Backfire

CHAPTER 4

Who's the Sucker This Year?

Ginny landed easily on the deck of Platform 9 ¾, Herpo still clutched comfortably against her chest. Moving her Gryffindor tie from where it had flipped up into her face, she straightened her skirt and looked around to see that they were all obscured from view by brick columns separating Platform 9 ¾ from where the next numbered platform would have been in a normal train station. Having gotten her bearings, she looked past where Harry was standing next to her, only to see Draco already walking away from them, head held high, snobby countenance firmly back in place.

"He didn't waste any time, did he?" she remarked, sharing a roll of the eyes with Harry.

"Ron and I should go check in with the other Prefects," Hermione announced, straightening the big shiny "P" on her robe. She was the only one wearing her school robes, and Ginny wondered why on Earth she bothered with it. Most of the sixth and seventh year students rarely wore them, even at school, and practically no one wore them on September first until they arrived for the welcoming feast.

Well, maybe it was a stretch to say that Ginny wondered why Hermione bothered with the tedious robe; of course she would. This was Hermione, the girl who tried to live her life as revoltingly by the book as was humanly possible.

"We'll find a compartment. See you, then," Harry replied. Hermione and Ron waved goodbye to Remus and set off to fulfill their duties. Ginny turned to Remus as the werewolf turned to his two favorite teenagers. After a moment's hesitation and a glance at Harry, Ginny lurched forward into a hug before she lost her nerve. Squeezing him tightly, almost desperately, she felt a sudden urgency at the thought of departing without him.

"Goodbye, Remus," she said, as his arms tightened around her. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine, Ginny," he replied softly, smoothing down her hair affectionately with one of his hands. "You take care of yourself, okay? Look out for Harry. And give notes to Professor Dumbledore or Professor McGonagall if you want to write me, alright?" Ginny nodded against his shoulder. With one last squeeze, she pulled back and wiped her eyes, looking up into his kind face.

"Please be careful," she said evenly, though the turmoil in her eyes betrayed her uncertainty and worry. Remus nodded and offered a small smile. Ginny backed away to allow Harry a chance to say goodbye. She was nearly knocked to the ground in awe as she watched this six-foot almost-man sink into the gentle embrace of his professor/friend/mentor/uncle. It was the most open, physical affection Harry had ever shown to anyone other than Sirius. Ginny quickly wiped her eyes and choked back tears. Bloody hell, she scolded herself. Don't want to embarrass the bloke.

Shaking herself out of it, she turned to see people rushing to board the train. When she turned back, Remus and Harry had broken apart, but were huddled together, heads bowed, whispering. Ginny tried to look anywhere other than them. Harry nodded at something Remus said and they both straightened and shook hands--a gesture that looked almost artificial coming on the heels of that hug. Ginny suddenly wanted this effing emotional summer to effing end as soon as humanly possible.

The warning whistle got Harry's attention and, with a last glance of affection at Remus, Ginny grabbed his hand and started gently pulling him toward the train. He soon got the message, but didn't shake her off as they both turned back to the werewolf.

"Be careful," Remus reminded them, not quite reaching his usual standard of composed-ness. Then he told them to "behave themselves" and he nearly smiled. This brought small grins to the faces of the two teenagers who waved kindly and shouted their last goodbyes as Ginny continued without thinking to lead Harry toward the train. Since both their gazes were trained on Remus as they walked away, they were not watching (or rather, Ginny was not watching) where they were going and collided with someone's trolley. Harry's grip on her hand tightened and prevented Ginny from taking her third spill of the day, but when they turned around again, Remus had gone.

Having extracted her hand from Harry's, Ginny used both hands to straighten her skirt. Harry grabbed it back and pulled her onto the train just as the final whistle began to blow.

***

Ginny sat by the window in a compartment halfway up the train, legs spread in a somewhat un-lady like manner, hands folded around Herpo, who was curled up in her lap and watching the discussion going on across the way. Luna had returned directly from the Prefect's meeting to report that the Gryffindor Prefects were Kerney Scott and Othello Johnson, Angelina's non-Quidditch-playing younger brother. Ron and Hermione had stayed away to complete their first batch of rounds.

The notorious space cadet was perched next to her, taking up two spots as she leaned against the opposite wall of the compartment, knees bent, feet on the seat next to Ginny. Neville sat across from Ginny, with Trevor in his lap and what appeared to be his new wand in his hands. From his slouched position in the corner across from Luna, Harry looked at the wand as Neville explained its attributes and expressed his hopes for higher grades.

Ginny glanced quickly at Luna (who, as usual, appeared not to be paying the least bit of attention, though she undoubtedly was) before returning to her scrutiny of Neville. Something seemed different about him. He was still the clumsy, awkward boy he had always been, but as he fingered his wand and conversed with Harry, there was a lack of. . .was it hesitation? Maybe it was an absence of shame. Whatever the right word was, Neville no longer stuttered, no longer avoided maintaining eye contact with Harry, and spoke articulately. And he looked taller.

Ginny couldn't tell whether it was due to a growth spurt or the fact that, as she had just noticed, he didn't slump his shoulders anymore. His posture was almost ramrod-straight, but not from tension or fear. The way he now held his shoulders back and looked intently between Harry and his wand, exchanging nods and hand motions with the other boy as their conversation shifted from wand attributes to his summer activities, radiated something that Ginny had never associated with him before.

It wasn't confidence. Ginny knew Neville would not have acquired much confidence simply from battling Death Eaters and owning a new wand. Five years of Snape and Malfoy, plus all those years of living with his less-than-encouraging grandmother, would be hard to overcome. But then, what was it? Why did he no longer look out of place having an earnest discussion with the unknowingly intrepid Harry Potter?

It was subtle, but Ginny thought it was almost as if he had been freed of constraints of some type; as if he was no longer being held down by some unseen barrier that had kept his head and shoulders down, kept his voice soft and unheard.

Harry mentioned the D.A., which caused both Ginny and Luna to turn their attention toward him. As he explained the decisions he had made about continuing for a second year, Neville nodded in agreement with several statements, while Luna set her gaze on Harry. When Neville broke in to ask about what they were going to be covering first, and about the possibility of perfecting the Patronus Charm, Ginny inadvertently froze at the memory of the last time she had attempted the spell, causing Luna and Harry to glance at her in curiosity.

Trying to play it off by adjusting Herpo's position in her lap, she kept her eyes carefully trained on Neville. Harry turned back to answer his friend, but Luna kept her eyes on Ginny. Ginny looked at her and they just stared at each other, the red-haired girl doing her utmost to hide her discomfort at such a searching gaze. Luckily, it was broken by a knock and the compartment door opening.

Ron and Hermione bustled into the little room, obscuring the view into the hall, and talking about what they had seen and heard on the train.

