Sorry for my absence of update recently. I was sick and decided to rest to give me the best chances of recovery. Now I'm back with the beginning of the third year at Hogwarts.

GINNY XII

She woke up early, on her own, as usual. She always did, most often to steal her brothers' brooms in their broom shed and practice while they slept. Ginny thought that she had gotten better during summer, though maybe it was more hope than anything. She barely had time to practice, due to their trip in Egypt, even though it was cut short. After they came back home, Ginny woke up early every morning to fly while the rest of the family slept. It helped her clear her mind and think about other things, and she never felt better than while flying. She even flew at night, sometimes.

There were two things that ruined some of her summer this year. The first thing had been her memories of last year's events. She still had nightmares about it. They didn't happen that often, but they became more regular in August. Because in August, during their journey in Egypt, they were intercepted by people from the Ministry of Magic, who revealed that Scabbers, Ron's rat, who belonged to Percy before, was in fact an Animagus, a criminal that authorities had been chasing for about twelve years. That's when the nightmares started happening more often and that Ginny flew in the night and at dawn more often than ever.

But today, she would not go flying. It was September 1st, 1993. Ginny and four of her brothers would embark on the Hogwarts Express to begin another year at Hogwarts. It would be Percy's last year, Fred's and George's fifth, Ron's third, and Ginny's second. She prayed that this year would be better than the previous one, and the summer that just passed by was no good indicator on how this new year would be.

Truth be told, there was another thing that made her fear for this new year. This other thing was a person, and his name was Harry Potter. Ginny hadn't seen him since the end of last year, when they all travelled back home on the train. Back then, they were discussing plans to have Harry come to the Burrow, but these plans never came to fruition because of their trip in Egypt, and the events that followed. Ginny was horrified to learn that Ron's rat was a former supporter of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and that he was the man who actually provided information to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named that helped him kill Harry's father. Ginny had been close to this rat so often. She was even jealous of Ron sometimes, envying the fact he had a pet while she couldn't have one, as ridiculous as this pet could be. Ginny had read every article, listened to every news bulletin about the arrest, the trial, the conviction, then the escape of that man. How could they let him go?

She remembered when their father had come back from work, days ago, exhausted, and had them all gathered in the living room where he told them about the escape. Apparently, his chief at the Ministry of Magic told him before it hit the news. Ginny, her brothers and their mother were probably the first to learn that Peter Pettigrew had somehow managed to deceive the vigilance of Azkaban's guards and escaped the prison. They were all horrified. Their father tried to reassure them the best he could, but there was no way for them not to panic at the news that a man escaped from Azkaban merely two weeks after he was sent there. It had never happened before.

The fear of retribution from this man being set aside, Ginny also worried about how Harry would behave when he would finally see her and her brothers again. How would he view them now that he knew they sheltered a mass murderer who helped to kill his father? Ginny had hoped to see Harry again this summer, but she thought it would be here, at the Burrow, her home, in a relaxed context, not three months after he rescued her in the Chamber of Secrets and right after Peter Pettigrew was running free again.

Ron had felt very bad for some time after they discovered who his rat really was. He wrote a letter of apologies to Harry. A few days later though, Ron behaved normally again, assuring that Harry didn't blame them for keeping Scabbers, but Ginny didn't feel entirely reassured by his words, nor by her father's and her mother's, who went to visit Harry and his mother, and who both said the Potters didn't blame them at all. Ginny had wanted to write to Harry, but she couldn't bring herself to have enough courage to write to him. She was a Gryffindor, and she couldn't bring herself to write a letter! Perhaps it was due to the fact that, whenever she sat down and tried to write down something, her thoughts always wandered back to the Valentine she sent him last year. She was so humiliated when everyone, even Harry, laughed at it. Ginny admitted herself that the message she wrote was totally stupid. Writing also reminded her of all the words she wrote in Tom Riddle's diary. And anyway, what could she tell Harry that Ron wouldn't have told him before? What good could come out of it?

So, here were a few things for her to worry about today. How would Harry behave around her and her family? How would everyone else behave around them, knowing they welcomed a mass murderer into their family? How would people see Ginny after last year's disaster, with the Chamber of Secrets? Would Fred and George be kinder this year? Would she make any friends?

She sighed, desperate. She waited for years to go to Hogwarts, but today, going back there only made her feel miserable. Well, at least she could be miserable with the rest of her family. Ginny dressed up for the day and walked down the stairs from her chamber to the dining room. No one was up yet. Ginny had woken up before everyone else, as usual. Her mother had left a copy of Witch Weekly on the counter. Ginny seized it and tried to read it to spend time, but articles just happened to be annoying, and she dropped the magazine on the table quite quickly. She then went to the living room, where her father left the last copy of the Daily Prophet, but most articles were about Pettigrew, so she didn't even touch the newspaper.

