AN: As promised. Second chapter for the day. More chapters are, in fact written, and will be posted a bit more regularly (and often). Thank you all again for your patience and kind (or not so-) reviews.

~Mahalo!

So, You Wanna Play?

Hermione and Ron had been on their night rounds for almost an hour. So far it had been a quiet night. The students at Hogwarts knew better than to try to get past Hermione Granger when she was on patrol. Her schedule was carefully studied by would-be curfew violators and young couples in the school. During her patrols, the incidence of improper displays of affection was considerably lower than during any other patrol shift. Despite Ron's determined efforts to get Hermione to experience a snogging session inside a broom closet, she was yet to agree. She dismissed such behavior as unbecoming of a prefect, but the brunette had no objection to snogging each other silly in one of their rooms after rounds were over.

They were coming down the stairs from the Astronomy tower when they heard the noises from the broom closet around the bend. There were moans, heavy breathing and panting. The two prefects stood in front of the door and knocked. The day they had inadvertently walked in on an almost naked Millicent Bulstrode and a barely covered Theodore Nott, would be ingrained in their brains forever. After that incident, Ron realized that not all female breasts are worth seeing, and they became a lot more cautious.

After the knock, the movements inside the closet stopped suddenly. A girl cursed.

"This closet is taken..." said a hopeful male voice from behind the door.

"You have a minute to come out, or we'll come in and report you to your Head of House for disciplinary action," Hermione said in an official, but sympathetic tone.

Ever since Ron and she had been together, Hermione had become a lot more sympathetic to the plight of hormone-crazed teenagers trying to get laid. Hermione was turning seventeen today, and she had been a hormonal, randy teenager longer than most of the kids they regularly caught in broom closets.

The door opened slowly and Michael Corner came out visibly embarrassed from the closet. The fly of his pants was open, his shirt was haphazardly tucked in, and he had several prominent love bites on his neck. Romilda Vane came out next. Part of her knickers was hanging out of the pocket of her skirt, and her blouse wasn't buttoned properly.

"Go," Hermione said to Michael. "We have to talk to Romilda."

The boy gave a guilty look to Romilda, shrugged his shoulders, and walked away quickly under a withering gaze from Ron.

After Michael left, Hermione faced Romilda and spoke in her official tone of voice. "Vane, this is the second time we have caught you like this, each time with a different boy I might add, and from what I hear, other prefects have caught you in compromising positions also. I'm sorry to tell you that I will have to report this incident to Professor McGonagall..."

"Please, Granger," Romilda pleaded, "don't report it... you don't understand what's like to have blokes wanting you... what it's like to be a sensual woman..."

Hermione usually controlled her emotions extremely well, but she almost exploded this time. She wanted to say some choice words to Romilda about the difference between being a sensual woman and being a slag, but she managed to contain herself. Barely. It was only the third week of term, and at the rate she was going, Vane was going to shag every boy in Hogwarts by next summer. "Go to your dormitory immediately, and report yourself at 9:00 AM to Professor McGonagall's office. I'll be there with my report," she said sharply.

After Romilda left in a huff, Hermione peeked inside the broom closet to make sure the couple hadn't left any articles of clothing.

"Ewww, it reeks of sex in there," she said wrinkling her nose. "And rather unpleasantly," she added.

In the few days they had been together, Ron had discovered that Hermione wasn't as innocent as he had once thought. She could be quite forward as a matter of fact, and she could talk about sexual matters without any hint of embarrassment once they were in private and relaxed. The redhead boy peered inside the closet, and he, too, wrinkled his nose before turning to Hermione.

"How do you know what sex smells like?" he asked with a puzzled expression.

Hermione froze, and stared at him narrowing her eyes. "Are you going to start one of your jealous fits?" she asked calculatingly.

Ron knew he was treading on dangerous ground now, so he talked evenly and calmly. "No, I was just curious."

Hermione stared at him a while longer, as if trying to determine if he was being truthful, but then she smiled and her face relaxed. "Actually I was embarrassed and mortified about it for many years, but as I grow older it just becomes funnier."

"What happened?" Ron asked with a smile, relaxed by her attitude.

Hermione smiled mischievously and bit her lower lip in a last attempt to keep quiet, but she decided to trust Ron. "You see... when I was a little girl several times the noises coming from my parents room woke me up. I would walk to their room and try to enter to see what was happening, but their door was always locked, so I would knock on the door and call for my Mum..."

"Mummy, what's happening?"

"I'll be right there, sweetie. Give me a moment," Mrs. Granger called out with an even, but slightly forced voice.

A moment later Jean Granger cracked the door open, and kneeled down in front of her seven year old daughter as she finished tying her robe. "What's the matter, sweetie. Did you have a bad dream?" she asked soothingly.