"Oh, I'm so relieved," Hermione began. "Slytherin has a new prefect. Draco's still one, of course, but at least Pansy Parkinson's been replaced. Daphne Greengrass is the new one, and she's not an idiot, at any rate." Ron had begun his usual tirade about Malfoy, when another voice floated in through the doorway.

"Ginny?" Her eyes brightened at the familiar voice as Andy McGrath leaned around Hermione to look into the compartment. Ginny immediately sprang up in excitement, and shoved the kitten into Harry's lap as she leapt toward Andy and hugged him tightly.

"Andy! How was your summer?" she asked him, eyes closed as his arms squeezed her tight. She was much more happy to see him than she had anticipated. She was almost overwhelmed by the wave of comfort she felt at having him near again. He was one of the few people that didn't see her as someone's sister or the girl Harry saved in the Chamber of Secrets; rather, the Weasleys were all her brothers and Harry's presence was secondary.

She didn't notice that the conversation behind her had stopped abruptly, but as she opened her eyes she did notice a tan, tallish girl with long black hair standing behind Andy in the corridor.

"Nadine!" She smiled happily up at Andy as she broke their embrace and made her way over to her other friend, greeting her with a smile and hug as well. As she approached, she watched Nadine's expression shift from feeling out of place, to a small, warm smile at Ginny.

"Hey Ginny," Nadine replied as she returned the hug. And there they stood, Ginny in the doorway, Andy leaning against the doorframe and Nadine standing opposite Ginny.

"Where are the runts?" Ginny asked, smiling as she spoke. Her friends smiled back.

"Well, your boyfriend is probably trying to talk Nadia out of getting in some type of trouble, and Nadia is undoubtedly buttering him up so that he'll cave. She's got him wrapped around her finger, you know. You better watch out, or you'll soon have some competition for his affections." Nadine rolled her eyes, but failed to completely hide a grin.

"Oy! Ginny!" Ron shouted from within the compartment. Ginny turned half-around so that she was facing Andy and her brother at the same time.

"What?"

"Did he say you've got yourself another boyfriend?" Andy and Nadine burst out laughing, while Ginny rolled her eyes and chuckled. Hermione and Harry looked curious, as they had no clue whether Ginny had a boyfriend or not.

"Yes, he did, you stupid, eavesdropping git! What business is it of yours?" At this answer, Andy and Nadine only laughed harder. Luna smiled at this as well, though the sixth years only became more confused.

"Well, who is it? Not Dean Thomas, is it? I'll hex him if he comes near you." Ginny tried not be too irate with Ron, since she had no feelings or relationship with Dean Thomas whatsoever, other than as fellow Gryffindors and D.A. members. But she still scowled and thwacked him upside the head.

"You'll do nothing of the sort. Stop being an idiot. I don't care a lick for Dean Thomas, I was having you on about that--which, I might say, was far easier than it should have been. But apparently you're the most gullible prat in Britain." Harry and Hermione snickered at Ron's expense, but her brother would not be deterred.

"Then who is it? I don't want you going out with some idiot," Ron demanded. Then his face darkened. "He's not a Slytherin, is he?" Ginny groaned in genuine frustration and without another outlet through which to vent it, she slammed her Dr. Marten-clad foot down on Ron's toes.

"FUCKING HELL!" he yelled, commencing the typical hop-on-one-foot dance of pain. "What the hell was that for, you bloody psycho?!"

"Well, you blazing idiot, I did it so you would shut your stupid mouth and listen. If you would hold off on being the world's biggest git for just one damn minute, I could have explained that Stephen McGrath has a bit of a crush on me, and so Andy calls him my boyfriend to tease us." Ron looked back and forth between the fifth years, ending back on his sister.

"Who the hell is Stephen McGrath?" he asked, with as little tact as could be expected. Ginny rolled her eyes (yet again) and Andy cleared his throat and tried not to laugh.

"Who is--" Ginny cut herself off, half incredulous and starting to get peeved. "Stevie is Andy's little brother, you stupid git. He's a third year Gryffindor. Bloody mad about Quidditch. Maybe if you gave two Sickles about anyone in Hogwarts besides the three of you, you might actually know some of the Gryffindors outside your year. Or, God forbid, who your only sister's friends are." She hadn't meant to have a go at him, but it had just come out of her mouth before she thought about it. That seemed to be happening more often these days.

She was really beginning to wonder if emotional-Ginny was ever going to cool it, or if she would be on this roller coaster for the rest of her life. Harry and Hermione seemed kind of uncomfortable about what Ginny had said, and Ginny was reminded of the expression Harry had on his face when they were in Dumbledore's office on her birthday and she had told him frankly that there was a lot he didn't know about her. To his credit, Ron looked slightly apologetic.

"Well, there was kind of a lot going on last year, Ginny, if you remember," he reminded her. Ginny had been all prepared to return to their more jovial argument, but Ron's comment hit a nerve and set Ginny off again. That last, condescending, 'if you remember' set her eyes ablaze and Harry shifted with discomfort as he was the only one who could see what was coming. Boy, was Ron going to regret saying that.

"So was there 'kind of a lot going on' my first year, too?" she shot back nastily. It was a low blow, and Ginny knew it. But, she couldn't help feeling some demented bit of satisfaction at the way her brother's face blanched and the way Harry and Hermione's faces were gaping with shock. Much like the Christmas before when she had called Harry out for forgetting that she had been possessed by Voldemort.

But Ginny was dead sick of being an afterthought to those three. She never had been with Neville, or Luna, or any of her other friends at Hogwarts. She had no illusions about ever breaking into the trio, but sometimes their collective self-centered-ness made her want to scream and hit things and blow stuff up with her wand. Or, she mused in the midst of her anger, without a wand. This brought a smirk to her face as she remembered that they were back on the train and able (if not strictly allowed) to use magic.

Just then, Ginny was broken out of her thoughts by Herpo, who had escaped from Harry and was now attempting to climb up her leg. She bent down and snatched him up, switching immediately into an affectionate countenance as she handled the kitten. If anything, this only served to bewilder the sixth years further. Ginny turned to Luna, still nuzzling Herpo.

"Luna, we're going down the train, you want to come?" Luna gave no indication, but stood up and straightened her uniform as she walked over to the door where Ginny was standing.

"See you, Neville," she offered as Luna joined her. "Harry, I'm taking your cat."

With a slight nod toward the hall, she and Luna exited the compartment without a word to the others. Andy and Nadine followed them out.

***

The passage of a few hours found Ginny farther down the train, laughing so hard her stomach hurt. Holden Fisher had just transfigured Andy's tie into a large, bushy brown wig, put it on his head, and done an absolutely wicked impression of Hermione. He had her huffy sigh down to an art form.

As she laughed, Herpo struggled to keep his balance precariously on her thigh. She was sitting on the floor of the compartment, legs spread out in front of her, with Andy next to her and Colin sitting up on the seat behind her. From her seat next to Colin and behind Andy, Nadine was peppering "Hermione" with questions about studying and following the rules, to which "Hermione" would insistently huff, stamp his foot, and make various condescending retorts. The room was positively roaring with laughter.