So she sat on the couch. After a moment, she turned on the radio, and was glad to hear the Weird Sisters playing. They were her favourite music group. Too bad that their song was ending and replaced by another, less known singer whose name she never heard before, and whose music she didn't like. But the Weird Sisters came back soon enough, and not all other musicians and singers who played were bad. So she remained there, listening to the radio while keeping the sound low, until finally her mother came into the living room.

"Ah, Ginny. You woke up pretty soon today," her mother said.

"Yes." Ginny hid a smile. If only her mother knew the frequency at which she woke up early to steal her brothers' brooms.

"Well, then, come and help prepare the breakfast. Your father and brothers will be up soon."

No surprise there, on both fronts. First, her brothers took their time to wake up. Second, her mother asked her to help prepare breakfast because she woke up sooner than the others. But Ginny decided to bite her tongue and not complain this time.

Her father was the first to wake up, and kissed her mother on the forehead when he arrived in the kitchen. Percy came next, followed by Fred and George not long after. Ron was the last to come down, after their mother went to forcefully get him out of bed.

"Eager to start your new year, children?" their father asked all of them, once Ron sat down.

"Oh, yes. You can't believe what we have planned for the toilets," Fred said.

"Don't!" their mother warned them. "I don't want any owl about it."

"Eh! It's not us who spent so much in the girls' toilets last year, Mom. Remember?" George said, looking innocently at Ron while saying so.

"We did it to save Ginny!" Ron said.

"Or perhaps you liked to spend time with a certain Granger girl," Fred suggested, all smiles.

"Heh!" Ron looked disgusted.

"Be kind with him, Fred," his twin brother added. "He wouldn't have any chance with her anyway. I mean, between Lockhart and..."

"Don't say that name again!" their mother warned them.

Ever since the end of last year, their mother had banned the name of Lockhart from their home. She threw away all his books, including those they all bought for their Defence Against the Dark Arts classes and that cost Ginny's parents a fortune, after she heard that the man ran away from Hogwarts when he was given the mission to save Ginny. Ginny herself quite appreciated her mother's change of attitude towards this man. His classes were indeed ridiculous. Even Luna found them stupid.

"Well, I'm eager to see Harry and Hermione, anyway. We haven't seen them of the whole summer, do you realize? Not even in Diagon Alley," Ronald commented.

"Be sure to be very kind with him," their mother reminded them.

"Come on, Mom," George said. "I mean, it's not our fault that Percy and Ron had a rat who just happened to be an Animagus. And it's not our fault that the Ministry of Magic let him escape."

"All the same, I think your mother is right this time," their father said. "Be kind with him. And be extremely careful this year. With this man out in the nature, who knows what he could try. I never thought that I would say that, but I'm glad Dumbledore accepted to position Azkaban's guards around Hogwarts."

Ginny was surprised by her father's words. He had gone to Azkaban once. When he came back home, he was trembling like she never saw him before, and never wanted to talk about what he saw there. The name of Azkaban inspired terror and fear, almost as much as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Their parents never really talked with them about the prison. They only said that the farther they remained from that place the better.

Despite Fred and George's attempts to lighten it, the mood remained quite negative around the Weasley table for their last breakfast before leaving for Hogwarts. As they left the dining table and went to prepare their trunks, the only thing that really reassured Ginny was that this year, she was sure to not bring a personal diary. Her parents even bought her some new robes since their trip to Egypt was shortened and some money remained from the prize their father won. And books required much less space this year, since they didn't have to buy a whole library of Lockhart's books. Ginny wasn't displeased when her mother got rid of hers as well, even if it was Harry who gave them to her.

They left not long after, their last minute preparations making them leave later than they expected, like always. The Ford Anglia followed small countryside roads, then main roads, the highway, before they reached London and wandered across the packed streets of the city. Their father was stopped twice for bad driving, but Confundus Charms helped them get past the policemen. Despite this, they arrived at the last minute, just like the previous year. Ginny wished they had arrived a little in advance this time, if only to begin the year in a better way. Instead, they rushed past the barrier, Ginny being the last to nobody's surprise, including her own, and arrived on the other side with only seven minutes to get inside the train.