"I woke up, and it sounded like someone was hurting you, Mummy. I got really scared," little Hermione said with a frightened face.

Mrs. Granger embraced her daughter and shushed her when she started crying. "I'm perfectly fine, honey. Your Daddy and I were just playing a grown up game."

"Can I play too?"

"No, sweetie. This game is only for mummies and daddies."

"But it sounded like Daddy was hurting you..."

"Your daddy would never do anything to hurt me, sweetie. He is a good man, and he tries to make your mummy really happy. Sounding like it's hurting is sometimes part of the game."

"So, you just pretend to be hurting?"

Mrs. Granger pondered her answer. "No, honey, I don't pretend. In this game when you sound like it's hurting, it can mean you're having a lot of fun."

"When I grow up, can I play this game?"

"Yes, sweetie, you can play, but you have to be a lot older, and have boy that really loves you before you can play."

"Will you teach me?"

Mrs. Granger laughed, and lovingly embraced her daughter. She was so cute and curious. "Yes, sweetie, I will teach you the rules, but no more questions tonight, you have to get to bed. Mummy and Daddy want to finish their game."

Mrs. Granger took her daughter's little hand, and took her back to her room. After tucking her in and kissing her brow, little Hermione was fast asleep. Jean Granger eagerly went back to her bedroom, and the games that awaited her.

"That still doesn't explain how you can recognize the smell of sex," Ron said pointedly,

"You will understand if you let me finish," Hermione replied. "About a year later I woke up again in the middle of the night, and I could hear my Mum... ehmm... being loud. It sounded like they were having a fight and hurting each other, so it was really frightening. I could hear them saying... things... to each other, and I tried to open the door but it was locked. My mother screamed and I must have done some accidental magic, because when I tried the door again, it opened. To make a long story short; I walked in on my parents having sex, so that's how I know what sex smells like."

"Merlin's beard! What did you see?" Ron asked with curiosity.

"Maybe I'll tell you later... when our relationship moves forward," she answered slowly. " At the time it was rather shocking, even a bit traumatizing."

"It sounds like your Mum is a freak," Ron said with a laugh.

Hermione stopped walking, and turned furiously towards Ron. "My Mum is not a freak! I can only hope that after almost twenty years of marriage I can enjoy sex with my husband as much as she still does! Grow up, Ron!"

Ron was startled by her raging anger, and felt genuinely sorry for his remark. "I'm..."

"What if I'm a freak?" she interrupted him angrily, slowly raising an eyebrow. "Will you be able to handle it?"

Ron was left momentarily speechless, with his mouth slightly open. The expression on his face changed from surprise, to determination, to smugness. "Hell, yes!"

Ron took Hermione in his arms and snogged all the air out of her. The brunette whimpered. "Our shift is over. Let's go to my room," he said commandingly.

Hermione looked horribly conflicted. "I want you, Ron. I want you bad... but we can't." She looked up lustily into his eyes and kissed him hard. Her lips lingered on top of his' and she bit his lower lip. "We have to wait just a little longer."

Ron sucked his swollen lower lip and smiled at her. "There are a whole lot of things we can do while you are still technically a virgin..."

Hermione laughed and took his hand to resume walking. "Is that so?" she asked rhetorically.

They walked towards his room until they reached the door. Hermione was extremely nervous because she wanted to go much farther than they had ever gone before, but she was eager. The brunette took a deep breath and set herself realistic expectations. If her research was correct, Ron wasn't going to be very good at this for a while, but she intended to train him thoroughly. They kissed ardently, bringing their bodies together.

"I'm so hot, Ron," she said sultrily. "You're going to get as close to lucky as you can possibly get tonight."

"What? Wait a minute..."

"Shut up and come in," she said pulling him into the dark room by the shirt.

Hermione was snogging him hard and she couldn't figure out why he was resisting her kiss. She put his hand over her right breast. Ron tried to say something, but only managed stuttering.

The magical gas lamps came on.

"SURPRISE!"

Everyone was frozen in place.

Hermione very slowly lowered Ron's hand away from her breast, and turned to look at the wide-eyed audience.

"Maybe we should leave the two of you alone," Ginny said meekly. She pulled on Harry's hand, and made significant eye contact with Luna and Neville. She then looked back at Hermione with an expression that left no doubt of how sorry she was they had intruded.

The brunette remained composed. She was mortified, but not ashamed. "This is really a surprise," she said forcing a smile. "You don't have to leave..."

"Yes, we must," interrupted Harry firmly.

"That's right. I need to finish an assignment," Neville lied unconvincingly.

"There is food and Butterbeer..." Luna said happily.

"... and the water temperature in the tub is just perfect," Ginny added.

