatient for the year to end and apart from Christmas spent at the Malfoy's with Draco and Ginny, the year was fairly boring for Harry, and not soon enough, he was disembarking the train at King's Cross station and getting bombarded by Ginny's bone crushing embrace. With a grin, he returned the hug, lifting her off of her feet. When the two parted, they sported matching grins on their faces. From behind approached Voldemort. "Ah, Harry, you have returned. How was your first year at Hogwarts?" Harry scowled. "It was rather boring my Lord. I didn't learn anything I didn't already know and the teachers acted as if I was going to blow up or something. Other than hexing the Weasleys, nothing spectacular happened." The Dark Lord nodded. "I see. Well my dear boy, Ginny will be with you next year. I expect that business will pick up then." Harry nodded, the grin returning to his face.

The summer passed too quickly for Harry's liking and soon enough, he was waiting for his and Ginny's Hogwarts letters to arrive. As they waited, they sat with their snakes, feeding them. Harry was holding a rat in front of his Spitting Queen Cobra Gini, trying to entice her to strike it. The rat squirmed in his hand, trying to get its tail from his grasp so it could escape. "Gin, is your rat as squirmy as mine?" Ginny laughed, a beautiful sound to Harry's ears, as she did the same as Harry for her Spitting King Cobra, Naga. "Must you two do that in front of me?!" Across the table sat none other than Peter Pettigrew. Harry sneered at the rat of a man. "If Gini were large enough I'd feed you to her. How about you turn yourself into rat form so I can feed her properly." Pettigrew shivered at the thought. He looked up to see Ginny glaring daggers in his direction. "Don't look at her rat, I'm the one talking to you. Careful, remember the last time you looked at her?" Pettigrew shuddered at the memory. He had been in the manor alone with the children. Draco and Harry were asleep. Ginny however, was taking a shower. As Pettigrew inched towards the door, he could see the girl in the mirror. The shower was wide open, no curtains. It made Peter shiver in delight. Soon, the shower shut off and he saw Ginny step out. She walked to the sink, causing him to shrink against the wall so she wouldn't see him. As he snuck a glance, he saw her bend down to get something. He stared at the sight before he was interrupted but an angry grunt. The man froze. He slowly turned to see an awake and extremely angry Harry standing there. "What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing Peter?"

When the Dark Lord had returned, he had found Peter, stuck in his rat form, hanging from a rope with both Gini and Naga hissing below him. When he had heard what had happened, he had laughed and called Harry, "a creative lad". Peter shuddered at the memory from a year ago. He'd be damned if he was going to fall to that temptation again, so he looked down at his hands and remained that way. "That's a good rat." Harry sneered at the coward but turned at the sound of owls coming through the window and dropping off three letters. "Draco, Hogwarts letters are here!" Ginny yelled for her friend. He heard rushing steps as Draco rushed to claim his letter. The three children ripped into their letters and read them quickly. "We've got all these books already." Harry snorted which caused Ginny to roll her eyes. "Yes, but we'll still need to go to Diagon Alley for robes and I get my wand holster. Harry grinned at her. "You'll be a big girl now." Ginny stuck her tongue at him. "Quiet Potter or I'll hex you." Harry promptly shut up. The one thing the rat could say for Ginny, as he watched Naga and Gini eat the rats, even though she wasn't as powerful as Harry, she still somehow could get him to shut up, and that's all that mattered to Peter.

12 Grimmauld Place….

Sirius watched in pity as his daughter and the Weasley boys opened up their letters. Sirius could afford every book needed for all of them, but Molly refused to take any money from him. But what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. After all, her vault was nearly empty. He glanced at his wife Amelia, giving her a small smile. Suddenly, the door opened, and in walked in Severus Snape, escorting an old, shabby looking man. The man stopped and took out his wand, with a few waves, his normal appearance was restored. "Ah, Albus, good to see you." Albus nodded grimly. Minutes later, they all stood in what had been dubbed, the meeting hall. "What can you tell us Severus?" Severus sighed. "The children just received their letters. Peter was there. Whatever the Dark Lord had him doing, he's either done it, or he's failed to do it." Molly frowned. "Why would you think he failed?" Severus shook his head. "Because it would be his punishment to, 'look out for Harry and Ginny'." Molly looked confused. "Why is that a punishment?" Sirius rolled his eyes. "Because he's afraid of the boy." Understanding lit Molly's face before confusion set back in. "Why?" After Snape had told her the story, she was fuming. "It's too bad one of those snakes didn't get him!" Arthur put a hand on his wife. "It's become obvious that Harry cares about Ginny as more than just a friend. I understand he's only 12, but sometimes these feelings come early." Severus shrugged. "I agree but it's too early to tell. We'll find out soon I suspect."