The moment they arrived on the other side, she saw him. Even from afar, she couldn't miss him. He was standing next to one of the last wagons. Ginny noticed Mrs Lily, along with a young woman with pink hair, standing very close to him. There was also a girl with blond hair who seemed to be talking to Harry, but she turned around and went into the train barely a few seconds after Ginny noticed her. Her family kept rushing to the end of the platform.

"Hey, here!" It was Harry who shouted at them.

"We arrived!" Ron shouted in return. The whole Weasley clan arrived out of breath.

"Come on, we don't have much time," Ginny's father said, already helping Ginny to carry her trunk inside.

"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked to his best friend.

"Already inside. She took a compartment for us," Harry said while helping Ron with his own luggage. "My things are already inside."

"Hey, let us give you a hand," the woman with pink hair said. And she came immediately to help Ginny and her father carry her stuff inside the train. "My name's Tonks, by the way."

"Arthur Weasley," Ginny's father replied. "This is Ginny."

"Wotcher, Ginny," the young woman said, all smiling, while helping to carry the trunk. Ginny smiled in return. She liked her hair. However, since Percy and her brothers got inside first, and they didn't have much time left, Ginny went outside to say goodbye to her parents right before the train left. She also watched Harry saying goodbye to his own mother.

"Be careful," she told him.

"As always. See you at Christmas, Mom. You too, Tonks," he said for the other woman.

"Bye, Harry."

In the meantime, Ginny was hugged and kissed by both her parents, and she had a hard time getting out of their arms. She jumped into the train at the last minute, and waved her hand as it slowly moved on and she watched her parents slowly disappear.

"Hey, Ginny, you come?"

Her heart made a turn around in her chest. It was Harry who just spoke to her. It seemed that speaking with him this year would not be any easier. She slowly turned on herself, trying to avoid his gaze, and proceeded to walk in the direction from which Harry called her. Luckily enough, Harry was now looking into the compartment, so Ginny avoided getting too much red in the face.

"Remus?" he said just as she was maybe five feet away from him.

"Hey, I recognize him now!" Ron exclaimed all of a sudden.

Ginny quickly looked through the window to see a man, an adult sitting in the corner of the compartment, looking deeply asleep, with brown hair sprinkled with grey highlights, wearing worn clothes. The man stirred at Ron's comments, just as Ginny remembered him. They met him in Egypt. He was among the men who caught Peter Pettigrew, Ron's rat.

"Harry?" the man said weakly. However, he stood up quite quickly. "Oh, I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Me neither. What are you doing here?" Harry asked him.

"Well, let's just say this is a surprise." The man they called Remus dusted his clothes. "I'm going to leave you the compartment. I don't want to steal your space."

"Eh... I'm sure that's not..."

"No, no. I'll leave you children together. I'll find some other place. And I've got to speak with the driver, anyway."

On that, the man walked out. Harry looked at him moving away. Ginny followed his gaze. Ron had told them he was a friend of Harry's mother. What was he doing on the Hogwarts Express?

"What is Remus doing on the Hogwarts Express?" Ron asked, echoing Ginny's thoughts.

"I don't know," Harry replied, sounding just as clueless.

"Because he's a professor," Hermione said. Ginny had barely noticed her presence in the compartment before that.

"What?" Harry and Ron asked at the same time.

"It's on his case."

Ginny, along with Harry and Ron, followed where Hermione's finger was pointing, to indeed see a small case where the name of Professor R. J. Lupin was indeed written. Her brother turned to Harry.

"You didn't tell us he was going to teach this year."

"I didn't know," Harry said, seeming totally taken aback by this.

"Well, I hope he's up to it," Ron said, not looking convinced at all. "He looked like a good hex could finish him off..."

"Ron!" Hermione warned him.

"Well, anyway, he cannot be worse than Gilderoy Lockhart."

Hermione's face took a shade of red at the mention. For once, it wasn't Ginny who did while Harry was present. Ginny remembered very well how Hermione was infatuated with Professor Lockhart, while almost everyone considered him to be a fool. Ginny was among the latest category. She proceeded to place her luggage, Harry, Ron and Hermione helping her. She had to keep a yelp inside when Harry's hand inadvertently brushed her own as they stowed the trunk. Then she sat down on the seat, ending face to face with Harry, something she wished she could have avoided. No, definitely, she still wasn't capable to talk to him, or to look at him in the eyes.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Hermione then asked.

"Yes, I am," he replied. Ginny wasn't sure, from the sound of his voice, if he really was.

"Hey, that Remus, he's one of the guys who caught Pettigrew in Egypt," Ron said all of a sudden. "Do you think they hired Remus because he's escaped now?"