Luna and Neville kissed Hermione on the cheek, and they left after wishing her a happy birthday once again.

Ginny cheerfully embraced her friend tightly for a long time, smiling and laughing before doing the same with her brother. She kissed them both on the cheek before moving to the side.

Harry embraced the brunette also, but a lot more solemnly. "I love you, Hermione. Happy Birthday," he said kissing the top of her forehead and swallowing hard. The memory of the little bushy-haired girl looking for Neville's missing toad in the Hogwarts Express came to his mind. He smiled melancholically. "We all have grown up, haven't we?"

Hermione nodded repeatedly with tears in her eyes. "I love you too, Harry. I'm so happy that I can say that without fear of it being misinterpreted," she said beaming at him.

Harry turned to Ron and he playfully punched the redhead boy in the arm. The punch was hard enough for the warning in it not to be missed.

After Harry and Ginny left, Ron turned to Hermione and he boldly placed his hand on her right breast. "Where were we?" he asked with a devilish smile.

The brunette laughed heartily. "You really have changed, honey."

OoOoO

That weekend the Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts took place. The pitch was swarming with obviously unqualified hopefuls, and it took a long time to just weed out those who had absolutely no business being there.

Even though Ginny was trying out as a Chaser, she was helping with the pre-selection of candidates because she was still officially a team member. She would lose her place in the team only if she didn't make the cut in any position, which was extremely unlikely.

While Ginny was doing a few drills with the Chaser candidates, Romilda Vane made her move on Harry.

"I don't know what you see in that ginger midget," Romilda said pushing her chest out as she approached him.

Even though Romilda was only a Fourth Year, she had just turned fifteen, making her the same age as Ginny. She was taller and more voluptuous than the redhead, and possessed a certain Mediterranean beauty. Harry was annoyed by her comment, but he remained aloof.

"She's so white she must look like a ghost when she is naked," Romilda added probingly.

"I wouldn't know," Harry said calmly. "I do know, I love her skin, and I also know that you have a birthmark on your left breast, as does most of the school."

"It's a beauty mark, Harry. Would you like to see it?" she asked boldly.

Harry chuckled. "What are you doing here, Vane? You don't strike me as the athletic type."

"I'm here to try out for the Seeker," she said smoothly. "Let's go to the changing rooms and I'll show you what I've got."

Harry realized it would be impossible for a normal teenage boy to resist the siren's song of a bold and proud slut like Romilda Vane. That just drove home the fact that he wasn't a normal teenager. He looked to the spot where Ginny was flying, and noticed her looking at them with interest. He smiled brightly at her, and even from the distance he could see her chocolate brown eyes sparkling happily.

"Get off the pitch, Vane. The Seeker is already taken," Harry said sharply.

Romilda walked away indignant. "You're a great poof, Potter!"

Ginny came down after she and Katie Bell had weeded out the Chasers down to the final four candidates, including herself. The final Chaser tryouts were going to be done simultaneously with the final tryouts for the Keeper, which was down to Cormac McLaggen and Ron. Those who completed the most passes, made the most assists and scored the most goals would be selected as Chasers. Conversely, whoever stopped the most shots on goal, would become the new Gryffindor Keeper.

To no one's surprise, Ginny easily secured one of the starting Chaser positions, while the other open spot was taken by Demelza Robins.

It was the Keeper competition that provided the drama that afternoon. In an incredibly close competition, Ron had imposed himself over Cormac McLaggen by one save. The insufferable McLaggen had protested the result claiming that his broom had been tampered with. When that didn't work, he claimed nepotism, suggesting that Ginny had taken it easy with her brother. Katie Bell pointed out that Ginny had scored four times and missed only once against both Keepers. With no other recourse, Cormac stormed out of the field.

After showering in the Quidditch changing rooms, Harry waited for Ginny to come out from the showers on the girls' side. As soon as the redhead came out the door, Harry embraced her and kissed her. She smelled magnificently, as always.

"Congratulation, Love. You were brilliant today."

Ginny smiled at him, and pecked his lips. "Thank you, Harry. How about, Ron?" she beamed proudly. "A couple of weeks ago I would have never guessed he had the confidence to try out, much less win a close competition. McLaggen may be a right git, but he is a great Keeper."

"Ron was ecstatic when he left with Hermione. Now that he is part of the team we'll never be able to shut him up taking about Quidditch," Harry said with a chuckle.

Ginny laughed with him, and she put her arm through the crook of Harry's right arm. They walked slowly towards the castle, with Ginny leaning slightly against him.

"Today I finally figured out why the Sorting Hat put Romilda Vane in Gryffindor," Ginny said with a hint of annoyance. "It takes the brave heart of a lion to hit on my boyfriend while I'm looking."