"Where'd the Kernel run off to?" Ginny asked when the compartment began to settle down again.

"Rounds," several people answered at once. Ginny nodded, still unsure as to whether Kerney's new position would prove to be a blessing or an unmitigated annoyance.

"Still can't believe Dumbledore made a Slytherin Head Boy," Colin commented.

Ginny had a feeling that Colin's fervent devotion to Harry had incited this sudden skepticism. Too much time watching Ron instead of Harry, she mused. Perhaps the boy had begun to follow her brother as a model of Potter-loyalty.

"Ramsey's alright," Ginny countered. "His family's not nearly as snobby--or shady, for that matter--as the Malfoys. He's probably the most decent bloke Slytherin's ever seen. And Katie Bell is mates with his sister. Even if he wanted to abuse his position, Gretchen would tear him to pieces before any of us would even have the chance." Andy nodded thoughtfully in agreement.

Though she hadn't actually gotten to play Quidditch against the Slytherin Keeper the previous year, Baron Ramsey had surprised and impressed Ginny on several occasions. As soon as she'd been picked to replace Harry, Baron began nodding at her in the hallways between classes and in the Great Hall. He even wished her luck in the Quidditch final. Ginny had been surprised at first, and endlessly amused ever since. He called her by her formal name, Ginevra, which she usually hated, but for some reason, it tickled her that he did so.

By the end of the year, whenever she saw him around school, he would nod to her and say "Ginevra" in an approving sort of way, at which point she would kind of half-curtsey and return with a solemn "Baron," and be off. It was all she could do not to burst out laughing at the formality that the Weasley family so obviously lacked. After a while, she thought she began to detect a hint of a smirk as her gestures of nobility became more and more exaggerated.

But she was under no illusions about his purity of virtues or connections. He had asked after her health following her release from the Hospital Wing after the excursion to the Department of Mysteries, and gave her the distinct impression (almost as if he had wanted her to know) that he knew more or less what had transpired. And there were not very many ways in which he could have gotten that kind of information.

Nevertheless, he had always been a fair-minded Prefect and one of the only members of the Slytherin Quidditch team who refused to stoop to the lows that Malfoy and the others did. Ginny wondered if this history of good behavior was evidence of his virtue or simply a result of his twin sister's well-known views and connections.

Gretchen Ramsey was an assertive, outspoken, but ultimately kind (if intimidating) young woman. Though not a Quidditch player herself, she was closely associated with Katie Bell and was her brother's biggest fan. Moreover, she was a vocal opponent of the unspoken rule in her house that excluded girls from playing on the House team.

In the eyes of many Gryffindors, her finest moment had come in Ginny's first year when Gretchen had publicly lambasted Malfoy for being an "arrogant little toerag," telling him that if he didn't learn some respect he'd end up dead, like so many other Death Eaters, or even worse: a greasy git like his father.

At any rate, Ginny didn't believe there was anything to fear in the Ramseys.

"This year going to be dangerous, do you reckon?" Andy leaned over and whispered in her ear, keeping one eye on the mischievous Herpo and one hand behind his head to guard against Nadine, who had taken to periodically whacking the back of it when she wanted to know something. (Ginny had a hunch that she did this more to remind him of her close proximity, but since Andy seemed to think Nadine's explanation was sufficient, Ginny thought it best not voice her suspicions. Best not to open that can of worms just yet).

"Hard to say," Ginny responded as Nadine struck again. When Andy had turned back from making a face and pinching Nadine (who yelped in surprise), Ginny continued. "Probably."

Andy made another face, this time in consternation rather than playfulness. Herpo chose that moment of distraction to creep over next to Andy and lick the boy's hand. Andy jumped in surprise as Herpo scampered back to the relative safety of Ginny's lap. At Andy's pseudo-rage, Ginny (and by the sound of it, Nadine) chuckled with delight.

"Ruddy cat's a menace!" Andy insisted, as this was the fourth time Herpo had snuck up on him. Andy was not the biggest fan of cats the world had ever seen, especially ones that licked him for sport. Ginny thought this was one of the primary reasons that Nadine had requested a cat for a pet back in third year. Herpo seemed to sense Andy's aversion immediately and had apparently set out to exploit it for his and the two girls' own amusement.

"Where'd you get the bloody thing, anyhow?" Andy asked, keeping a suspicious glare on the little grey beast as it played with Ginny's tie.

"Oh, he's not mine," Ginny supplied without a second thought. When she stopped he looked at her in question. "He's Harry's."

At the mention of Harry's name all conversations in the compartment halted and the other fifth years turned their attention to Ginny. She was startled to find that she now had everyone's undivided attention.

"What are you doing running about with Harry Potter's cat?" Holden asked.

"He likes me," Ginny answered simply. The room erupted in chatter.

"Potter fancies you?!" Artemis Howard blurted to the small room, both in shock and excitement.

"Er. . .no. . .the cat likes me."

Ginny hoped the blush she felt rising in her cheeks wasn't too noticeable. Recovering from her falter quickly, she held the kitten up to her face in what had become her usual manner, and addressed him.

"Isn't that right, Herpo?" she said to him affectionately.

"Herpo?" several people asked at once.

"Harry named the cat after Herpo the Foul?" Colin added, a tad incredulous.

"Bloke's got a better sense of humor than I would have expected," Andy observed quietly.

"Actually, I named him," she whispered back. Andy smirked and shook his head knowingly at Ginny.

"I should have known."

Turning from what she had thought was a private exchange with Andy, Ginny was again startled to find everyone's eyes still trained on her. Luckily, Kerney chose that instant to burst through the compartment door, more disheveled than Ginny had ever seen her.

"Gin!" she practically yelled, without a trace of the camaraderie and affection that Ginny had been expecting after more than two months separation. She quickly forgot to be put out once she registered the look of urgency in Kerney's eyes. The new Prefect must not have wanted to cause a rush over whatever was wrong, because she quickly collected herself.

"Could you help me with something?" she continued nonchalantly. She glanced almost imperceptibly at Luna. "And maybe Loony should come, too. I have a question about Charms that I need to take care of."

"Whatever the good Kernel needs." Ginny mock-saluted her friend as she tried to cover her sense of alarm with some cheek. Whether anyone else in the room saw through Kerney's bullshitting, Ginny didn't wait to find out. Handing Herpo off to a mildly protesting Andy, Ginny shared a small glance with Luna and rose from her seat calmly. "We'll be back. Don't miss us too much."

Turning briefly to Andy, who (it appeared) had already submitted to Herpo's iron will, she tried to insert one more joke to lighten the atmosphere. "Andrew O'Connell McGrath, don't kill the little beast. I don't think Harry wants to be the Boy-Whose-Cat-Died in addition to everything else." With a smirk, she and Luna left, followed by an uncharacteristically stone-faced Kerney.

