Chapter 1:
The whistle for the Hogwarts Express blew. The platform was amazingly bare; never before had so few people come to send their children off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The wizarding world had been in a constant state of unrest since the spring before, when Voldemort staged his first public display of power.
At five minutes until eleven, a large group scurried loudly and anxiously through the barrier onto the platform. A redheaded family, a girl with bushy brown hair, and a thin, pale boy with raven hair, emerald green eyes and a lightning-bolt shaped scar running down his forehead.
Molly: Ginny, are you sure you got everything? It will be harder to send things up to school this year if you've forgotten anything.
Molly Weasley was grasping her daughter's arm slightly too tightly to be considered comfortable.
Ginny: Yes, mum.
Ginny pulled her arm away. The whistle for the train blew again.
Molly: Oh, for heaven's sake, you can't miss the train. Hurry along!
She pushed them toward the nearest carriage. After a few moments of goodbyes and words of wisdom, the kids moved into the train.
Ron: Thank Merlin that is over with.
Ginny: So where should we sit?
Hermione looked at Ron out of the corner of her eyes, though he was looking expectantly at Harry.
Harry: Well, uhh, you see…
Harry started uncomfortably. Ginny looked at him curiously. Harry looked back toward Ron and Hermione for help, but all he got was an approving nod from Hermione.
Harry: Well, Ginny, we're actually not going to sit.
Harry finished quickly and somewhat lamely. Ginny blinked at him. Hermione sighed.
Hermione: What Harry means, is that we're not going to ride the train. We're not going to Hogwarts.
Ginny: Okay… you're what?
In a desperate attempt to delay her mind processing from the fact she knew exactly what was going on. She thought that they had changed their mind. Harry saw the look of defeat in Ginny's eyes
Harry: Ginny, you know what I have to do. What we have to do.
Harry meant to say it in a voice that was supposed to be consoling, but just sounded bloody irritating to Ginny. Ginny glared at the three uncomfortable looking people in front of her and tried to take that look in Harry's eyes as sincere. Yet, she wanted nothing more than to whip out her wand and hex him with a bat bogey jinx. As it stood, however, she knew she wouldn't, she knew she was not surprised, and she knew that no matter what she put herself through right now, nothing would change- they were leaving and she would be alone at school.
Ginny: Fine.
Ron looked horrified.
Ron: What? Aren't you going to argue and try and blow my head off or something?
Hermione: I am really glad you understand, Ginny.
Ginny: Oh yes, I really do.
Ginny's voice dripped with sarcasm.
Harry: Right, well then.
Ron: Well, I love you, Gin.
Ron said stepping toward his sister. Ginny took a big step back.
Ginny: Yeah, you too.
Hermione: Okay then, you boys ready?
When they nodded, she looked toward Ginny one last time before screwing her face up in concentration. Before anything could happen, though, a door at the far end of the carriage creaked open and a tall boy with platinum blonde hair moved into the wagon.
Draco Malfoy looked up at the surprised group.
Ron: What the bloody hell are you doing here?
Malfoy: Trying to get to my seat, thanks.
He brushed past Ron and the other three. Malfoy then opened the door and disappearing into the next carriage.
There was a moment of silence in which Ginny took in the boys' clearly shocked faces. She fought to control a chuckle.
Ron: What is he doing here? He shouldn't be here! And Ginny! He'll be here with Ginny!
Harry's eyes widened and he looked at Ginny.
Harry: We can't let him stay here with you.
Ginny's eyes narrowed.
Ginny: I can take care of myself, thanks. Besides, aren't you supposed to be going somewhere?
Hermione reached to Harry and placed a calming hand on his shoulder.
Hermione: She's right. She'll be fine. We really need to go!
Harry: Fine
The three screwed up their faces in concentration and with a few loud pops, disapparated. With that, she gathered her things and moved angrily toward the front of the car peering into windows looking for any sign of human life on the seemingly deserted train.
Ginny trudged slowly forward through the train looking for someone she knew to sit with. She was, of course, prepared for a dramatic drop in attendance this year but that couldn't have prepared her for just how few seemed to have come. Professor McGonagall had sent out owls in mid-July with a letter confirming that the school would indeed remain open. It would appear that not many parents were willing to part with their children.
There was a time when Hogwarts was considered the safest place to be.