Harry laughed. "She is rather bold."

"You know," Ginny said meditatively. "I'm surprised I didn't feel more jealous, but it felt silly being jealous of her. Initially I wanted to come down and kick her teeth in, but then I realized there was no need."

"Why?"

"Because I have this delusional belief that what we have is special."

Harry stopped and looked at her. "Why would you call it delusional?" he protested.

"You are sixteen and I'm fifteen, Harry. You really think true love can be that easy?"

"You call our relationship easy?" Harry asked with disbelief. "When we still have Voldemort hanging over our heads? It has been anything but easy for us the last four years, and it's not going to get any easier. I completely ignored you, Ginny. For four years I didn't see what was right under my nose. I'm surprised you accepted me as a friend, much less as a boyfriend."

Ginny gave a low, sweet laugh. "Believe me, Harry. Accepting you as my boyfriend was the easiest decision I've ever made."

"What we have is special, Ginny. Call me a delusional believer if you want."

They kissed, and the Sun shone through with one last gasp of warmth in that cold Autumn afternoon.

"The Sun is smiling on us again, Harry," Ginny said happily. "We're indeed his favorites."

"Are you going Luna on me?" he chuckled.

"Not quite," she replied smiling. "Luna doesn't have a crazy bone in her body, but I'm crazy for you, Harry."

OoOoO

Ginny was very curious about what had happened in Ron's room the night of Hermione's birthday, but she had resisted the temptation of asking any impertinent questions. Nevertheless, she was a little surprised when Hermione invited Luna and her to sleep over in her room the night of the 26th of September. There was going to be a full lunar eclipse in the early morning hours of the 27th, and Hermione had specified to bring collection phials and potion making ingredients and equipment.

If Hermione was collecting, one thing surely hadn't happened.

Ginny knew her period would start within the next two days. During the day she had been moody and cramping, but so far the painters had stayed away. It felt very strange to be hoping for her period to start. Hermione had borrowed a small telescope from Astronomy class and it was pointed out the open window. As soon as the full moon came out, the witches went to work. The eclipse was still several hours away.

They had set up one cauldron in a rune magic circle for the samples they collected that night, and in two others they started preparing potions with what they had collected so far. Blood replenishing potion made with the menstrual blood of virgins was highly prized because it was fast working and had a much higher yield than the regular potion. Luna supplied the sample for the batch they started preparing.

Ginny chuckled. "If I ever need this potion, it's going to feel really weird knowing I'm drinking a little bit of you menstrual blood, Luna," she said as she labeled a bottle for when the potion was ready.

"If you need this potion, you'll probably be dying and unconscious," Hermione remarked evenly. "I would rather drink a potion made with the blood of any of you, than one made with the blood of any skanky old witch that isn't as effective."

Ginny shuddered at the thought.

"Some of the potion ingredients used in magic are really disgusting for Muggleborns," Hermione said, showing them a bottle with several rat tails. "I can see from your expressions that rat tails aren't particularly disgusting to you."

"I remember my Mum using them when I was little," Luna said dreamily.

"Exactly," Hermione said triumphantly. "You two grew up within this culture, so you have no idea how disgusting drinking anything that has newt's eyes or rat tails is for Muggleborns.

Luna held up the preservation phial where her menstrual blood had been kept. "There isn't enough for another batch of blood replenishing potion, but we could make some love potion with it," she said.

"Why would you need a love potion?" Ginny asked puzzled.

Luna shrugged her shoulders.

"Actually, that's a brilliant idea," Hermione said smiling. "We don't know what we are going to be facing in the future," she added turning to Ginny. "Having a love potion could be as handy as anything else."

The three witches stood around the next cauldron and started pouring the ingredients in order. Since the blood being used was Luna's, she poured the final, critical ingredient.

She chanted as she poured the thick, dark drops of blood. "Honor me, adore me, and accept me as your ruler. You will submit and bow down to me by the power of Amor."

After the right number of clockwise stirs, Hermione set the timer and went to take a look in the telescope. "We still have a couple of hours before the eclipse. We should exfoliate."

The three witches stripped down to their knickers and bras, and sat on a large mat on the floor. They started rubbing their arms methodically with the exfoliating gloves.

"A couple of weeks ago you said that each of us was a favorite of one of the ancient planets," Ginny said conversationally to Luna. "What did you mean?"

"I thought it was evident," Luna replied. "You are the favorite of Venus, and you have the power of love and beauty. Harry is the favorite of Mars, and he has the power of war and passion. The two of you form a polarity. Hermione is the favorite of Mercury, and she has the power of intellect and friendship. Ron is the favorite of Saturn, and he has the power of labor and obstinacy. Hermione and he form a second polarity. Neville is the favorite of Jupiter, the king of the planets, he has the power of justice and generosity. I'm, of course," she finished, "the favorite of the Moon, and I have the power of mystery and intuition. Neville and I form a third polarity.