Once the door shut and they were safe from eavesdroppers, Kerney took off at a run, dragging Ginny with her.

"I saw Draco and his idiots heading down--" she explained as they ran "--to Harry's compartment." Pant. Dodge perplexed-looking first years. Breathe. "And Hermione and your brother left for their next set of rounds already--" dodge fourth year. Pant. "So it's just him and Neville in there. . ." At this, Ginny bolted past her Prefect friend, Luna fast on her heels. Who knew Luna could run like that?

Ginny could hear Malfoy's obnoxious, drawling voice floating out into the hall and slowed down to a walk so she could collect herself for the coming confrontation. Facing Malfoy (any Malfoy, it seemed) always required calm nerves and a quick mind. Ginny preferred not to sound like a bloody retriever after a romp in the park. Deep breath.

Putting her hair into a new ponytail quickly, she glanced gratefully at Kerney, who gave an encouraging look in return and took her cue to leave. Luna squeezed her shoulder lightly to let her know she was right behind her. Naturally, her newly achieved calm did not last.

At hearing Malfoy say the words "mutt" and "got what was coming to him," Ginny quickly forgot herself in anger and let her emotions--and her magic--briefly rush out of control. One of the glass panels adjacent to the doorway of Harry's compartment burst and shattered.

Thinking quickly, Ginny grabbed her wand to prevent suspicion about her wandless capabilities and entered the small room to find gaping expressions on the faces of Neville, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Harry, however, looked as though something had dawned on him, and his eyes glittered knowingly.

Ginny wondered briefly whether Malfoy was just going through the motions of his usual terrorism to keep up appearances after he showed up at Grimmauld Place so unexpectedly. Whether he was or not, Ginny decided to have a bit of fun with this. She pointed her wand at his chest and stepped up into his personal space. He tensed ever so slightly at her close proximity.

"If you don't shut your whiny little mouth right this instant, I swear to Merlin you will live to regret it." She glanced meaningfully at the gaping hole where the glass panel used to be. "Or maybe you won't." And on the won't she jabbed the wand into his chest for emphasis.

In the back of her mind she noticed that the waves of magic she could usually feel spreading out through her torso and limbs were now rolling off her, radiating out of her very skin.

Well, bugger me, Ginny thought with some well-hidden surprise. The gits actually have the courtesy to look scared.

When Draco and the other two Slytherins made no move to leave, Ginny sighed in exasperation and tried again.

"Are you going to get your pale, bony little arse out of here, or do you need a refresher course in my Bat-Bogey Hex?" Malfoy flinched at the words 'bony' and 'Bat-Bogey.' Crabbe and Goyle looked themselves over in obvious surprise when she said the former. As if, she snarked silently, containing a snort of amusement.

In a delayed reaction, Malfoy collected himself, cleared his throat, and turned to Harry.

"You better watch your back, Potter," he growled, but to much less effect than in previous years. Crabbe and Goyle tried to look menacing.

"No worries, there, mate," Neville replied, to the Slytherins' surprise. "We'll be watching his back, too." Ginny smiled as the three Death Eaters' children made their way out at last.

"Draco is an extraordinarily poor actor," Luna mused out loud. So her mind was exactly where Ginny's was, it seemed. Harry looked surprised, whether at Luna's general perceptiveness or the fact that she had noticed a difference in Harry's nemesis without knowing he'd been at Grimmauld Place that morning, Ginny did not know. Neville just looked perplexed.

"True," Ginny replied with a small smile at her Ravenclaw friend.

"How did you two know to get down here just now?" Harry inquired.

"Kerney saw Draco heading this way. She's one of the fifth year Prefects and saw Ron and Hermione leave for their second batch of rounds. She had passed your compartment earlier and noticed that we weren't with you," Ginny explained. "She doesn't know about Neville being brave and having his own wand now, and she figured you'd need someone to get your back, I suppose."

The Kernel was very good like that. Smart when thinking on the fly and very observant. Ginny was well aware that Kerney did not believe Ginny's excuse of needing "Charms tutoring" the previous year, but it had worked well enough with everybody else to get her and Luna a decent alibi during D.A. meetings. Thankfully, she also knew that Kerney and Andy (who she also suspected did not believe her) would not ask her about it until she was ready to tell them what was going on.

At the very least, the two of them, Nadine, and Colin knew that her family was closely allied with Dumbledore, and they knew she had been the one taken down into the Chamber of Secrets in their first year. They also knew something of the power struggle going on between Voldemort, the Ministry and the headmaster, and she had told them about Percy's estrangement from her family.

But they had always respected completely her need for staying under the radar and keeping things to herself as far as Voldemort was concerned. She wanted them in the D.A. as soon as humanly possible, hopefully with their siblings as well. She did not want them, especially Stephen and Nadia who were younger, to be left vulnerable or unable to protect themselves. She knew very well that Death Eaters made no distinctions between adults and children in their violence.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Ron and Hermione bustling through the doorway, causing Ginny to notice that broken shards of glass still lay scattered in the corridor.

"Where's Malfoy?" Hermione asked, flustered and casting a scolding glare at Ginny's handiwork.

"He moved along pretty quickly once Ginny threatened to give him another taste of her Bat-Bogey Hex," Harry replied with a knowing smirk. If Ron and Hermione had been more perceptive they might have detected that Harry knew something more, but to Ginny's eternal satisfaction, they could be spectacularly thick. Especially when they were together.

She would have to explain herself to Luna, but that wasn't a big deal. Luna would never give her up.

"Who smashed this glass?" Hermione demanded, the threat of lost points clear in her voice.

Harry looked as though he was going to pipe up and take credit for the mess--which made sense since Hermione would be unlikely to take points from him, especially given his known history of performing forceful accidental magic when he was distressed. Ginny appreciated his loyalty, but decided she could fight her own battle this time. And frankly, Hermione needed to stop being so damn condescending about her Prefect status. Ginny was constantly thanking Merlin that it hadn't rubbed off on Ron yet. She hoped it never would.

When Harry made to speak up, Ginny cut him off.

"It was me," she said casually. By the looks of them, neither her brother nor Hermione had been expecting her to be the one to answer. "Seems Malfoy's a bit skittish around me, eh Harry?" She turned to the black-haired boy with a smirk.

"Skittish like a ferret, I'd say," Harry replied, with a rare full grin. Ron's expression changed from surprise at his sister's action, to surprise at Harry's show of delight, and finally a hint of pride at Ginny's getting the best of his rival. Hermione scowled at Ginny's nonchalance about breaking the rules. Surprise, surprise.

"Ginny," she scolded, hands on hips. "You know you're not supposed to use magic on the train!" Ginny raised her eyebrows in response and held Hermione's gaze with a look that unabashedly said, do you want to be next?

