Ginny couldn't believe she was doing this. Really, if she managed to pull this off, it could just be one of the coolest things she'd ever done. It could be a feat worthy of putting her in the Weasley Hall of Fame, a story worthy of putting her one spot above even the twins.
She rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet as the nervous chatter around her came to a halt. Oliver Wood and the rest of the Quidditch team had walked out of the changing rooms with Professor McGonagall!?
No, no, no, no, no. What was she doing here!? Why!? She could ruin Ginny's plans. Shuffling closer behind one of the students that was a good head taller than her, Ginny managed to hide herself from the piercing gaze of her head of House.
Ginny's hair was hidden because Harry had lent her a hoodie that she could use, and she had a pair of goggles as well as a scarf around her face in an effort to hide it. This wasn't as strange an attire as it sounded, though. Pretty much everyone was wearing a scarf, but the hoodie and goggles did look a bit out of place. She was able to pass it off by pretending to be sick. A few sniffles and occasional coughs was all it took.
All of this was because she didn't want to risk detection. Not before she could execute her plan.
Strictly speaking, First Years weren't allowed on the Quidditch Team, but she was nothing if not convincing. There was no sign up process for these tryouts, no screening process, and you didn't even need to give your name out, you just had to be in Gryffindor and perform well.
That was exactly what she intended to do.
The idea was born solely because of Fred and George. They had seen her flying with Harry during one of their flying lessons, and had been offering lavish praise about their skills in the air.
She had expected their surprise.
She hadn't expected them to imply that she wasn't good enough to join the team though.
"You can't be serious." George had scoffed. "First years can't join the team."
"Besides," Fred added. "You just learned to fly, didn't you?"
"Quidditch is dangerous. Not exactly for the faint of heart."
"Plus, you're small, you could easily get hurt."
They left after trying to make her feel better with some parting words, words that felt empty, words that left her with an anger so hot that she'd wanted to prove them wrong by any means.
Naturally, when she told Harry, he began to help her scheme. While she hadn't doubted his support, she did find it refreshing to receive help from a boy without the typical long-winded speech about dangers involved.
No, he was cool about it, and that was how she found herself sneaking into the tryouts, listening to Oliver's speech about how Quidditch was one of the most sacred things in the world, and how he would expect more than their best.
Mercifully, Oliver finished the big speech after that. They were all handed a Cleansweep 3 for the purpose of the tryouts. It wasn't exactly the fastest broom in the school, but it was the only one they had in numbers large enough to make the selection process fair.
Before long, Oliver instructed them to take laps around the pitch. Ginny didn't waste a second and kicked off, flying away as she gritted her teeth against the strong currents of the cold September air that felt like tiny knives against the skin on her hands and forehead. She was suddenly grateful she'd decided to cover up most of her face.
She certainly wasn't the fastest up there, but she felt that four laps in two and a half minutes was a good time. Equally important, her hood managed to stay on, thanks to the sticking charm she'd cast.
Once they landed, Oliver started sending off people he thought were too slow, or too reckless in their technique. Ginny thought that he could probably have trained them to adopt a different technique if he really wanted to, but she didn't mention that aloud.
Her thoughts were cut off when Angelina Johnson, a girl in Fred and George's year, called them all over. Everyone was there to be a chaser since that was the only open spot.
Angelina made them throw Quaffles through hoops, and she oversaw passing drills. Occasionally, Ginny would glance down to see Professor McGonagall pointing up at the chasers, and murmuring something with Wood.
"You were really good," Alicia Spinnet told her when she landed.
She grinned. "Thanks. I've been practising for a while," she said, thinking of the practices she had told Harry to put her through.
Alicia grinned. "I can see that," she said. "Anyways, listen, I'm pretty sure you're already in. McGonagall was really impressed with your performance."
Ginny's jaw dropped behind her scarf. "You're joking," she replied. This was amazing! Maybe she would have a chance of getting in now. She just had to convince Professor McGonagall, which could be easy. All that effort seemed worth it just to hear her words though.