At Malfoy Manor, Two weeks before Hogwarts….

"Please my Lord, I would be honored to teach the Dark Arts!" Harry and Ginny watched with disinterest as Voldemort looked at the groveling man before him. "Ah, but Gilderoy, I already have a Dark Arts teacher in Amycus." Harry nearly snorted, Amycus was a useless teacher who never did anything but glower at Harry. Harry couldn't understand it himself. All he did was remove one of his eyes after he caught him staring at Ginny, and that was after Ginny had hexed his bits off, literally. But he doubted Lockhart would be any better. He seemed far too full of himself. He was about to leave when Ginny decided to speak. "Pray tell what you have done to prove that you deserve the job." This made Harry interested again. It seemed to have the same effect on the Dark Lord. "Indeed, why don't you tell us why you deserve the job?" Lockhart stammered. "B-b-but it's all in my books." He tried to flash a smile but his heart just wasn't in it. Ginny just sneered. "Why would the Dark Lord waste his precious time reading your fiction? The Dark Lord has much better things to do with his time, like running a country and tracking down traitors. Tell me something, are you one of those traitors? Because if you really cared about teaching the sacred Dark Arts, you'd be a bit more enthusiastic about it." Gilderoy was thunderstruck. "My Lord, do you not hear this pathetic child questioning her betters?" Harry put a hand on Ginny's arm to keep her from hexing the fool. He glanced at Bellatrix who had an outraged look on her face. Indeed, he could feel his own rage rushing to the surface like a volcano about to erupt. The Dark Lord looked at Gilderoy with malice. "You dare insult one of my own in MY presence?! Indeed young Ginny has a point, I have no time to read such stories and if you had actually done it yourself instead of obliviating the ones who actually did it and then taking the credit, you would have been able to regal us with your adventures. As it is, you have wasted enough of our time. Harry, if you will." Harry got up, flicking his wand out of its holster. "Gladly my Lord." Harry pointed his wand at a now stammering and blubbering Lockhart. "P-p-please d-d-don't do this!" Harry sneered. "Ginny, would you like to have a little revenge?" Ginny grinned as she flicked out her own wand and pointed it at the sobbing man. "Crucio!" Lockhart cried out in pain. Ginny repeated the unforgivable for several more minutes. "Alright Harry, I'm done." Harry arched his brow. "Getting soft in your old age?" Ginny shot him a glare, making Harry laugh before he turned his attention back to Lockhart. "Avada Kedavra!"

September 1st…

Harry and Ginny sat on the Hogwarts express with Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle. It had been an interesting morning. They had been on time and early to the platform. They said their goodbyes to Bellatrix (Voldemort was on a mission) and got on the express to wait. In Harry's opinion, Crabe was just a little too interested In Ginny. "What the ruddy hell are you looking at Crabbe?!" Crabbe jumped, startled, and muttered an incoherent response. Harry snorted. "Keep your eyes to yourself." Crabbe gulped and immediately looked at the paper featuring an article about Gilderoy Lockhart's death and why it was deserved. He had witnessed the death firsthand. He had seen how cruel Harry and Ginny could be to their enemies and he certainly didn't want to be one. Harry huffed in irritation while Ginny giggled at his protectiveness. "So, what do you plan to do to my dear 'brothers' this year?" Harry's frown turned into a wide grin. "I'm not entirely sure, I know Bellatrix wants to have a dueling club, maybe I'll get paired up with one of them and show them how it feels to be struck with an unforgivable. Then there's the pranks I want to pull, but we'll have to watch the twins, they gave your mum hell last year." Draco laughed. "I've never seen her so mad. If she had proof she would have tortured them for days!" Ginny couldn't help but grin at the thought.