Harry coughed loudly and Ginny strongly suspected that he was covering a snort of laughter.

"Sure thing, Hermione. I'll just remind that lot of junior Death Eaters next time they come down here to have a go at your best mate. I'm sure they'll submit to reason when they remember it's against the rules." Ginny glared at Hermione patronizingly and the other girl at least had the courtesy to look chastened.

Ginny knew Hermione's loyalty to Harry was unquestionable and that it ultimately took precedent over her obsession with following the rules, but it wasn't a bad way of taking the know-it-all down a peg or two once in a while.

"But what if Draco really is on our side now?" Hermione insisted. "He's probably going to get discouraged now that you've gone and threatened him!"

"Don't be thick, Hermione," Ginny said, quickly getting tired of being treated like a child by someone who often displayed the maturity of one, however wise and grown up she thought herself to be. "If he is against Voldemort now," Ron flinched and Harry hit him, "and I'm not saying that I believe him, but if he is, then he can't exactly go announcing it from the rooftops, can he?" Harry nodded in agreement.

"Just like Snape," he added. "Which works out pretty well for them, I think. Not so well for me. They get to clear their consciences and keep on hating me at the same time. Kill two birds with one stone, and all that." Ginny and Luna chuckled, Harry smiled, and Neville shook his head with amused eyes, obviously wondering when Harry had become the kind of bloke who could joke openly about how much his life sucked.

Probably about the same time that Neville had started holding his head up.

Just as Ginny started thinking about heading back to the compartment with the rest of the fifth year Gryffindors, Harry noticed that she was no longer in possession of his cat. His brow furrowed in concern.

Yeah, that urge to kiss him? It was back.

"Where's Herpo?" he asked.

Seriously. The boy was showing open and honest concern for the cat he pretended only to tolerate. And he was standing not five feet away. Ah, if only they didn't have an audience. . .

"Andy's got him," Ginny replied. "We had to make our excuses pretty quickly when the Kernel showed up, and Herpo has been amusing himself taking the mickey out of Andy for most of the trip. I didn't want him here if we ended up in a fight." Harry nodded in acquiescence.

Ginny decided she wanted to leave immediately, both to check on the kitten and to lessen the chance that she would humiliate herself by jumping the boy in front of her. She glanced at Luna with a slight gesture toward the corridor, and Luna nodded once in agreement.

"Well, I don't see anymore threats to Harry's well-being in here. We're going to find snacks." They said their goodbyes and left, hearing a stern "Reparo!" as Hermione restored the glass pane to its original position.

***

"You can do wandless magic," Luna observed casually once they were out of earshot. Ginny thought this was her favorite part of being friends with Luna. She never overreacted or made a big deal out of anything.

"Yes. I discovered it this summer. Only Harry, Remus--"

"--the werewolf--"

"--yes, Dumbledore, and the twins know. And now you. I've given Dumbledore leave to tell McGonagall and Snape if the need arises." Luna nodded. "And I'm taking three O.W.L's early." Luna looked thoughtful as they continued walking.

"Defense. . .Potions. . .and. . .Transfiguration." It was not a question, more of a statement looking for confirmation.

"Yep."

"Professor Snape must be thrilled." Ginny laughed loudly. Luna smirked. They walked in silence for a while, but Ginny knew her friend well enough to know that their conversation was not done.

"Andrew and Nadine are mad for each other." Another statement.

"Pretty much," Ginny agreed, with a sigh.

She loved these talks that she often had with Luna. There were always the same. It was like Luna would run down a checklist waiting for Ginny to confirm her observations, observations which were always dead on. This had the effect of calming Ginny's nerves, served to make sure that the two of them were on the same page, and provided Ginny with a rare but reassuring glimpse of Luna's astute and serious side.

"And you're in love with Harry." Come again? Ginny could barely keep from stumbling as Luna spoke. Scratch that. She was not a fan of Luna's sharp skills of observation. She was quite opposed to them, in fact. But there was no use denying it. Not to Luna, at any rate.

"Yes." Luna nodded.

"He's taken with you."

Ginny's head snapped up and she met Luna's eyes with a suspicious and almost angry glare.

"I didn't say he fancies you. But he is a bit taken with you. You surprise him in a way that no one else ever has. And it agrees with him--he's begun to notice that, at least."

Ginny turned back to looking straight ahead as she walked. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about Luna's combined bluntness and her way with words (especially when they were trained on Ginny) always made Ginny feel, if not more confident, then certainly less uncomfortable with herself. Ginny gave herself a small smile.

"His cat likes me," she said almost by way of explanation. Luna glanced at Ginny and they shared a grin.

They arrived at the fifth year compartment to find their friends in a small uproar. The lady with the food cart must have already been by seeing as dozens of chocolate frogs were jumping wildly around the compartment. They were quite obviously charmed. Holden and Colin, no doubt.

Andy seemed to have succumbed to his fate as he was sitting in the same spot on the floor, with Herpo curled up against his stomach. He looked up at them sheepishly as they entered the ruckus. When Ginny resumed her place next to him, she noticed Nadine's left hand surreptitiously messing with the shaggy blonde locks near the back of his neck while she held a conversation with Artemis across the way.

Sneaking a peek at Nadine, Ginny was more than a little amused to discover that the black-haired girl was making this little show of affection completely unconsciously. Or was she? Ginny grinned. Nadine looked totally distracted by her debate with Artemis about the design of the new Falmouth Falcons uniforms. Her fingers were moving through his hair so lightly and so slowly that Ginny was convinced the girl didn't know she was doing it. Not that Andy seemed to mind, either way.

"What?" he asked at her knowing look.

"Nothing. Give me my cat back."

"Not your cat, Harry's cat." Andy pretended to hold Herpo back protectively.

"Fine. Give me Harry's cat." He held Herpo up to his face, imitating the way Ginny was in the habit of doing.

"Herpo, do you really want to go back to hanging about with a barking mad redhead?" Herpo leaned forward and licked his nose, causing Andy to yelp in distaste and giving Ginny the opening to snatch the kitten from her friend. "Little bastard." Andy scowled, wiping his nose with his shirt sleeve.

"Just because he's cleverer than you, don't take it out on him." Andy rolled his eyes and adjusted his seat, which served to jolt Nadine into realization as to what she'd been doing. Blushing and yanking her hand back, she shook herself briefly and took a deep breath, finally returning to her conversation. When Andy leaned his head back against the seat, Ginny could tell he noticed the absence of her hand.

If she didn't know him quite so well, she wouldn't have noticed his shoulders tense up ever so slightly, or the way his reaction was confined to his dull blue eyes. But she did, and she had.

Slightly annoyed that she could clearly see what the two of them could not (especially while her own affections went torturously unrequited), Ginny resolved that they would get to Hogsmeade on a date by the end of the year. Or a broom cupboard at the very least. She wondered if anything had happened with them over the summer. They didn't seem quite as antagonistic as when she'd left them in June.