"Having the power of love and beauty doesn't seem as brilliant as some of the other powers," Ginny said sarcastically. "I assure you that right now I don't feel beautiful at all. I'm feeling rather bloated as a matter of fact."

"You are joking, right?" Hermione asked rhetorically. "Beauty launched a thousand ships, and love is the single greatest power in the universe. Even the mayor Gods bow down to its might, and quarreled because of the power of beauty."

Ginny blushed with embarrassment. "You also said that the Sun looks kindly on two us," she inquired.

"You know perfectly well who I meant, don't you?" The Ravenclaw girl waited until Ginny nodded. "You and Harry have a magical power that is out of the ordinary, and both of you have an extraordinary life force. You two form a rather unique polarity, and the world is lucky that the two of you found each other... but maybe it wasn't luck at all."

"You're starting to talk like Dumbledore," Ginny said giggling; "in riddles."

"I can't help it," Luna said sincerely, "one of my powers is, after all, mystery."

"You talked about polarities..." Hermione said intrigued.

"There are six of us because that is the number of love; the number of Venus; which is, of course, Ginny. She is the common denominator between us, and love is what is going to keep us together. We form three polarities, which is the number of Mars; which is of course Harry, who is going to lead us to war. Three is also the number that symbolizes magic. In case you haven't noticed, there are three witches in this room, and magic is very strong with each of us. I dare say we are the three most powerful witches of our generation. Three is also the number of sexual love..."

"You fancy threesomes?" Ginny interrupted giggling.

Luna shrugged her shoulders and smiled dreamily before continuing. "The number three can represent genitalia. Men have two testicles and a penis; women have two breasts and a vagina, or two ovaries and a vagina if you wish; women also have three erogenous orifices in their bodies. Before this is over we'll have to bring our polarities together."

"You mean, we'll have to have sex?" Hermione asked.

Luna tilted her head and looked at Hermione reproachfully, as if she hadn't been paying attention. "Of course we will. Don't you want to?" she asked narrowing her eyebrows quizzically.

"Well... yes, of course," Hermione said embarrassed. "Are you saying that we'll have to have oral and anal sex also?

"No, not at all," Luna said matter-of-factly; "but Ron doesn't need to know that if you don't want him to."

Ginny laughed heartily, and Hermione turned beet red.

"Merlin's beard!" Ginny exclaimed suddenly with wide open eyes. "We'll have to perform ritual sex!"

Hermione closed her eyes, and her eyeballs moved rapidly behind her eyelids as she looked for the information about bringing polarities together in her brain. "NO. WAY!" she said with eyes wide as saucers to Luna.

"Way. I told you that there being six of us was no accident. It's the number of love," the Ravenclaw girl repeated smiling dreamily.

They continued exfoliating. The three girls were topless now, sitting in a straight line. Ginny was doing her own legs, Luna was doing Ginny's back, and Hermione was doing Luna's back.

"Okay, time to switch," Hermione ordered.

The brunette started doing her own legs, Luna started doing Hermione's back, and Ginny did Luna's back.

"This is a very relaxing activity," Ginny said absently. "The next time maybe we should invite the boys. Someone might get the wrong idea if they hear about this."

"Who cares what people might think," Luna said indignantly. "I love the two of you... but not that way."

Hermione laughed. "I don't think the boys would find rubbing the backs of their topless girlfriends relaxing. Some parts of their bodies might actually tense up."

"Who are you, and what did you do with Hermione Granger?" Ginny asked laughing.

"I like this Hermione better than the old one," Luna commented amused.

Hermione half turned to look at the blond Ravenclaw. "I'm sorry I was such a prat with you last year, Luna. You're a lovely, brilliant girl, and I'm happy we are friends now."

Luna smiled brightly at her. "Thank you."

At that moment one of the timers sounded.

"I think we have all the skin we can get for now," Hermione said getting up. She turned to Ginny as she put her bra back on. "Luna and I will take care of the potions, you can gather the skin," she said to the redhead.

Ginny put on her bra, and then grabbed a collection phial and her wand.

"Accio exfoliated skin," she said pointing first to the floor mat and then to the phial.

The redhead watched with fascination as the tiny flecks of skin began settling at the bottom of the phial. Even though it was dead skin, it was infused with the magic of the three witches. The fact that they were virgins meant that their magic wasn't constantly leaking out into the surrounding environment. As long as their maidenheads remained intact, their magic was contained and it would infuse their blood and skin with all the residual magic of their bodies. In boys the magic remained contained until they ejaculated for the first time, which is why even though they were virgins, their samples wouldn't be infused with magic.