"She is not," Professor McGonagall said from behind her. Ginny turned around. "I thought you could be a wonderful addition to the team, and for once, Mr. Wood and I agree."
"Thank you, Professor," she said. Oh, this was happening. She discreetly pinched thigh, just to confirm, and she concluded that it definitely was.
"What's your name?" Professor McGonagall asked.
Well, her jig was up now. She took her scarf down, removed the goggles, and undid the sticking charm on her hoodie to take it off. Everyone had an expression of utter shock on their faces, until Fred and George burst out laughing.
"Hi," she said, a brazen grin on her face.
McGonagall closed her eyes, and sighed through her nostrils. "Of course it's you," she said, shaking her head. She looked a bit mad actually, and for the first time, Ginny wondered if sneaking into the tryouts had actually been a good idea… "Weasley… you do realise that you're a first year?"
"Yes, Professor," she replied quickly, "but there have been players before -"
"Those players," McGonagall said, "had been selected because of specific circumstances. Besides, they had already proven themselves on the pitch."
"I can do that too," she insisted. "Just give me a chance."
"She does fly better than everyone else who tried out," Oliver pointed out, nodding at her. "You saw her, Professor."
"She is still a First Year."
"We need a good Chaser, Professor," Angelina Johnson said.
"She's our sister," Fred and George provided.
"And?" Professor McGonagall asked after a pause, raising an eyebrow.
"And nothing," Fred said.
"We just thought it needed to be mentioned," George provided.
Professor McGonagall closed her eyes. "Heavens above," she said. "Everyone, give us a minute alone. Except you, Mr. Wood. I'd rather you be here."
Alicia and Angelina whispered their well wishes, while the seeker, Katie Bell, gave her a thumbs up. Fred and George mouthed the words, 'You've got it' and blew her a kiss that she would have shown them the finger for if McGonagall didn't begin pacing.
Oliver stayed silent next to her, and when Ginny looked at him questioningly, and nodded at McGonagall, he just shrugged. They could only hear the sounds of the birds and the cold wind until McGonagall spoke.
"Was that your first time on a Broomstick?" She asked.
Ginny shook her head. "I learned how to fly a few months ago," she said.
Professor McGonagall raised her eyebrows. "Who taught you?"
"I taught myself." She thought Professor McGonagall didn't believe her, judging by the smile she gave her. "I did."
"I believe you." She raised her hands. "I'd know if you were lying."
"How? Will you be teaching that in class, because I think that's quite useful -"
"Getting back on topic." Professor McGonagall looked at her seriously. "I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Merlin knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks…"
Ginny couldn't believe this was happening. There was no way. She was actually being selected for the team! She thought with a grin. Oh, she would start jumping around and screaming in delight if someone didn't stop her.
"Weasley," she said. "I would like to hear that you are working hard in the practices."
"You will," Ginny assured her quickly, stifling her insane urge to hug the older woman.
"Good," McGonagall replied. "Otherwise, I might have to change my mind about the punishment."
It took her embarrassingly long to realise that McGonagall had actually cracked a joke. She was serious when she asked Ginny to keep her appointment to the team a secret for the most part, though. Ginny, however, managed to negotiate a 'family and closest friends' exemption, neglecting to disclose the fact that a Slytherin was her closest friend- she knew Harry wouldn't tell and didn't want to give McGonagall an excuse to say no.
"You're joking!" Harry whisper-shouted when she told him. His jaw dropped open, and his face was stretched in a smile.
Somehow, her appointment to the team hadn't felt real until she'd told him about it. It was as though she had been living in a dream, but seeing him grin made her brain realise that her plan had actually worked!
They were sitting in the Great Hall, just before breakfast. She had just gotten there, and was sure she stank because both Wood and McGonagall had wanted to see what else she could do. She could safely say that she hadn't disappointed either of them.
"Nope." Ginny grinned. "I start training next week. Or the week after. I'm not quite sure which one."
"Eh, you'll figure out." Harry shrugged. He looked over her shoulder. "Fred and George are here."
"Hello," Fred said, clapping her shoulder.
"What a demonstration," George clapped her to her other shoulder.
