The Green Man and the Goddess

Jade's face went pale as the Sorting Hat announced she was sorted into Gryffindor. The hall faded to silence because of the shock of it. Everyone expected Slytherin since that was where most of the rich, pureblood wizarding families were sorted. For whatever reason, the Sorting Hat thought differently.

The Grollonis were rich and well versed in the Dark Arts. Jade's acceptance to Gryffindor would severely hurt their reputation, not to mention their social status... and probably knock Joseph Grolloni out of Voldemort's favour. I guess Jade wasn't stupid and realized she was destined for Slytherin anyway. It had to be a big blow.

Slowly, Jade's eyes swept up and down the Gryffindor Table, giving people looks of hatred. She laughed and turned to Professor Dumbledore who had risen from his seat at the High Table and was about to approach her.

"Your old hat here seems to be broken, Headmaster," she told him. "I am obviously not Gryffindor material. The Grollonis are respected members of society and as a Grolloni, I demand to be placed somewhere else... in Slytherin."

There was muttering from the Gryffindors as well as from the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws and the Slytherins eyes narrowed. Jade wouldn't be getting the loving welcome she expected from Slytherin house.

"Miss Grolloni," Dumbledore broke in, "I reassure you, the Sorting Hat is not broken and it is never wrong. You are a Gryffindor at heart. All you have to do is surpass your prejudices, something every person, young and old should strive to do. Now, please go and take a seat at the Gryffindor house... or I shall take points from Slytherin since you wish to be one of them so much." That earned more staring from the Slytherins and laughter from the rest of the school.

Jade Grolloni looked at Dumbledore and walked over to join our table, although no one wanted her there. She sat in the most isolated spot she could possibly find and glared at anyone who came near her.

I watched her down the table with a little curiosity. She seemed so Slytherin, yet she was a Gryffindor. The thought was strange. There was more to Jade than meet the eye. Hopefully after having her hopes slashed by being sorted to Gryffindor, she would give up on Draco.

I felt a hand on my elbow and turned to see Hermione looking at me.

"Shocker isn't it, Ginny?" she said and next to me, Ron nodded.

I laughed and replied, "Well she sure isn't making any friends in Gryffindor... or Slytherin."

I looked down the table to where Jade was sitting, poking at the carrots in front of her.

"I'm not sure if she got what she deserved or not... at least she can't have Draco now. Lucius Malfoy would never willingly let his son marry a Gryffindor... although I wonder if Draco and I will marry at all. We're not well matched you know."

Hermione and Ron stared at me, shocked. Hermione reached out a tentative hand and said, "you didn't think that yesterday Gin. It's only because you saw that girl hanging off your boyfriend and you over reacted. You felt threatened by her so you lashed out. It's a normal thing!"

I sighed, knowing Hermione and Ron couldn't read Draco like I could and replied, "Something has changed. He's not the same person he was before the summer and he isn't the same boy he was the day he asked me to marry him. Things change, and not always for the better and I'm terrified Draco has changed for the worse!"

Ron sighed and turned back to his food, picking at it. I looked over and realized Ron had hardly eaten anything. He usually ate plate after plate but today he had touched next to nothing. It frightened me.

"What's wrong, Ron?" I asked quietly.

Ron looked up from his food and leaned his head towards the Slytherin table where Harry was sitting with Blaise Zabini, Blake and Devin Leofric. Their heads were placed together and they were talking rapidly to each other. Harry's black head fit in with the other three black haired Slytherins. They looked like the evil witches and wizards during the burning times back when the Christian religion held sway over much of Europe. I had a hard time repressing a shiver, although both Ron and Hermione openly shivered at the sight.

Many of the other Gryffindors noticed the shiver and followed their gaze to the Slytherin table. All the Gryffindors went quiet.

Harry Potter was the idol of countless young Gryffindors but now he has deserted them in their greatest hour of need for a hero. He decided to join the darkest of Slytherins and meddle in the Dark Arts. They had all judged him wrong and who can you trust if not your idol and hero?

Finally the feast came to a close and everyone was escorted to their respected houses by their prefects. I stood in the middle of my dorm room, which had just been evaded by Jade, who thought she was a queen and I was her servant. I looked at her disgustingly and she glared at me. She looked around the room and took a bed near the window. It happened to be inhabited by one of my dorm mates...but she wasn’t Jade Grolloni so she stood back and took the loss of her bed in silence.