The three witches moved to surround the cauldron inside the rune circle, and started to drop the ingredients in sequence for making skin restoration cream. As with the blood replenishing potion, the cream made with the skin of virgins was highly sought after and rare. After the cauldron started brewing, the witches cleaned the two cauldrons they had already used.

"We have a small amount of skin left. Why don't we make the skin care cream of Madame Monvoisin with it? There should be enough," Ginny said.

The two other witches agreed and they started making the skin care cream.

"Do you think we should make poisons?" Hermione asked visibly ashamed.

Madame Monvoisin was a veritable treasure trove in the art of poison making.

"Harry would never agree to poison anyone," Ginny said with certainty. "It's beneath him. But it's good that you brought it up," she added smiling sympathetically to the brunette. "We definitely should have antidotes readily available. The bastards we are fighting aren't as noble."

"The eclipse is about to start," Hermione said. "Let's go watch."

The three witches gathered around the telescope and took turns looking at the Moon. It started with the lower right corner of its face turning dark red. Minute by minute, more of the surface gained a red hue, until the entire face of the Moon glowed with an eerie dark red shade.

A minute later, Ginny felt the flow.

"I have the painters in. I have the painters in!" she screamed jumping excitedly.

Hermione rushed to grab a couple of the conservation phials, and pushed them into the redhead's hand.

"Go to the loo and collect every single drop you can! You have a little more than thirty minutes to collect before the full eclipse is over. We'll let you know."

Ginny ran into the loo and closed the door. She opened the window to let the moonlight in, and started to collect the sample keeping her wand close so not a single drop was lost.

Hermione couldn't believe their luck. They were about to get their hands on a unique and extremely rare magical ingredient; the virgin menstrual blood of the most powerful witch of her generation, collected during a full lunar eclipse, on an ascending node, no less. All of that was made even more perfect because it was a first flow. Any potion or any rite performed with that blood was going to be a spectacle to behold.

OoOoO

A week later, after Ancient Runes class, Ginny started to make her way up to the fourth floor to meet with Luna before heading together to Transfiguration class. They had tried to take as many classes together as possible, but the school arranged the schedule so students had to share at least one class with each of the other Houses. That was Dumbledore's idea of promoting inter-House friendships.

Ginny could tell that Harry was worried about this arrangement, but he didn't say anything out of respect for her fighting and duelling abilities. She was talking with her roommates as they walked up the stairs when little Diana Mansfield, the first year Ravenclaw she met at the Hogwarts Express, ran crying past her going down the stairs.

"Diana, wait! What happened?" she called after the little girl, who just kept running.

Ginny turned around, and ran after the Ravenclaw girl calling her name. Diana turned into a corridor and went into an empty classroom with Ginny close behind her. The first year student sat by a table with her head buried between her arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Ginny stood at the threshold just long enough to give a quick look around the room, before walking in and sitting next to the little girl. The redhead put her arm around Diana's back.

"What's the matter, sweetie? Why are you crying?" she asked concerned.

"I'm no good at magic," the Ravenclaw said with tears streaking down her cheeks. "I think they must have made a mistake when they sent me the letter."

"Don't say that," Ginny said soothingly. "A lot of students have trouble during their first year. One of my roommates is Muggleborn like you, and she couldn't do a single spell until the second half of her first year. You grew up not knowing anything about magic, so it's normal for magic to be more difficult for you in the beginning. My Muggleborn roommate is now one of the prefects of our year because she is so good."

Diana took her wand out of her pocket, and threw it to the opposite wall. "This wand doesn't work. I think they sold me a defective one," she said distraught.

Ginny continued doing small circles with the palm of her hand on the back of the little girl. "My first year at Hogwarts was also very difficult. It was my first time away from home, and I had no friends. It was easy to be angry, but you have a friend in Luna and in me, Diana."

A hint of a smile appeared on the face of the Ravenclaw girl. "You think I'm a real witch, then?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"I still think my wand is defective. Can I try yours?"

"Wands are important, but ultimately what matters most is the witch that gives it power. You just have to let your magical power flow from you," Ginny said handing Diana her wand. "Just a couple of tries. We have to get back to classes."

The little girl nodded, stood up and walked to the center of the room before turning to face the redhead.

That's when Ginny noticed something in Diana's eyes. Her eyes betrayed an internal struggle, and Ginny knew she was being Imperiused. She stood up from the chair and took a step forward, but Gregory Goyle came out from behind a tapestry pointing his wand at her.

"Don't move, Weasley," he said taking the wand from Diana's hand and putting it in his pocket. "I'm going to make you pay for my broken ribs," he growled.

Behind her, Ginny could feel someone approaching. Vincent Crabbe put his meaty hands around her wrists, and pulled her arms back.