Ginny risked a look at Harry. He looked deep in his thoughts. "Maybe," he finally. "Well, anyway, he should be a good professor. I mean, he fought against Voldemort with my parents."

Ginny felt a shiver go through her spine as she heard the name of the wizard. She was even more afraid of hearing it since her experience from last year. She still felt ashamed that she let He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named manipulate her, that she confessed to him everything she felt, everything she thought, down to her feelings for the boy sitting right in front of her.

Harry had grown up during summer, or so she thought. But he was mostly the same as last year. She wondered if he found that she had changed, but she dared not to ask him, especially not in front of Ron and Hermione.

"Well, we should be safe at Hogwarts," Hermione said, obviously trying to reassure everybody. "I mean, we have Dumbledore, the teachers, the school's protections, and the guards from Azkaban."

"Yes, I hope that will be enough," Harry said. "By the way, you have your authorizations to go to Hogsmeade this year?" he asked Ron and Hermione

He didn't ask Ginny, of course. She was only in her second year, and students were only allowed to visit Hogsmeade from their third year onwards. She felt a little left behind as her brother discussed with his friends about what was in Hogsmeade, despite her brother's reassurances that they would bring her stuff from Honeydukes and Zonko.

"Hey, wait, Harry. You're sure this will be safe if you go to Hogsmeade, with Pettigrew running in the wild?" Hermione asked all of a sudden.

"Come on, Hermione. He's free to visit Hogsmeade. Anyway, he's got his mother's authorization," Ron complained.

"I know, but if there's a place Pettigrew would attack..."

"He spent two years in my dormitory, and he didn't try anything," Harry said abruptly. "I doubt that he will be hiding behind the counter of Honeydukes, waiting to kill me. And if he is under his rat form, I'll just crush him with my feet."

Ginny made round eyes when she heard the dark tone of Harry's voice as he said this. Still, the discussion moved away. At one time, Crookshanks, Hermione's new cat, came out from under Ginny's seat. She pushed a little squeal when the form unexpectedly walked out from his hiding place, but quickly ended up cuddling it. Ron had told them about Hermione buying a cat. She wrote to him about that. At least, now Ginny had a distraction as she stroked the cat's fur. She wished she could have an animal, but after realizing they adopted a rat who was in fact an Animagus, mixed with their lack of money, Ginny's parents were not at all disposed to buy a new pet.

As Harry and Ron began to talk Quidditch, and despite her envy to join the conversation, Ginny started talking with Hermione, first almost in whispers, but her voice got louder until it was normal.

"Ron had told me you wanted to buy an owl," Ginny said, looking at Crookshanks.

"I know, but when I walked into the shop, the witch holding it was chasing after Crookshanks. She said that he had been there forever and that no one wanted him. So I... decided to take him instead of an owl."

The cat was mewing in contentment as Ginny scratched behind his ears. "Why didn't anyone want to take him?"

"I don't know. For myself, I find him adorable."

The cat may not be the most pretty there was, but Ginny agreed with Hermione. He was adorable. She wished that she could have one, but she supposed it would be a long time before she could get a pet. She looked, not without envy, at Harry's snowy owl, Hedwig, who remained in her cage right now. She was beautiful. Ginny wished she could stroke her, but she wasn't sure how the animal, who currently stared at her, would allow her to, and she was too afraid to ask Harry if she could.

Around one o'clock, the food trolley came by, and they all bought tons of candies. Harry gave her a full pack of Cauldron Cakes while he and Ron started testing Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans, to some hilarious results. Ron fell upon one tasting rotten eggs. Everyone laughed at his reaction, all but himself, and Ginny met Harry's eyes for a moment while Ron was recovering from almost vomiting. For once, she didn't blush. She was courageous enough afterwards to try a few ones, until she happened on one that tasted pepper. She had to taste a few other beans afterwards, hiding this taste with strawberries, chocolate and grass. But the best moment was probably when Harry tried one that was particularly bright red. He gulped it right away. And the next moment, he was holding his throat, and looked as if he was about to choke.

"Harry!" Ginny said immediately.

"Hot sauce," he said.

Hermione sighed. "Those beans, sometimes, really! Okay, calm down, Harry. Open your mouth." She was now standing right in front of Harry, her wand out, pointing at his mouth. "Aqua Eructo!"

A strong jet of water came from Hermione's wand, and sprayed on Harry's face, some of it bouncing back on Hermione, Ron and even Ginny. Hermione stopped right away.

"Sorry, Harry. I made it too strong," she apologized.