Kerney finished the conversation she'd been having with Othello (about rounds, no doubt) and finally came over to sit on the floor next to Ginny, her back to the window. Finally able to greet her friend, Ginny smiled.

"Sorry, I couldn't write all summer," she offered. "Voldemort's a git." She said the second part quietly to avoid reactions by her peers.

"So you're saying his name now?"

"Yes."

"Good. You were being an idiot before."

"I don't hear you saying his bloody name, do I?"

"Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort. Knock yourself out."

"Oy, Scott! Do you reckon you could hold off on tempting the Dark Lord until you're off the train and far away from me?" Andy asked, leaning around Ginny.

"Vol. De. Mort." Kerney could be a little obnoxious when she thought other people were being stupid. Ginny smirked as Andy flinched. "Come on, McGrath, ickle Ginnykins is even saying it now. Time to grow up, mate."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied sarcastically, raising his hand to his forehead in mock salute. Kerney flicked him in the leg. He smiled.

At that point their heads whirled around to face the door as two small bodies came hurtling into the compartment, slamming the door closed behind them. Stephen McGrath and Nadia Ryan entered and went immediately over to the bench where Nadine and Andy were sitting, squeezing themselves into seats next to each other's older siblings. Cheeks pink from exertion, Nadia looked delighted, while Stevie looked nervously at the door.

"What did you two do this time?" Andy asked his brother, who sat between Nadine and Colin on the bench behind him. Stevie looked at Nadine and then Ginny, before his eyes rested on Kerney's Prefect badge, at which point his eyes widened at the prospect of getting in trouble. Ginny snickered while Andy looked pleased with his brother's reaction. The elder McGrath brother's attention was suddenly brought down to the floor when Nadia looped her arm through his and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"We're being chased by Slytherins," she said matter-of-factly. Andy looked amused at her.

"Why are they chasing you, you little menace?" Nadine asked.

"We may have hexed them," she answered simply, looking at Kerney's badge. It was such a Fred answer, that Ginny could not help but laugh.

"You may have?" Andy asked. "How would you not know if you did?"

"Plausible deniability," the younger girl answered, an adoring look on her face. Ginny snorted. Andy failed to keep in his chuckle.

"Half-pint, how many times have I told you not to use words when you don't know what they mean?"

"I do know what it means. Daddy said it means you keep things vague so you can always deny them later. He says they do that at the Ministry all the time."

"Nadia!" scolded her older sister. Ginny and Andy laughed.

"What? That's what he said."

"Yeah, Nad, but Dad also works at the Ministry. I don't think he meant to get himself fired when he told you that. Keep your mouth shut." Nadia appealed to Andy for sympathy with a look that usually melted the hearts of the third-year boys. Unfortunately for her, Andy wasn't in third year.

They heard the pounding of footsteps trample past their compartment and accompanying shouts. It was presumably the Slytherins that Stevie and Nadia had been pranking. A hush went over the compartment as they heard muffled voices get progressively quieter as they proceeded down the hall. During the pause in conversation, Ginny appraised the two thirteen-year olds.

Stephen McGrath was a miniature version of his brother, only his hair was a slightly dirtier blonde and he wore glasses. And apparently all the awkward growth stages that had mercifully passed Andy by had been saved up for Stevie. Ginny had no doubt that he would be quite as good looking as his older brother in a couple years, but he would always be a little nerdier and a lot more uptight. Despite his bookish tendencies, he was not scrawny, but very capably built. And he was completely obsessed with Quidditch.

Nadia, on the other hand, was a livewire. Strikingly beautiful as all the Ryan sisters were, Nadia was the most outgoing of them, and would likely break more hearts than the other two combined. She was by no means a snob, despite the fact that she was utterly spoiled by her parents, and probably the most trusting of the three sisters. Although she had a quick temper, she was a genuinely kind girl.

She and Stevie made an interesting pair, especially in comparison to their fifth-year siblings, but Ginny didn't think she could find a more loyal one. Perhaps Ron and Harry, or the twins. Maybe James Potter and Sirius Black, though she didn't know enough about Harry's father to judge. Andy had not been exaggerating when he said that Nadia had Stevie wrapped around her finger, because she definitely did. But it was okay because there was no person in the world who Nadia adored more than Stephen.

The older students joked that they were going to get married some day, but if Ginny had to put money on which pair of McGrath/Ryan children was going to end up together, her Sickles would be on Andy and Nadine. They had a spark. Mind you, it usually manifested itself in the form of sharp antagonism and hitting, but the way they could wind each other up was really something. The younger ones loved each other, to be sure; but it was more like the twin bond that Fred and George shared than it was romantic.

Moving her gaze from her two friends to Andy's little brother, she caught him staring at her and he quickly looked away. She smiled knowingly. Conversation picked up again, and she heard a whisper from over her left shoulder.

"Better not let Ron find out," Kerney teased. "He'll scare Stevie to death and then the poor kid will never get up his nerve to try out for Beater." Ginny smiled and raised her eyebrows in surprise. She knew he was wild about the game, but she didn't know he played. The prospect of replacing Andrew or Jack excited her, even if it was a younger student. She shoved Andy to get his attention.

"Is it true my boyfriend is trying out for the House team?" she whispered, not wanting to embarrass Stevie. Andy grinned.

"You bet. He's been mental about it all summer. After watching Sloper and Kirke try to play for your brothers, he reckoned he couldn't do any worse."

"Yeah, I kinda wish he'd tried out last year." Andy laughed. Ginny turned to address his younger brother.

"Hey, Stevie," she called, loud enough to draw the attention of the other inhabitants of the compartment. When she had his attention, she smiled kindly. "I hear you're trying out for Beater this year." Merlin love him, he blushed.

"Um, yeah. I am." Her grin widened at his adorable shyness and she hoped he was encouraged by it. Of course, Andy was smirking at him, so the poor kid was probably terribly embarrassed.

"I didn't know you liked Beater. You don't want to turn out like my brothers, do you?" she joked. He relaxed slightly.

"Well, I won't be as good as them, but I like Beater more than the other positions." He was warming up to the conversation now, despite being the center of attention among all older kids. But the topic was Quidditch, so if there was anything he felt comfortable talking about, it was that. "Besides, Harry is the best Seeker ever, and even if he couldn't play, you would." Ginny brightened at the compliment. "I watched you all last year. You didn't miss the Snitch once. Even against Cho Chang, and she's two years older than you!"

The fifth years all laughed at the mention of Ginny's delicious victory over Cho. They, like her brothers, never let her forget that she 'used' to have a crush on Harry Potter, and they took great pleasure at talking up a great rivalry between the two girls. The fact that Cho hooked up with Michael Corner shortly after Ginny dumped him only added to their sport.