Ginny was very strong for a petite girl, but her strength was no match for the brute force of the Slytherin goon. After a brief struggle she relaxed.

"You're nothing without your wand," Crabbe said to her ear. His bad breath made Ginny wrinkle her nose.

"So, you wanna play?" she asked with a sultry voice.

"I always knew you were a whore," Goyle said putting his wand away and coming closer.

"Wait. We cannot play with a little girl watching us. Send her away."

Goyle stopped and seemed to think for a moment. "The little bitch will have to wait her turn," he said sneering at Ginny. "Go to the corner and turn your back," he ordered the Ravenclaw girl.

He watched her obey his command, and then turned with a lustful smile towards Ginny.

"You want to see something neat?" Ginny asked playfully.

Goyle sent a significant look to Crabbe, who grasped her wrists even harder.

"Yes, go ahead," Goyle said with a disdainful smile.

Very slowly she raised her left leg straight forward with pointed toes until it was parallel to the floor. Her school robes were unbuttoned, and they opened to reveal that she was wearing her training shorts underneath. Goyle inclined his head slightly to the side to admire her lean thighs. Slowly she opened her stance moving her raised leg until her toes were pointing directly to her left, forming a ninety degree angle with the axis of her body. She then raised the leg until it was vertical to her other leg, and brought it back down to a ninety degree angle again.

"You like what you see so far?" she asked raising an eyebrow..

Both Slytherins were impressed and aroused by her display of balance and flexibility. "Yes," Goyle replied absently, unable to take his eyes off her leg.

Then, with blazing speed, Ginny brought her leg down and drove the heel of her shoe into the instep of Crabbe's foot. The Slytherin screamed in pain and loosed his grip on one wrist just enough for Ginny to twist it free.

She turned to face the goon, who still had a firm hold of her other wrist, and her right leg did something that seemed to defy the limits of human physical ability. It came from her side and over her back and head, to kick Crabbe right on the forehead with the toe of her shoe.

It was a sublime scorpion kick.

The dazed goon let go of her wrist, and Ginny immediately went on the offensive. She knew she was going to have to put one of the Slytherins down for good if she was going to have any chance. The startled Goyle was scrambling for his wand, so Ginny closed the distance between them in a flash. With a blood curdling scream, she delivered a spinning karate chop to the top of his neck, shattering his hyoid bone. Goyle fell to the floor holding his neck. Ginny turned back to face Crabbe, who had by now almost completely shaken the cobwebs off his head. She took two running steps, and delivered a flying kick to the middle of his chest, sending the lumbering Slytherin to the floor on his back. Without pause or hesitation, Ginny jumped in the air on top of him with another scream. While in the air, she moved her left arm forward, and drove her bent right arm back. For a brief second she was suspended in the air before gravity took over. As she fell she drove her right elbow with all her strength into Crabbe's liver. The goon screamed in pain, but Ginny wasn't finished. She was quickly on her knees and drove the same elbow viciously into his jaw, knocking him out.

Ginny was on her feet in a flash, and evaluated the situation. Crabbe was going to be knocked out for at least a couple minutes, but he would survive. Goyle, on the other hand, was dying. The thick neck of the Slytherin was crushing the airway where the hyoid bone was broken. He was beginning to asphyxiate.

For only a brief moment, Ginny thought of doing nothing, but then she realized she couldn't let a helpless person die. She took a piece of parchment out of her book bag, and then kneeled next to Goyle to take her wand out his pocket. She rolled the parchment into a cylindrical shape.

"Duro," she said pointing her wand to the parchment to harden it.

Ginny looked into the wide open eyes of Gregory Goyle, and for the first time she saw what the fear of death looks like. His mouth was open and his chest was heaving, but he was starting to turn blue.

"Don't move if you want to live," she said sharply to him.

She pointed her wand to the lower part of his neck, but became suddenly nervous. Never before had been control of one of her spells been a matter of life or death. She took a deep breath.

"Diffindo."

She let out the breath she was holding when she saw the surgical precision of the cut. The gurgling sounds he was making made her skin crawl. She pushed the hardened parchment into the hole in Goyle's neck and trachea, and with a whistling sound, air started to move in and out of his lungs.

At that moment the door crashed open and Luna came in with her wand drawn.

"I've been looking for you," she said casually as she pointed her wand to the unconscious Crabbe. "Incarcerous." Luna watched the ropes tightly bound him, before turning back to Ginny. "Should I get a professor?"

"Yes, and also get Madame Pomfrey."

After Luna left, Ginny bound Goyle's hands and feet, even though he seemed to be going into shock.