Harry removed his glasses, totally wet just like his clothes, the bench on which he was, and the floor under their feet. He seemed to gulp something heavily.

"My throat is no longer in fire, at least," he said.

"Wait." Hermione threw another spell as she said it, drying up everything from Harry's hair to the floor under his feet.

"Thanks, Hermione," he said.

"Hermione, warn us the next time you want to turn the train into a moving pool," Ron grumbled, trying to remove water from his sleeves.

"That was an accident," she retorted.

"Well, no more accidents. Can you dry these up?" He showed his wet sleeves, but Hermione looked at them with indifference.

"Do it yourself, if you don't want any more accidents."

Hermione shared an accomplice smile with Ginny in front of Ron's bewildered face. Harry seemed to find it funny as well, from the short look Ginny took on him before she looked back to Hermione right away.

The afternoon went that way, small talk and candy tasting alternating, with a couple laughs in the middle. Ginny was beginning to enjoy herself. At some point, Harry and Hermione began to discuss about the elective classes they took this year. This bored Ron, who talked with Ginny about their brother Charlie and what they thought he might be doing right now in Romania.

However, Ginny listened to what Harry and Hermione talked about with one ear. She knew this way that Harry had taken only Care of Magical Creatures and Study of Ancient Runes. Hermione, on her side, had taken all options.

"How are you going to make it through all the work you'll have to do?" Harry asked her.

"I'll manage. You'll see."

Ginny heard them talking about each option class. She wondered which one she should take next year.

"Hey, Ron, what options did you take?" she asked her brother.

"Oh. Care of Magical Creatures and Divination. I hope they won't give us too much homework," he answered.

"There will be homework in each class, Ronald," Hermione said, entering the conversation.

"Charlie was a big fan of Magical Creatures, and I never heard him talk about any homework in this course."

"Probably because your brother liked the practical side of it. That doesn't mean there will not be any homework."

"Hermione, can you let us hope for the best once in our lives?"

"Hope or fantasize?"

"Whatever. I'll still have less homework than you do. Why did you take Muggle Studies? Your parents are Muggles!"

"I'm interested in the vision wizards have of Muggles."

Somehow, Ginny ended up sharing a discreet laugh with Harry over the argument currently taking place between Ron and Hermione. It was at this moment that the door of their compartment was open, by three people Ginny hated as much as Harry, Ron and Hermione hated.

"Well, look who it is," the boy with the blond hair started. His two stupid friends were right behind him. "Potty and the Weasels." Only the two fat boys behind Draco Malfoy seemed to find it funny. "So, Potty, not too sad? Not too afraid? I heard there's a fugitive after you. I hope you won't wet your pants in front of a rat. Are you afraid he'll be hiding under your bed at night?" the boy mocked.

The two fat boys laughed again.

"He's more likely to hide under yours," Harry retorted. "Your common room is in the dungeons, isn't it? That's where we find rats, in the dungeons."

"Be careful about what you say, Potter. I might just ask the little rodent to bite your ear in your sleep."

"Why not Goyle's finger, while you're at it?" Ron shouted. One of the boys behind Malfoy rubbed one of his fingers at this moment.

"We're not very concerned. It's Potter who should. I must say, I'm surprised you haven't gone to chase after him. The man did kill your father after all."

Harry stood up at this moment. "Perhaps it's your father he will coming after this time, since he betrayed his master."

Malfoy still smiled slyly. "My father has nothing to fear, unlike your m..."

"Your father is a coward as much as Pettigrew is," Ginny said at this moment. The words had come out of nowhere.

Malfoy now looked at her. She obviously angered him. "What did you say?"

"He's a coward. He's lucky I never wrote about him in the diary, or else you would be an orphan right now."

Malfoy brought his hand to his belt, and took his wand.

"Expelliarmus!"

Harry disarmed Malfoy on the spot, his wand flying back into the corridor. His two fat friends remained behind, looking as if they just saw a ghost.

"Go away, Malfoy. Before your father gets expelled from another board thanks to you," Harry mocked him.

Livid, Malfoy walked away, the two big boys trailing behind.

"That... felt good," Ron said, taking another bean. "Chocolate! The taste of victory!" He wasn't as lucky with the next bean, which tasted sprouts.

"Hey, by the way, I've got something I wanted to show you. I almost forgot," Harry said. "Ron, help me get my trunk."

The two boys got it out of the rack. Harry opened it on the floor, and took a long, fluid, silvery, grey cape out of it. Ron gaped at the cloak while Hermione stood up and seized it by one extremity to contemplate it.