"Indeed, my dear brother," Fred said, wiping a year with his free hand.
"Geroff." She shrugged their arms off. "What do you want?"
"To congratulate you," Fred and George said together.
"We just got the news from Wood," George added.
"Right." Ginny didn't really care. "Unless you're here to apologize - with an impressive amount of grovelling and maybe some chocolate bribery- off with you. Now."
"Er… what did we do to you?" Fred and George asked, sharing a look.
"You know bloody well what you said."
"Ah, that," George muttered, grimacing.
"Indeed, Georgie."
They looked at each other, doing their twin communication thing. She was about to snap her fingers to draw their attention back to her when they turned to her as one, and spoke.
"We are sorry," they said, "for hurting your feelings. We can assure you that it was not our intention, and we hold no ill will towards you for thinking that it was."
Ginny rolled her eyes, sharing a look with Harry over the ridiculousness of the 'apology'.
"Anyway, we've got to be off now," Fred said.
"Jordan thinks he's found a secret room," George explained. "We think we've already found it, but it's fun to watch him come to that realisation by himself."
With that, Fred and George left, but it didn't take long for Pansy Parkinson to show herself with Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco in tow. Ginny groaned. Ever since Harry had 'betrayed' her on Quidditch Pitch during the flying lessons, Pansy had taken it upon herself to try to make both his and her life hell.
Try, being the key word here.
"Did they finally expel you?" She asked as she came closer to their table. "Will you take the train back to your little pig shed?"
"I'm not in the mood, Pansy," Ginny replied. Her day was going far too well to let Pansy bleeding Parkinson ruin it.
"That's a bit rich coming from you," Harry replied at the same time. Ginny tried gesturing at him to leave it alone, a very not-Ginny behaviour, but Harry either didn't see it, or ignored it. "You look like you were raised in one. Have you seen that nose of yours?"
Ginny couldn't hold back her snort, and even Crabbe and Goyle guffawed before remembering who it was that had cracked the joke, after which they shut right up. Draco looked murderous for the first time, and it was quite the surprise.
"How dare you!" Pansy screeched.
"Don't even bother denying it," Ginny told her. If Harry had already started a fight, well, she was not saintly enough to see any reason to stay out of it. "What did you want anyway?"
Fuming, Pansy turned to Ginny. "Heard from a little bird that you snuck into the Gryffindor tryouts," she said smugly. "I was just wondering whether they expelled you for that."
Ginny remained tight-lipped about that. There was no reason to tell Parkinson about her appointment as one of the Gryffindor Chasers. "You know," she said, "you're awfully brave now that your little friends are all here with you. I prefer the idiot during the Flying Lessons."
Pansy scoffed, but it was Draco who answered. "Please," he said, rolling his eyes. "Pansy has nothing to be afraid of from the likes of you. Her father's an Auror, a Senior Auror."
"Then it's a good thing Daddy's not here to fight her fights now, isn't it?" Harry replied. Ginny appreciated that he would defend her, but she had to stomp down the voice telling her to speak up against it.
"I don't need my father to fight for me," Pansy replied with a glare. "I could take you on any time."
"You could?" Ginny asked, a humourless laugh escaping her. "Yeah sure."
"I'm serious," she said. "We could have a duel, you know."
"A duel?" She raised her eyebrow. It did sound like a cool idea, and it wasn't like she would lose to Pansy Parkinson of all people. She smirked. "Sure."
"I'll be her second," Draco announced pompously.
"I'll be her second," Harry repeated in the same tone, nodding at Ginny. She bit her lip to keep herself from laughing, but she did turn around and give him a grateful look.
"It's settled then," Pansy concluded.
"Let's meet in the Trophy room at midnight," Draco suggested. "That's always open and it's big enough for our purposes." Ginny agreed, and the Slytherin wankers left.
"Thanks," she said to Harry.
"No problem," he replied. "I just have a question."
Ginny nodded at him. "Shoot."
"What the hell is a second?"
"Well, this is it" Ginny said.
"You sure?" Harry glanced around the abandoned trophy room, but no one had disturbed the dust in ages.