In reality, though Ginny thought Cho was pretty flaky and a bit thick for all her book smarts, she didn't especially dislike her or really think about her that much at all. Any animosity between them was purely the invention of her friends--or Marietta Edgecombe, who had always rubbed Ginny the wrong way. Not that Ginny thought the girl would give them up to Umbridge like she did, but she was pretty sure Marietta didn't like her going out with Michael, and she was always trying to incite jealousy in both Corner and Chang by insinuating things about Harry and Ginny.

If only, Ginny thought.

"That's very nice of you, Stevie. But I reckon I'd make a better Chaser than Seeker. That's what I want to play this year--Oh! I can't believe I forgot! You'll never believe it! Guess what my stupid brothers got me for my birthday!" No one said anything, but looked at her with rapt anticipation. "A new Cleansweep Retro! The Gwendolyn Morgan Special Edition!"

"Bloody hell!" Stevie shouted, and everyone laughed. Nadine elbowed him for his language and he gave her an apologetic look. The compartment was buzzing with comments on her broom. Even though there were those in the wizarding world who didn't play, most wizards and witches knew the basics of the game and followed the gossip on players, teams, and equipment.

"Is the joke shop doing that well?" Colin asked.

"It's doing fantastically, but not so well that Fred and George could have bought it on their own. All six of those idiots went in on it together. It was brilliant."

"Even Percy?" Ginny smiled uncertainly.

"Even Percy. Git. I reckon he'll be home soon. I'm not sure how I feel about that, and Ron is still furious with him, of course, but it's put Mum back to rights, so. . ." She shrugged. "I'm happy to be back at school, though. I don't fancy being at home when he might say something stupid and I'd end up hexing his face off."

"Percy's the only one that didn't play Quidditch, isn't he?" Stevie observed, mind still on more important things. Ginny smiled.

"Yes, he is. Charlie was the best Seeker at Hogwarts for a long time until Harry. Bill was a Chaser, and you've seen Ron and the twins. We'd have enough for our own bloody team if Percy wasn't such a nerd."

"Do you like Chaser because your brother played?"

"Not really. I never really got to see Bill play that much. Not at Hogwarts, anyway. I just like scoring goals better than anything else. I like the teamwork, and I'm too small to play Beater. And if I didn't play Chaser or Seeker, my flying skills would be wasted--"

"Not to mention that broom!" Othello interjected. Everyone chuckled.

"True." She turned back to Stevie. "Why, did someone in your family play Beater?" Stevie beamed.

"Yes. Our aunt was the only girl Beater since 1920 until Jamie Bowen made the Hufflepuff team. She was brilliant. My dad told me."

"Wait," she turned to Andy, "the girl Beater twenty years ago was your aunt?"

"That's right, Tracy McGrath. Well, Tracy Merton, now. She's a year younger than my dad, but she was a Gryffindor like us."

"Your dad was in Ravenclaw, right?" Kerney asked. Andy and Stevie both nodded.

"Yeah, and so was our Uncle Will. Our mum was a Gryffindor, though" Stevie added. "Between her and Aunt Tracy, I guess that's where we got it." The room was quiet for a moment.

Andy and Stevie's mother had died when they were very young. Ginny had never met their dad, but figured he must be a good guy for the boys to have turned out so well. It probably helped that they were so tight with the Ryans. Family support and all of that. It was no wonder Nadine and Nadia were so protective of Stevie. And Naomi had always looked out for Andy when he was younger, despite his rocky relationship with her sister.

Both Andy and Nadine had told Ginny at some point what they remembered about Mrs. McGrath. Andy had said that he knew she was blonde and almost as tall as his dad. He also had the impression that she was a very serene person. Not one to get emotional quickly, as he couldn't remember her ever raising her voice. Comforting. Nadine had recalled that she'd spent almost as much time in the care of Andy's mum as her own; they were always at each other's houses playing or being minded by each other's parents.

"Well, with any luck, you'll have another Quidditch Cup winner in the family by June," Ginny said to break the silence. The boys smiled at her in appreciation. "If we get to the Quidditch final, you better invite your aunt to come watch. I'd like to meet her."

"Well, if I make the team, that is--" Stevie began.

"We will," Andy finished for him. He seemed confident of his younger brother's chances. Excellent. Andy was not one prone to exaggeration, nor was he in the habit of giving others false hope. If he thought Stephen could make the team, then Stephen must be good. Well, that's one less idiot, Ginny thought hopefully.

She liked the idea of Stevie and Harry spending time together. Stevie was like Harry in certain ways--nervous in big groups, often underestimating himself, naturally introverted--and she was hoping they would become friends. Harry didn't know many of the younger kids, and she thought maybe he would see some of himself in Andy's little brother. And they had that whole mother-dying thing in common.

The conversation shifted to the coming school year, O.W.L.'s, and outrageous speculation about the new DADA professor. As the train chugged toward Hogwarts, Ginny laughed with her friends, whispering now and then with Andy or Kerney, glancing at Stephen periodically, only to find him staring at her. She had always been shocked that he fancied her and not Nadia, who, even at thirteen, was already much prettier than she was.

And so went her fifth September 1^st trip on the Hogwarts Express.

***

The carriage ride had been especially pleasant this year, as the sky was clear and the weather unseasonably warm. Someone--presumably Dumbledore--had charmed the carriages to be topless, so that they could see the sun setting as they rode from Hogsmeade up to the school. This also meant that they had an unobstructed view of the Thestrals; that is to say, Luna did. And Harry, too, she supposed. Twice over, now.

She felt a brief pang of sadness at thinking of Sirius, but calmed herself and pushed back the beginning of a swell of magic.

When the carriages stopped, she climbed out of the one she had been sharing with Luna, Kerney, Nadine, and Andy. Heading up to the main entrance of Hogwarts, Ginny jumped when she heard her name.

"Ginny!" Then, louder: "Oy, Weasley!" She turned and saw her brother turn at their last name as well. She smiled when she saw Roman Keselica, flanked by Sheldon Wilde, Lauren Swain, and Haven Tidmarsh--otherwise known as the fifth-year Ravenclaw Quidditch players--jogging to catch up with her.

"Hey, mates," she answered. The two groups of fifth years greeted each other and exchanged the usual post-holiday conversation.

"So what's this we hear about Gryffindor's newest Chaser?" Roman asked. "We were hoping maybe you'd be rubbish with a Quaffle or something. But a Retro? Girl, what are you playing at?"

"Yeah, a Firebolt wasn't enough?" Sheldon added. "Now we have to deal with the two fastest fliers in the school and the best brooms all in one House?"

"I'm not one of the fastest fliers in the school, Roman," Ginny insisted, shaking her head. "That's Harry and Baron, maybe Katie."