"Harry, is this what I believe?" she asked.

"Look," he simply said, right before he placed the cloak over his head. The next instant, he had disappeared. Ginny's mouth produced a little outcry. "Don't worry, Ginny." Harry's head reappeared all of a sudden, which caused her to jump further.

"It's an Invisibility Cloak," her brother said, admiring the fact everything but Harry's head had disappeared. "How did you get one?"

"It belonged to my father. My mother gave it to me this morning. She thought it could be useful this year." He removed the cape, and his whole body was visible again. "Imagine how many pranks I could make to Malfoy."

Ginny, Ron and Harry all laughed, though Hermione didn't.

It was now raining outside, and the rain got stronger as they kept moving farther into Scotland. The four of them put on their wizard and witch's robes while the outside grew darker. They surely were not far from the school now.

Not long after they changed, and while Hermione was asking Harry how his mother's training was going, the train started to slow down.

"Brilliant!" Ron declared. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast..."

"We can't be there yet," Hermione said while looking at her watch. Ginny looked at her own. Indeed, they had to be still about an hour from Hogsmeade station.

"So why are we stopping?"

Harry and Ginny were both closer to the door. Harry opened it first and looked into the corridor.

"Hey, Harry," a voice from the outside said. Ginny looked through the window of the door to see who she thought to be the same girl with blond hair Harry was discussing with when Ginny arrived on the platform, now standing in the middle of the corridor. "Do you know why we're stopping?"

Before Harry could answer, a sudden jolt brought the train to a stop. Harry had to grip the doorframe to remain standing, while Ginny was pushed back into her bench and the door closed. Sounds and small cries all around indicated that stuff had fallen across compartments. This was the case of Ginny's trunk that landed on the floor and crushed Hermione's foot.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry, Hermione," Ginny said immediately. She tried to put her trunk back into place, but before she could even try to lift it back into the rack, all lamps went out, and they found themselves in deep darkness.

"What's going on?" Ron asked.

"Ouch!" Ginny exclaimed. "Ron, it's my foot!"

"Do you think we've broken down?" Harry wondered.

"'Maybe the compartment was detached, like last year," Ginny suggested, afraid all of a sudden.

"I don't know," Hermione said. "Last year, we didn't stop so abruptly."

"There's something moving out there," Ron said. He had his head glued against the window. "I think people are coming aboard."

Ginny made to go back to her place, but another jolt hit the train. At the same moment, the door of their compartment opened. "Sorry! Do you know..."

"Ouch!" Ginny squealed. She collided with someone who just got inside their compartment and was pushed on her left by this person, ending on someone's legs.

"Ginny, be careful." Although Harry spoke very gently, Ginny almost jumped from him and stumbled upon a shape on the floor, ending face first into the opposite bench.

"Neville, it's you?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione? Is that you? What's happening?" Neville asked in return.

"No idea," Harry replied. "Sit down, Neville."

He must have sat on the opposite bench because Ginny didn't feel any new weight on her own. She had turned, in the meantime, sitting normally again.

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," Hermione declared.

Ginny felt a weight lifting from her bench, then someone walking past her, and the door opening. Then footsteps followed outside, and a loud bump, as if two people just walked into each other.

"Ouch! Who's there?"

"Hannah?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione? Do you know what's going on?"

"No. I was going to ask the driver."

"Good idea. I'm sticking to the wall. You can go."

New footsteps. Someone stepped into the doorframe. Ginny felt her presence.

"Is everyone alright here?" the girl who let Hermione continue in the corridor asked.

"Yes, Hannah. We're alright," Harry replied. "You don't know why we stopped either?"

"No."

Ginny wished the girl would just leave and close the door. They should not let the air come in. It was beginning to get cold into the compartment.

"Hannah, you better go back to your compartment while we're stuck," Harry told her.

"You're right. Susan and Sally must be..." Hannah made a small scream.

"Ouch!" Ginny said once more as the girl tumbled on her foot, then fell on her bench, her back on Ginny's legs, before falling on the floor.

"There's something outside!" the girl screamed.

"Oh, damn it!" Ginny took her wand. "Lumos!"

A small light emerged from her wand. She saw Harry, Ron and Neville on the bench facing her, stuck side by side, while the blond girl they called Hannah retreated, still on the floor, until she reached the window. Then Ginny noticed it.