Several hours later, Ginny reluctantly uncurled herself from Harry to pull on her school robes and head toward the exits with Harry in tow. As she walked through Hogsmeade, she saw Amycus Carrow waiting for the first years at the docks. She shuddered at the memory of him leering at her, it made her want to hex him again. It's too bad she had already hexed his bits off. "Don't worry Gin, that pervert wouldn't dare hurt you with your mum around. And besides, I think he learned his lesson." Ginny nodded but that didn't stop her from feeling apprehensive. Of course she found out that she had nothing to worry about. Carrow promptly ignored her. As they waited for the sorting to begin, Ginny tuned out the hat's song as she thought about her upcoming year with Harry, even if she wouldn't be able to take classes with him. She was glad that all Slytherins got their own rooms. She'd just have to sneak into Harry's room like her mum had suggested. "Weasley, Ginerva." Ginny scowled at the use of her full first name, as she walked to the stool and sat down for the hat to be placed on her head. Ahh. What an interesting mind you have there Miss Ginny. I must say that the temptation to continue the Weasley tradition of going to Gryffindor is strong, but I sense far too much cunning in you my dear. I can also sense your love for Mr. Potter, it practically radiates from you dear child. So with that in mind, you can only be in…."SLYTHERIN!" Ginny was estatic and quick to hide her blush as she sat next to Harry. She kissed him on the cheek. She noticed his grin grow wider before she glanced towards the Gryffindor table and saw the shocked looks on the faces of her brothers. It made her day to see them in such shock.

Bellatrix cleared her throat to speak. "Now, as all of you know, my daughter Ginny is starting her first year," Ginny could see several gulps from where she sat. "I'd advise you not to press your luck with her but where would the fun be in that." Ginny scowled. "Oh, and I fully encourage all of you boys to try her, Harry may have a gift for you." She smiled evilly as Harry looked around, daring anyone to heed her advice. "Now then, we're going to start a dueling club and you are ALL REQUIRED to attend. Anyone not found in attendance will suffer througha special detention or two with the Carrows." Ginny saw shudders throughout the entire room, she couldn't blame them. "And of course Filch has promised to horse whip anyone caught breaking the rules. Exceptions will be made to those that I deem to be worthy of them." She winked in Harry and Ginny's direction, which included Draco who was sporting a large grin. "Now then, eat up children."

Later that night, Ginny snuck up to the second year dorms and knocked on Harry's door. She heard a muffled 'Come in' and entered the room. She saw Harry sitting up, waiting for her. "I thought you'd never get here." He teased her often but it was all in good fun. Ginny snorted. "Do you want me to go back to my room?" The fun part was that Ginny liked to tease back. It was the way their relationship worked. Harry was pretty sure of how he felt about Ginny. She wasn't a sister to him, or even a best friend, it was much more than that. And he was pretty sure that Ginny felt the same way. So as he lay there with an arm around Ginny, he pulled her closer to him. He'd make sure that nobody hurt her, if she didn't hurt them before he could.

Some many miles away….

An old man sat in an abandoned apartment building, stroking the feathers of a phoenix. The phoenix trilled quietly, its song full of hope. "I know Fawkes, I felt it as well." He referred to the great love he felt between Ginny and Harry as he sat on the corner near King's Cross looking like a beggar. "Where there is a love that strong, there can only be hope." He, Albus Dumbledore, had hope.

I hope you guys enjoyed this one. It took me a minute to pump out but here it is. I'm sure you guys must be getting tired of me setting people up to get tortured because they leered at or insulted Ginny but you have to understand, Harry in this story is extremely protective and a bit possessive. Ginny is the same way in this story and I'll probably have a few of those to tell about Ginny hurting someone over Harry. There are a lot of places I could go from here. Obviously I'm skipping year 3 since there's nothing important happening there. I'll probably dive straight into year four with a bit more detail. Yes, I'm going to have the Triwizard Tournament. The ending will obviously differ from the book lol, but it'll be interesting. From there I'm not 100% sure where to go. Anywy, please review or PM me if you have any questions or suggestions!