"Ramsey and Bell are probably the best all around fliers after Potter, but you're the fastest. Maybe even faster than your ridiculous Seeker this year. I noticed he's finally grown a bit. It'll make him harder to shove off the Snitch, but you're so much lighter than him now, I reckon you're the fastest in the school. Blast you bloody Gryffindors with a back-up Seeker who would start for any other House!" Ginny felt awkward at the praise, and changed the subject.

"Have you seen Bowen anywhere?" she asked as they passed through the entrance corridor and toward the Great Hall. The Ravenclaws laughed.

"Jamie's going to have kittens," Haven replied with a grin.

"That'll be a wicked match-up, though," Sheldon added. "Bowen and Healy are easily the best Beaters in the school now that your brothers are gone. And what with you on your Retro and her on her Nimbus 3000? It'll be a bloody good time as long as Potter doesn't get the Snitch too soon."

As they entered the Great Hall, the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws said their goodbyes and separated toward their House tables. Ginny told Luna to find her after the feast, and then set off with Kerney, Andy, and Nadine to meet up with the rest of the Gryffindors, sitting near the middle on the side with the rest of the older students. She and Nadine waved at Stevie while Nadia was chatting away next to him with another third year. Glancing back up the table toward the entrance of the Hall, she spotted the sixth years getting settled and waved to Neville, before exchanging smiles with Harry.

As McGonagall brought in the new firsties, Ginny scanned the staff table, identifying each of the returning professors until--oooh, a woman. Their Defense teacher was a woman for the first time (Ginny didn't count Umbridge, who was much more a foul, bloated toad than a human). She wondered what horrors lay ahead for them this year. For Harry, more like. She turned back and saw that he, too, had spied the new teacher.

Returning her gaze to the front, Ginny took in the newest addition to the faculty, who was seated next to Professor Snape. There was delicate green piping on her robes, which were a dark grey instead of the severe black of the Potions Professor's. And they looked very well tailored. Expensive.

A Slytherin.

Was Dumbledore mad? Ginny knew that not all Slytherins were as nasty or shady as the Malfoys and the Blacks (Sirius excepted); the Ramseys and the Greengrass sisters were perfect examples.

But she'd never met an adult Slytherin that she trusted besides Snape, and even he'd been a Death Eater at some point. Plus, it wasn't like the headmaster had the best track record with selecting Defense professors. Barking mad.

Stopping every now and then to clap with her house as another "midget" (as Ron liked to call them) became a Gryffindor, Ginny studied the female professor and Professor Snape. He usually had a look of pure loathing on his face every year that he'd been denied the Defense job, but this year was different. Ginny thought Snape definitely knew the new teacher.

Oh, she was a Slytherin, alright. She had the same excellent posture as Snape, but on her it looked elegant--not tense like it did on the Potions Master. She was a good-looking woman and clearly had money, given her tailored robes and impeccably groomed countenance. With blonde hair, she looked like Ginny imagined Narcissa Malfoy might if she wasn't the central member of the two darkest families in Britain. The last first year was sorted into Hufflepuff, and Dumbledore rose to tell them to tuck in.

Ginny ate with a contentedness she had not felt since the day she had given Harry his Easter egg in the library. She spent the feast listening to her housemates talk, interjecting a statement or a wisecrack here and there. Every few minutes she would glance up to the staff table, finally looking up to see the woman and Snape actually talking. Would wonders never cease?

They both had neutral expressions on their faces, but not the forced kind that indicated an underlying dislike. She didn't know about the new teacher, but this was definitely a change for Snape. She didn't think she'd ever seen him act this civilly with anyone, let alone the individuals Dumbledore had chosen for his coveted job.

Wow. He knew her and he respected her. She must be something else. Maybe he fancied her when they were at Hogwarts. She was a handsome woman, after all.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Dumbledore commencing his annual speech. She turned to glance at Harry and he didn't seem to be listening to the headmaster's spiel, either. But he wasn't looking at the new professor.

He looked as though he might be staring at the mashed potatoes in the middle of the table, but he was probably just staring into space. Ginny was confident he was thinking about one of two things, neither of which would be pleasant. Sirius or Voldemort.

"--and I hope you will join me in welcoming our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gertrude Wrightman." The woman stood up gracefully as everyone clapped, and holy! crap! Snape was clapping for her, too.

The world did not seem right. First Draco shows up at Grimmauld Place and doesn't act like a total git. Then Snape is actually treating someone--the new Defense teacher, no less--like a human being? What next? Was McGonagall going to let her hair down? Was Hagrid going to develop a fear of dangerous creatures? Would Hermione stop acting like a condescending shrew? As if the summer hadn't been strange enough, fifth year didn't look like it was going to be any less puzzling.

She turned to Andy next to her, and had to snort in amusement as she saw Herpo perched comfortably in his shirt pocket. He had his robes on like everyone else, but had left them open in the front so that Herpo could look around. This was one of the most hilarious things she'd ever seen. If she had been at all attracted to Andy, she would have kissed him. But, fortunately for their friendship, she wasn't, and she settled for mussing up his hair like he was a little boy.

"Awww," she teased quietly. "Ickle Andy loves his kitty." He glared at her and she had to shove her fist in her mouth to keep from bursting out laughing in the middle of Dumbledore's speech.

Instead, Herpo decided this was a good time to leap out of Andy's pocket and into Ginny's lap, at which point she shifted instinctively to catch him, but caught her knee in her robes and fell clear off the bench. And she yelped. Loudly. But she did catch Herpo.

Trying to scrape together what was left of her dignity, she was relieved when Andy offered a hand to help her up. Luckily (or unluckily, as they had caused the scene in the first place), she was wearing her robes over her uniform, so at least she wasn't flashing the whole student body as she got to her feet.

"And she caught it!" Duncan Moran yelled from the seventh year cluster at the end of the table, causing the Great Hall to erupt with laughter. He turned to Harry. "I don't know, Potter, she might not give up that Seeker spot so easily." The tables roared. With both Duncan and Harry smiling at her, Ginny dipped into a curtsey and then held Herpo up to the cheers of her fellow students.

Dumbledore looked like he was trying very hard not to smile. Snape looked around nastily, as usual. Yes, Professor Snape, Merlin forbid there be laughter at a school, Ginny thought snidely. McGonagall was very nearly failing to look stern. Hagrid was beaming, of course, and Professor Wrightman. . .she was definitely intriguing. Despite appearing to have Snape's approval, she did not seem to be an icy, heartless crone.

Ginny had always imagined that if Snape ever met a woman he could tolerate--or, horror of horrors, respect--she would be about as fun as barbed wire.

But no, instead of scowling, this terribly refined woman looked right at Ginny, eyebrows raised ever so slightly, a very thin smile just barely upturning the corners of her mouth. Well, the surprises just keep on coming, don't they?

Ginny gazed back at her, face still pink with the fading traces of embarrassment, eyes sparkling, an expression of amusement forming on her face. She nodded in greeting to her new instructor, and then turned back to her still-chuckling classmates, with Herpo cradled safely in her lap.

***