First it was the hem of a black, tattered cloak. Then a tall black figure slowly appeared and stopped right in the doorframe. It was now very cold, so cold Ginny couldn't hold her wand straight. The figure was very tall, so tall that the head almost touched the ceiling. It had no feet and seemed like it was hovering over the floor. Its face was hidden by the same cloak it wore. A hand held the doorframe for a moment, and Ginny's outcry died in her throat. The hand was slimy, cadaveric, covered with pustules and scabs, with long fingers that looked like they were left to rot into water for centuries.

Ginny then heard a long, slow, loud, deep breath, but not one that was human.

It was as if any warmth, any heat had left, not only the air of the compartment, but also Ginny's body. The intense, deep, total cold spread through under her skin, through her blood, reaching her lungs, her heart, her brain. She could barely hold her wand steady. It was shaking uncontrollably.

She heard a long hiss, far away, that filled her mind. A fog began to blur her vision. Something sinuous was gliding, rubbing a marble surface. She heard water running, as if she was deep down inside a cave. She distantly felt her wand falling off her hand. What little light there was left in this world vanished.

Through the fog, visions of horror became visible. Ginny brought her legs against herself in the hope to bring whatever warmth she could, but it was as if her own body didn't produce any heat anymore. She was in a dark cave, gleaming green, with water all around her, but still surrounded by the fog, as visions of dead roosters, red writing on the walls, and inanimate shapes on the floor became clearer. Her heart was beating fast, panicking, and she heard a loud thump far away, as if something heavy just dropped down.

And then, she felt that she couldn't move. Any movements, even raising a finger, was consuming her. She had trouble breathing. She was back into the Chamber of Secrets, and Tom Riddle appeared through dark clouds from its journal. Then everything went completely dark.

"Ginny! Ginny! Wake up!"

Someone was slapping her. And judging from the voice that was yelling at her, it had to be Ron. She put a hand to protect herself from his slaps.

"Ron, stop!" she begged.

The slapping stopped. "Hey, she's waking up. Ginny, come on!" He was now rudely shaking her by the shoulders.

"Ron, stop!"

She pushed him back, right at the moment she opened her eyes and straightened up while still being on the floor. The lights were on again, and the train was once more moving.

Several pairs of eyes were looking at her, including those of Hermione, Neville, her brother and Professor Lupin. A hand happened on her shoulder.

"Everything's alright, Ginny?"

Ginny slowly turned her head to see who just spoke, the very movement causing her pain. She met clear eyes, in the center of a pink face framed by blond hair she already saw earlier today.

"Help her to sit," Remus Lupin said. "It's not good to leave her on the floor."

Hannah helped Ginny back on the seat. She was still shaking uncontrollably. "Are you alright?" the girl asked her again.

What a stupid question it was? Ginny's hair was glued to her forehead and her neck from cold sweating, she couldn't hold steady, and dried tears on her cheeks were soon joined by others. She let out sobs.

"Hey, it's fine. You're safe now," the girl said soothingly, but her words couldn't reassure Ginny, not after she just relived all the horrors from last year. Horrors Ginny committed, and that resulted in the Petrification of one of this girl's friends.

"Harry is coming back too," Hermione said all of a sudden.

Ginny looked through her legs that she had brought against her chest, to see Harry lying on the floor just like she was a moment ago, but stirring.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked him, worried.

"Yeah," Harry replied, weakly. "What happened? Where's that... that thing?"

"It was a Dementor," Remus Lupin said. "One of the Dementors of Azkaban." He was breaking down something. "Take that, Harry. It's going to help you. You would be better to take one as well."

He started distributing pieces of chocolate. Harry slowly sat back on his bench, and took a bite.

"I need to speak with the driver. Excuse me," the man then said, and he left.

Ginny took a bite of the large piece of chocolate she had in her hand only after everyone did the same. She felt a great warmth spreading through her body the moment she swallowed it. However, if she didn't feel cold anymore, she still felt sick, and weak. And she couldn't take out of her mind the visions she just had, the visions that showed her, for the first time of her life, how she set a monster upon other people, how she almost killed them. She started sobbing, refusing to look at anybody. She felt a comforting arm around her shoulders. The blond streaks she noticed on her left indicated it was the girl named Hannah who just did that and sat next to her.

She knew that the others were talking around her, but she didn't really follow their conversations. They were about Dementors, a silvery cloud, screams, cold. The only things Ginny could think about were the horrors she just remembered doing. Only when Hannah removed her arm from around her shoulders did Ginny listen.

"I'll go back to my compartment. I'd like to check on the others."

No one stopped her from leaving, and Ginny remained alone in her corner. Remus Lupin came back to their compartment soon, saying they would be at Hogwarts in ten minutes. Only then did Ginny manage to stand up, and mechanically performed the necessary movements to leave the train.