Ginny sighed as she passed through yet another empty carriage, but some movement caught her attention. Thank Merlin, she thought. Ginny moved toward the compartment and grabbed the handle to open the door without looking inside.
The door was already open before she realized that a platinum blonde was staring coolly at her. Ginny stopped quickly and for a moment, just stared. Malfoy raised an eyebrow at her.
Malfoy: Are you going to stare at me all day, Weaslette, or is there a reason you barged in on me?
Ginny: Don't flatter yourself. I was just looking for human life.
Draco: No. I think y-
Ginny: Oh, wow, it thinks.
Draco laughed a bit, surprising Ginny.
Astoria: Ginny!
Her head snapped up and she saw Astoria walking towards her. Astoria, with her beautiful long, grey-like hair, took her by the hand.
Astoria: C'mon, me and the others are sitting a few compartments back.
Ginny looked back at Draco for a second, the smile still lingering on his face. She then nodded a goodbye to him and followed Astoria. They entered a compartment.
Pansy: Ginny! Oh, my God, there you are.
Pansy stood up to give Ginny a hug, her long, dark chocolate hair swinging as she stood up. Ginny then turned to Amber, the girl she met last year, and gave her a hug too. She was short, stocky and had the most beautiful blonde hair Ginny'd ever seen. Maybe it was because Amber wasn't the brightest, but Ginny felt very protective over the blonde.
And so the four of them bantered and laughed for the rest of the train ride.
Astoria: I'll bet there'll be no other Slytherins. I'm sure their mummies and daddies are keeping them plenty busy.
Astoria and Pansy, though Slytherins, nodded at each other. They had always felt like they were the odd ones out, it's why they became friends in their first year. In their second year, Amber came. Hufflepuff. And then last year, Ginny befriended them. Never having had many friends, Ginny felt like she was the luckiest girl in the world to have these three by her side.
Pansy: At least we won't have to deal with Malfoy anymore.
Ginny: Actually-
Amber: What? Well, excuse you! But Malfoy is the hottest guy at our school. It's a pity he isn't here this year.
Amber slumped in her chair.
Ginny: Actually, he will be. Saw him on the train this morning.
Pansy and Astoria: What!
Amber face light up, in contrary to the faces of the other two.
Amber: Really?
An hour later
They'd finally arrived at the Hogsmeade Station and silently got off of the train. Ginny had to suppress a snort of exasperation and surprise when she saw just how many people got off of the train. About fifty, from the looks of it.
On the platform, all of the students looked around in search of people they knew and faces that were missing. The four of them climbed into the carriages and made their way to school. Ginny couldn't help but notice Malfoy, Zabini and Nott climbing silently into an empty carriage near the rear as she piled in with Pansy, Astoria, and Amber.
Ginny was one of the last to walk into the Great Hall and when she did, she let out the snort that she had held in earlier. The four long house tables were amazingly empty. There were no more than 15 students at each table. Before Ginny made it to her seat, however, Professor McGonagall moved quickly toward her and ushered her out of the Hall.
Professor McGonagall: Where are they, Miss Weasley?
Ginny sighed. She knew this would happen.
Ginny: They apparated off of the train. They are going after him.
Professor McGonagall: Are they completely mad?
She threw her hands into the air.
Professor McGonagall: Where exactly did they go? What are they planning?
And here it comes…
Ginny: I don't know
Professor McGonagall: What do you know?
The professor snapped before pointing her back to Ginny heading towards the hall at a brisk pace. That was bizarre. Surely I won't get off that easily?
Ginny also stepped back into the Great Hall and noticed Malfoy's eyes on her. What is he staring at? The bloody ferret. Honestly, it's not as if I wanted to sit with him on the train. She glared at him until he looked away and she took her seat. Her eyes searched for Pansy and Astoria, sitting at the Slytherin table. They gave her compassionate looks.
Professor McGonagall: I see that this year there will not be many of us. This is an unusual year indeed for us all. I must confess that I am disappointed that so many did not wish to join us.
After a few more announcements of little consequence that Ginny ignored fairly efficiently, the feast appeared on the tables. Never before had the response been so tame. Ginny didn't feel very hungry. She never did, really.
Lying in her bed later that night, her brain kept wandering off to strange corners of her consciousness. She fell into an unsettling sleep involving Malfoy staring and the trio leaving her alone in a big empty castle.