"Yeah, Percy said it was," Ginny replied. "Unless there's a different one in the dungeons."
Harry looked around the room they were in. All four sides of the room were filled with endless trophy cases, glimmering in the low light, each seemingly themed after different events.
"Harry, look," Ginny said, pointing to one of the cases excitedly. There were four trophies in there, each with three handles and a few names written over them, none of which Harry recognised. "Those are the trophies for the Triwizard Tournament!"
Harry had no idea what that meant but he smiled anyway. "That's uh, nice?"
Ginny blinked in apparent shock before her face cleared. "You don't even know what it is, do you?"
"Nope." He shook his head with a grin as he moved towards the Quidditch section. He traced a finger over the trophies, specifically under the names, imagining his own there for best seeker. A dream he knew, would remain a dream. There was no way anyone in Slytherin would let him play.
He thought his dream had blended in far too much with reality when he saw the name 'Potter' inscribed on one of the trophies. He blinked his eyes, but the name was still there.
The initials weren't his, though. They spelled out J.F. Potter. He looked up to see another one, and another one, and another one until finally he came across a picture of a man wearing rectangular glasses, and wearing Gryffindor robes. His hair was as messy as Harry's was, he even looked like Harry, but it couldn't have been him… meaning that it had to be James Potter.
Harry pressed his fingers up against the glass, trying to get closer to the picture, not caring about the fingerprint smears he'd leave behind. His eyes eventually slid down the frame to the date the photo was taken, and sure enough, the years lined up with what he knew about his parents' age, Voldemort's war, and their involvement in it. He couldn't believe his eyes, it was almost as if he was looking in a mirror that showed him the future.
His nose was so close to the glass it left breath marks as he took in his dad's beaming smile as he held up a trophy, probably the Quidditch cup, and blew a kiss at an auburn haired woman in the background. Harry found himself smiling at the scene because they both looked quite happy.
He hoped that was his mum, though. If she wasn't then this was vile and he should probably step away.
"Harry?" Ginny whispered, getting closer to him. "What's wrong?"
Harry wordlessly nodded at the picture of his dad. "You look just like him," she gasped. "Well, like a younger version of him anyway."
Harry hummed his acknowledgement, and a silence fell upon them as Harry searched for more pictures of his dad. He found three more, and one of them had a closer look at the auburn haired woman. He was certain now that she was his mum, seeing as her green eyes were strikingly similar to his own.
There were other people in the pictures too, of course. There was a boy with a handsome face and long, well-kept hair; a boy that looked tired in all the pictures he was in, and a thin boy that had a bit of a mousy look to him.
There was even a group photo with all of them there. They were all laughing about something or the other while his mum was wearing a robe saying, 'Hogwarts Charms Club.'
He wondered what they were laughing about. Was it just teasing between friends? Or were they making fun of someone who wasn't in the picture? Perhaps they could have been laughing just because his Mum had won whatever competition it was that she was partaking in… the possibilities were endless.
It was a while before Harry remembered why they were here.
"Pansy and Draco aren't coming, it seems," he pointed out.
Ginny hummed. "Who even cares?" She was right, he admitted with a shrug. He would rather stay here and find another photo of his Mum. Perhaps she was a seeker too? "Oooh, Harry! Maybe we could find a photo of Gwenog Jones."
Or they could do that, he thought, as he watched with amusement as Ginny's bright brown eyes skipped from photo to photo.
They didn't find any other photos of his mum, but Harry did find one of Gwenog Jones, which made Harry happy because it made Ginny squeal with glee.
"Could be you someday," he teased her, poking her side.
She batted his hand away. "Shut up." She looked away from him towards another shelf.
"I'm serious -" he began.
"Harry -" she said at the same time.
Harry nodded at her to continue, but she just pointed at the trophy case she had seen. There, in glimmering words, the words Tom. M. Riddle shone up at him. He remembered seeing the name before, but he couldn't remember where.
"Tom Riddle," Ginny said when he agreed her. "The name in that Ancient Magic book."
Harry remembered now. "I didn't know he studied at Hogwarts."