I sat quietly on my bed and watched Jade. She spoke to no one in Gryffindor house except when giving orders to them as if they were servants. It angered everyone terribly.

Jade was going through her expensive wardrobe when an owl tapped on the window. It was a sinister sound and Jade jumped when she first heard it. We just all stood at the window until it became apparent to Jade that no one else would be opening the window. She walked calmly over to the window and let the owl in.

It glided into the room and tried to settle on Jade's shoulder. She stared at the bird and went deadly pale... it was one of the Malfoy's owls. Slowly, she reached to take the parchment from its leg and opened the letter.

Her eyes quickly roamed the contents off the letter before dropping it to the floor. Her fingers twitching uselessly and her eyes were wide in shock.

I crossed the room and picked up the letter. It was written in the slanted hand of Lucius Malfoy, informing her that his son would not marry a Gryffindor. The terrible marriage was off. I could’ve jumped for joy. Jade was in shock and because she had been a terrible bitch to me, it didn't mean I would rub it in her face... well, only in private.

She slightly recovered when she realized I had the letter in my hand and tried to grab it.

I turned to her and looked her in the eye. She was about three inches taller than me but I stood her down. "Who's so high and mighty now? If you ever treat any of us," I told her, motioning to the other girls, "like servants, I promise you, you will wish your mama never gave birth to you. The Grollonis are not as powerful in England as they are in the rest of Europe and they hold no sway at Hogwarts... unlike the Weasleys. I have friends Jade, and no one in Gryffindor or Slytherin wants anything to do with you, so I'd watch how you speak to people."

I stood there as tears ran down her face. I knew her life was destroyed the minute she was sorted into Gryffindor, but I didn't care. Maybe if she decided to be a good person, it could be rebuilt but that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.

I took one last look at Jade who had thrown herself onto her bed and stormed out of the room. I couldn't stand to be near her anymore. She made me lose Draco to my own jealousy and blindness.

I found Hermione and Ron sitting in the common room, talking with Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Pavarti Patil and Lavender Brown with looks of anxiety on their faces. They were all in seventh year and used to be friends with Harry.

They didn't realize I was there when I entered the common room, otherwise they wouldn't have talked about it but I heard what Ron had to say anyway.

"Well, Malfoy said he saw Harry in Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley. Don't ask me why he was there. I trust Malfoy to his own discretion. I mean he wasn't the one buying books on the dark arts... at least to the best of my knowledge."

The others except Hermione didn't look convinced. "Do you really believe what Malfoy's saying?" Dean asked. "He's a Slytherin and a Malfoy. Malfoys lie just as often as they breathe."

"He wouldn't lie about something that could harm Ginny," Hermione interrupted and they all gave her a strange look.

"And how would Harry buying books on the dark arts harm Ginny?" Dean asked.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other cautiously and Ron replied, "I don't really think that's your business Dean. I know you're our friend, but there are some things we don't talk about."

"Damn right," I replied and everyone turned around to see me standing there, looking angered. "You shouldn't have brought it up in the first place, Ronald Weasley. It's not your business! Why were you talking to Draco anyway?"

"He was worried about you, Ginny!" Hermione cried. "He had been worried since he saw you with Harry this morning at platform 9 and 3/4 and he thought he should warn us... although we don't need warning considering the company Harry is keeping."

All the Gryffindors looked grave at the mention of Harry Potter and his new found friends. He had yet to return and it was going almost past curfew. Harry had to get back soon or he'd lose points.

"Harry could never be evil!" Pavarti suddenly exclaimed. "He's saved us countless times from You Know Who!"

I glared at Pavarti.

"Open your eyes, Patil! People are changing all the time and Harry has changed. He is no longer the same boy he once was. Things have happened to alter his thinking and now that he has changed, he isn't coming back. To defeat Voldemort, we'll have to work without him."

Pavarti and Lavender grabbed onto one and another and shook their heads violently. Harry was their hero and their hero couldn't change sides.

"You're living in a dream world," Hermione said angrily but stopped because Harry Potter, once champion of Gryffindor, had entered the common room.