The rain outside did nothing to enhance her state. She still felt terribly weak, and silently followed Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville into one of the coaches. She noticed that Harry looked as weak as she felt. Why did he collapse? Why did the two of them collapse while the others were barely affected? Ron was looking worryingly at both of them, and Hermione was no better.

They came upon two other Dementors hovering near the gates, and Ginny felt very cold again. Against all instincts, she unconsciously grabbed Harry's hand while they got through the portal, but released it as soon as she realized what she did, and looked away from him. The news that she and Harry fainted seemed to travel fast, because Draco Malfoy taunted them, especially Harry and Ron, the moment they got out of their coach. It was only the timely arrival of Professor Lupin in the next coach that made Malfoy stop. Then Harry, Ginny, and Hermione were called by the Professor McGonagall the moment they walked into the Great Hall, and she made them come into her office. Ginny didn't know why Hermione was brought along, but the professor seemed to only be worried about Harry's and Ginny's health. Ginny did just like Harry, assuring she was feeling well, and after many questions, they were allowed to leave while Hermione remained behind.

"You got any idea why McGonagall asked Hermione to stay?" she asked Harry while they walked back to the Great Hall. She surprised herself by asking him the question directly.

"No idea."

Harry looked surprised as well, and Ginny could only hold his gaze for two seconds before she looked away. She was glad when they arrived in the Great Hall and she could sit with Fred, George, Percy and Ron. However, she was so absorbed by what happened in the train that she didn't realize she sat right next to Harry. The Sorting must be over because she saw Professor Flitwick bringing the Sorting Hat out.

"What happened? Is it true you both fainted?" Fred asked.

"Ginny, are you alright?" Percy asked, looking sincerely concerned. She guessed that their mother, and probably their father as well, must have asked him to keep an eye on her this year.

She nodded, though she was still shaking, though to a much lesser extent than before. Hermione joined them not long after, looking very happy, though Ginny didn't see how she could be happy in such circumstances.

Hogwarts' Headmaster stood up at this moment from the staff table, and all conversations ceased. Ginny tried to focus the best she could on the words of the powerful wizard.

"Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast. As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

This brought some whispers across the Great Hall. So, this thing they saw in the train, and the others at the entrance, those were the guardians of Azkaban, the things their father told them would be positioned around Hogwarts. Ginny now understood why their father was still shivering when he came back from the island.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore resumed. "And while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises, or even Invisibility Cloaks." Ginny couldn't stop herself from looking at Harry, like Ron and Hermione did. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the Prefects, and our new Head Boy and Head Girl, to make sure that no student runs foul of the Dementors."

Ginny saw Percy swaggering, giving himself importance. She would have laughed at it in other circumstances.

"On a happier note," the Headmaster continued on a more joyful tone, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. Firstly, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Applauses were few, but they were quite enthusiastic in Ginny's immediate surrounding.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore resumed, "well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

For a moment, everyone was stunned, but then the Gryffindor table erupted in cheers. Ginny joined them. Hagrid was completely red. Ginny still felt guilty about how he was sent to Azkaban last year, and now that she met its guards, she felt even more guilty than before, so she applauded as long as she could.

"We should have known. Who else would have sent us a biting book?" Ron said as he and Harry stopped cheering.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance. Let the feast begin!" Dumbledore declared.

Food and beverages appeared in all plates, bowls and jugs they could see. Ginny rushed to them, filling her plate as much as she could. As the feast went on, she came to mostly forget about the Dementors and what happened on the Hogwarts Express. She spent the feast joking with her brothers and eating her favourite meals. No one talked of the Dementors around them, luckily enough. Ginny even shot a few glances to Harry while he wasn't looking in her direction. They all spent a very good time.

Later in the evening though, after she had gone back to her dormitory, Ginny found it more difficult to sleep. In fact, she fell asleep quite quickly, but her sleep got troubled by a nightmare about the Chamber of Secrets, and she woke up sweating and panting. She had to hold back tears. She tried to fall asleep again afterwards, but it was only very late that she succeeded.

When Ginny was forced to wake up in the morning for her first day of class, she thought, not very joyfully, that her second year at Hogwarts didn't start much better than her first year.

I thought it would be good to see the effects Dementors have on someone else than Harry who is deeply affected by them, and Ginny seemed like the best choice. Since Lupin wasn't with them, Ginny was affected for a longer time, which explains why she fainted unlike in canon.

Please review.

Next chapter: Hermione