"Yeah, neither did I," Ginny said, looking closer. "Graduated in 1945… he might be alive, Harry! Seriously old, but alive."
Her exclamation was followed by a crashing sound followed by a familiar yowl. It was Mrs. Norris. His suspicion was confirmed when he heard an old voice speak.
"Be careful, my sweet," the voice said. "They must be here somewhere. Oh, how I wish Dumbledore would let me hang them by their thumbs."
He was probably really close, so Harry pulled his Invisibility Cloak out and threw it over himself and Ginny. Filch kept making comments about how useful and effective it would be, but Harry managed not to dwell on them.
It wasn't long before the Filch himself appeared in the doorway, his beast alongside him. "This must be where they are," he croaked, bringing the lantern up in a way that lit his face up in such a way that made him seem more frightening than he was. "Come on out now. Your little game's over!"
Harry didn't move, and threw an arm around Ginny's shoulders to pull her closer as Mrs. Norris and Filch entered. The beast sniffed and Filch narrowed his eyes as they both searched the room.
Harry was concerned, not about Filch, but about Mrs. Norris, specifically because she was a cat and could probably sniff them out. But as it turned out, she couldn't. When she'd come close to them, she had just passed by without even taking notice.
"We should go," Ginny said in a very quiet whisper. Harry nodded, and the two of them slowly crept out of the trophy room, being careful to not make much noise.
They moved slowly, even when they were well out of sight of the room. It wasn't worth being caught by Filch, and Ginny said that she thought being caught by a cat would have been even embarrassing. She spoke again when they were on the second floor.
"How did he know we were there?" Ginny asked, checking around the corner they were hiding behind.
"Draco must have told him," said Harry. "He was the one who suggested the place to us, it would be a piece of cake to rat us out to Filch."
"But why?" Ginny asked, frustrated. He saw the gears turning in her head before she answered her question herself. "He wants us to get expelled, doesn't he?"
Ginny sounded outraged and bewildered. He couldn't blame her. Hogwarts was actually fun for her, and for him nowadays too. Things had changed for him since he openly went against Parkinson.
"Certainly wouldn't hurt him," Harry replied. Ginny hummed from her spot, still keeping an eye out around the corner. Suddenly, she gasped.
"Filch's here," Ginny said. "And they're moving slowly for some reason."
"That's probably just his old age catching up." Once again, he threw the Invisibility Cloak around him and Ginny, who snorted.
"Reckon we can kick his cat as we run?"
"One way to find out," he replied.
Neither of them actually wanted to kick the cat, well… maybe they did, but they didn't act on the impulse, choosing instead to run away from Filch and Mrs. Norris.
They didn't stop until reaching a crossroads, where Ginny wanted to take the hallway to their right, but Harry decided that was too obvious and dragged them to the left side instead, where there was a staircase leading them downwards. He didn't think Filch would think that they'd backtracked.
A rapid rapping sounded as they descended the stairs quickly. Ginny was panting rather hard from exhaustion, and Harry felt like he wouldn't last that long either, which was why he decided it was time they found a place to stop soon. Harry gritted his teeth, ran straight ahead and took a right turn near the end of the corridor, with Ginny hot on his heels.
The hallway they had found themselves in now was fully empty but for a single door at the end. "Should we go in there?" Harry asked. "Might be an empty classroom."
"It's definitely an empty classroom," Ginny said through heavy pants. "The bloody universe owes us one with all the exercise we've put in today."
He chuckled and waited a few minutes to catch his breath before he made it to the door. He slowly tried opening the lock, trying a bit harder when it didn't work. The only thing that accomplished was making the rattles louder.
"Alohamora," Ginny whispered, tapping her wand on the lock, which opened instantly. Harry looked at her, his mouth open. She shrugged in defence. "Every Weasley knows that spell before they come to Hogwarts. Even Percy, and I'm half sure he's adopted."
"Why didn't you do it before?"
"It was fun watching you squirm." She smirked.
"That's not a good defence, Weasley." Harry wagged a finger at her.
She opened her mouth, but the door slid open a bit, and the sound of a soft melody came out of the room. 'What?' she mouthed at him, jabbing her thumb in the direction of the room.