She got up, and walked to the corner were Diana was still standing with her back turned. She Finited the Unforgivable curse, and embraced the guilt ridden girl, reassuring her that everything was going to be alright.

Harry came running into the room with the Marauder's map in his hand, followed by Ron, Hermione and Neville. He didn't stop until he was facing her, holding her upper arms. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm okay..."

Harry didn't let her finish. He embraced her tightly, pulling her head against his chest and cradling her head. She could hear his heart beating rapidly.

"I would have never forgiven myself if anything had happened to you," Harry said emotionally.

"There's nothing you could have done."

"Luna sent a Patronus to let us know you were missing, but I didn't have the bloody map. I had to go all the way to Gryffindor tower to get it out of my locked trunk. I should have been carrying it with me," he said guiltily.

"We just have to keep learning from our mistakes, Harry. I just let my guard down one moment, and look what happened."

Professor McGonagall came in at that moment, followed a moment later by Snape, Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey and Luna.

Diana was interrogated first. She had not seen who had cursed her, only heard a soothing voice telling her to do whatever Gregory Goyle or Vincent Crabbe told her. The little girl was overcome with guilt again, and started to cry uncontrollably. Dumbledore had Luna take her to the hospital wing, where Madame Pomfrey had already taken Goyle, for some Calming Draught and Dreamless Sleep potion.

Dumbledore did a Priori Incantatem on the wands of Crabbe and Goyle, but the only spells that had been cast recently were ones done in class.

"You should check Malfoy's wand," Harry said angrily. "Those two don't go to the loo unless they have his permission.

"Don't be ridiculous, Potter," Snape said with a bored expression before turning to Dumbledore. "Mr. Malfoy was early to the Defense classroom. I believe Potter and his friends saw him there when they arrived."

"That doesn't mean he wasn't involved," Harry retorted.

"All this was, is prank gone wrong," Snape said to Dumbledore. "My students didn't use a single curse, and they didn't harm Ms. Weasley or Ms. Mansfield. It was Ms. Weasley who criminally overreacted and almost killed Mr. Goyle?"

"Ms. Weasley had every reason to fear for her safety," Professor McGonagall said sharply. "She was kidnapped!"

"Oh, please!" Snape said dismissively. "It was just boys playing games."

Harry, Ron and Neville were seething at the dismissive tone of the DADA professor. Before they exploded, Dumbledore intervened.

"There was an Unforgivable curse used against a student," he said sternly. "The Auror Office will have to be notified."

OoOoO

Harry and his friends waited impatiently in the Common Room for Ginny to return from Dumbledore's office. The Aurors had not allowed them to be present while they questioned all those involved. Harry watched the Marauder's map carefully, trying to determine what was happening. After about an hour, Ginny left the office and he was relieved to see that at least Dumbledore had enough sense to send Professor McGonagall with her.

They all surrounded the redhead as soon as she came through the portrait hole, leading her to the sofa by the fireplace. Harry cast a privacy charm and they all looked at her expectantly.

Knowing exactly what they wanted, Ginny started relating what had happened in the headmaster's office. "Goyle and Crabbe stuck to their story that they were trying to scare me, but had no intention of harming me. They said they didn't know Diana was Imperiused and that they thought she was helping them willingly..."

"Like that's bloody likely," Ron said furiously.

Hermione seemed upset by the interruption, but said nothing about his language.

"The Aurors asked them if they were willing to make a declaration under Veritaserum, but Snape immediately objected. It turns out, it's illegal for minors to be administered the potion unless they take it willingly, which of course they weren't. In any case, whoever cast the Imperio curse was either an adult or was using an untraceable wand, so they couldn't pin it on them."

"What about them holding you against your will?" Harry asked frustrated.

"I'm as frustrated as you, Harry, but they didn't use any curses," Ginny answered trying to placate her boyfriend. "All they did was hold my wrists and take my wand. Shacklebolt told me the prosecutor would never press any charges on minors that could explain everything away as a silly prank. Arresting them would have been a waste of time. Snape even painted them as victims of my violent instincts. The greasy bastard even suggested I should be charged with assault," the redhead said angrily.

"What did Dumbledore do?" Hermione asked.

"He expelled them..."

"It was about bloody time!" Ron interrupted excitedly.

"Don't get your hopes up," Ginny said soberly. "Dumbledore told me they would probably be reinstated by the Board of Directors within a week. They didn't do much."

"They didn't do much because you kicked their arses," Neville said. "But they would have if they had the chance."

That realization put everyone in a somber mood. They decided that from that moment on, Harry or someone else would keep an eye on the Marauder's Map during class changes, or when Neville escorted Luna back to the Ravenclaw tower.

"From now on, all of us will have to be more alert," Harry warned them, "and we'll have to increase our preparations. The time to start fighting is getting closer and closer."