Ginny Weasley and the Memory of Power

Saturday seemed to stretch on forever...every one seemed to be off doing their own thing, even Colin and Neville. Ginny spent most of the day combing the Lockhart books for anything that seemed like the DADA lessons described by Bill. Even though she'd spent most of the day wishing for someone to talk to, by the time everyone began showing up, she preferred to be left alone with her thoughts. She pulled out the nondescript little diary.

--One week down.--

--So, Ginny Weasley, how are you fitting in at Hogwarts?--

--Okay, I guess. But my brothers were right. I don't know anything! I wish I were brilliant like Hermione, but she hasn't even had time to talk to me since we got here. She's always studying. -

--What about the great Harry Potter?--

--Colin Creevy keeps following him around so I couldn't get close to him even if I wanted. You can tell he hates the way Colin won't quit asking questions, but he never says a word, he's too sweet. I hope he doesn't feel as uncomfortable around me, if he didn't like me I'm not sure I could stand it! But then I didn't ask him for his autograph...apparently Colin did. Everyone's talking about it thanks to that Lockhart git. I don't know what Hermione and Mum see in him, but--

--Do you have anyone to talk to?--

--Oh, sure. The other girls are really nice and everything...it's just that no one understands me like you, Tom. Not even my brothers.--

--Did you ever get even with them like you wanted?--

--Mum sent Ron an unbelievable Howler so I let him off the hook...almost. I slipped him the parchment and he lost a 4-foot essay for Professor Bins. -

--Ouch!--

--Yeah, he blamed the twins, of course. I also stole his favorite socks, but only because I like them and my feet were really cold.--

--Okay?--

--I really nailed the twins, though.-- Ginny sat back with a satisfied smirk just remembering.

--Disappearing Parchment again?--

--No, the twins deserved something special, don't you think? It took a couple of days in the library, but I managed to charm their shoes so every time they took a step it smelled as if a dungbomb had gone off. They were like that for two and a half days before the twins found the counterspell.-- Ginny snickered. -Everyone cracked jokes every time the twins came near them, and they got detention from Snape because he couldn't stand the smell.--

--They must have been livid.--

--Fred and George? Nah. They were impressed. Best of all, they thought their friend Lee did it.--

--So?--

--So they got even with him!--

--Sneaky.--

Ginny could tell somehow that Tom was impressed. -Thanks.-- She wrote as Leonore walked around her chair. -I wish I had more privacy. I hate writing to you with the girls all trying to read over my shoulder.--

--I know a place where you wouldn't be disturbed. There's a girls' bathroom on the first floor that's never used.--

--A bathroom? Sounds a bit...odd. Besides, how do you know it's not used?--

--It's haunted.--

--That's weird. A ghost haunts the bathroom?--

--She's downright pathetic.--

--Tom! That's a horrible thing to say!--

--But true nonetheless.--

--Well, if I started hiding in a bathroom, wouldn't I be a little pathetic?--

--The ghost is pathetic because she spends all her time sulking. You'd just be taking advantage.--

--Um...why not?--

The moment she entered the bathroom, Ginny Weasley knew she'd made a mistake. Her head began to spin until it seemed to be hovering near the ceiling instead of staying where it should have been. Her ears were full of whispering in a voice she found familiar even though it sounded tinny and hollow and spoke so much the words overlapped in a heavy buzz. The hand that held her quill and the diary was tingling so powerfully it felt as if it were about to blister, and she was afraid it was going to hit the floor because it felt so heavy. She stumbled toward the sink, groping awkwardly for support or water to splash on her face. The world itself flickered out of existence like a match being blown out.

Suddenly her head felt clear, and she was straightening up. Her reflection in the mirror was

frighteningly pale with the slightest shadows under bloodshot amber-grey eyes. As she walked to the dorm through halls that seemed inexplicably dark, she thought she saw mud on her hem, but she hadn't been outside.

That night, she dreamed of the face again. It seemed to be laughing at her, and she woke shivering.

--That bathroom is strange--

--Honestly, Ginny, it's a good thing your brothers didn't hear you say something like that if they already think you're silly. How can a bathroom be strange?--

--Well...I'm not sure...but that one made my head go all funny, and I don't remember leaving it but I got mud all over my hem. Do you think I'm crazy?--

--Don't be silly. Someone probably tracked mud from the floor from outside. As for your head going funny, maybe it was just because you'd spent so long bent over your books trying to study.--

--I suppose...maybe I should ask Harry about that bathroom, he might know something...--

--Do you really want to make a bathroom the topic of the first conversation you have with him?--

--Ummm...well...--

--How romantic...I'm sure he'll be impressed. Who else talks about bathrooms to a hero like that?--

--I don't think...breakfast!--

"Hermione," Ginny said as she slid into the seat next to her in the Great Hall, "have you ever heard of Moaning Myrtle?"

"Met her have you? Sorry. I should have thought to warn you before."

"No, I haven't actually met her...I just wondered..."

"Trust me, you don't want to.."

"Yeah, I've been told," Ginny said, struggling to get to the point, "but how'd she end up haunting the bathroom?"

Hermione stared for a moment, then gave a surprisingly Ron-like shrug. "Don't know...seems a bit...rude to ask, doesn't it?"

"I guess," Ginny said, and when she would have continued the subject, looked up to find Hermione's attention absorbed by her book. Harry was sitting close by, toying with his eggs unenthusiastically, but Tom was right. She didn't want the first intelligible thing she said to him to be a question about a bathroom no one else seemed interested in. She tried to think of something else to say, and ended up so flustered by her lack of ideas she put her elbow in the butter dish again. Luckily, Ron was in the middle of an impressive tirade about Filch, and no one seemed to notice.