He shrugged, and pushed the door open a bit more. He really wished he hadn't, because he was sure the creature on the other side of that door would be a frequent star of his nightmares for a few more days, or maybe weeks.
A large, black dog lay in the room beyond. A dog with not one, but three heads. Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing, and he could feel his heart beating furiously against ribs. He hoped he was dreaming, and while the three pairs of dark, hungry eyes glaring at them both might have been a dream, the stinky dog breath was anything but.
Both of them screamed, and Harry blindly reached for the handle, slamming the door shut. "Colloportus!" Ginny yelled, causing the door to glow faintly.
They didn't waste any more time in running away as far as their legs could carry them. One couldn't be mistaken if they said that the two of them were flying, because they practically were.
They didn't run into Filch, so Harry assumed he must have wandered off someplace else. Truthfully, though, he didn't really care. All he wanted to do was put as much distance as possible between them and the three headed dog. He preferred facing off against Filch over doing the same against whatever that thing was.
"Where have you been!?" The portrait of the Fat lady shouted when they reached the corridor outside the Gryffindor common room. He was so focused on running, he didn't even realise they'd made it here. He knew where it was because Ginny had told him, just as he had told her where the Slytherin common room was.
"It's past midnight," the Fat lady continued. "It's against the -"
"Pig snout," Ginny said, rolling her eyes. The Fat lady harrumphed but opened anyway, allowing them to climb in.
The Gryffindor common room was cosier than what he was expecting. Red coloured armchairs and sofas littered the room, and it had a warmer, more welcoming feeling than the Slytherin common room.
Personally, though, he preferred the cold colours of Slytherin. The underwater room had its own charm that Gryffindor Tower couldn't hope to even come close to. Sure, the people in Slytherin were assholes, but that wasn't a point of comparison.
Ginny immediately threw herself on an armchair, and curled up while Harry laid down on the nearby sofa, his head facing hers. The day's exhaustion was catching up with him, and he wondered how long he could stay awake when Ginny spoke.
"Why would they even consider putting that thing anywhere near children?" She asked, panting.
"You're asking the wrong person," he replied. "Maybe it was there to guard something?"
"You think Dumbledore's hiding something in the school?" Ginny asked.
"Could be why Quirrell is in the school," he said. "To try and steal whatever it is."
"But why not put it in Gringotts?"
"Gringotts was robbed, remember?"
Ginny's eyes went wide. "I forgot about that."
Harry nodded, and they both fell silent for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts. Harry was thinking about the day of the robbery, and that was where his memories became a bit… muddled.
The more he thought about it, the more the ache in his head began increasing, which was why he began thinking about his recent adventure with Ginny instead, something that made his ache go away.
He saw Ginny yawn, which caused him to yawn as well. He checked the time, noting that it was 1:00 am. "I should go now," Harry said.
Ginny checked the time as well and her eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Yeah, you really should," she said. "I'm so sorry you got dragged into this whole mess." She gave him an apologetic grimace.
Harry shook his head. "It was fun," he said with a smile, which faded when he said his next words. "Except for the part where we almost got eaten by that dog."
"Yeah let's, maybe, try and avoid that if we ever go out again," she replied, shaking her head as they walked towards the portrait hole.
He was dreading the fact that they had classes tomorrow. It wasn't like he wasn't enjoying them- most of them- but all Harry wanted now was to go and quietly lie down in bed, preferably for the rest of tomorrow as well.
But such a fate was not in his books, or Ginny's for that matter, because the moment Harry stepped out of the Portrait Hole, Argus Filch stood there in front of them, grinning triumphantly as Mrs. Norris gave a proud sniff beside him.
"Oh, we are in trouble," Filch said.
A/N: Aaaaaand another one down! Sorry for the late upload, I have another exam coming up soon, and I just completely forgot about this lmao. Hopefully, I'll have better luck keeping track of it now, but I guess we can only wait and see, eh?
Anyways, I hope y'all enjoyed the latest chapter. If you did, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
But until next time, Thanks for reading!
