The Ole Switch-a-roo

CHAPTER 7

The next morning, our favorite eight people groggily woke up, got dressed, and walked down to the Great Hall.

"You ever wonder why bacon is called bacon?" Seamus asked, looking at his plate.

"Umm...no," Harry said, buttering some toast and staring at him.

"'Cause it has nothing to do with the term 'pig'," he continued. "At least 'pork' starts with the same letter!"

"You know, Seamus...I MEAN SHAY," Ginny said, looking around wildly. Satisfied that no one heard her, she continued, "If you were trying to dispel that rumor that you're crazy, you kind of just blew it."

At the other end of the table, Hermione, Lavender, and Parvati were discussing some newfound pains of being part of the male gender.

"I was just walking! You guys know how clumsy I am! Trying to put in my contacts and I ran straight into the corner of the nightstand. I couldn't move for about ten minutes," Lavender said moodily, as she stabbed her un-finished muffin with her fork.

"Ouch, note to self never run into sharp pointy objects this month," Parvati said wincing. "Oh! Look who it is!"

Hermione looked up from her third cup of coffee to see if it was anyone interesting and sure enough, Draco, Blaise, Goyle, Pansy, and Millicent walked in one after the other, each taking a turn to scan the Gryffindor table. Pansy, it seemed, liked to take the direct approach. She marched straight up to the table, ignoring the snide remarks coming from the other tables, and leaned over Hermione's shoulder.

"Hi there. I'm Pansy," she said in what must have been her "sexy voice" seeing as she kind of sounded like Trevor if he had swallowed helium.

"Hey. I'm Haden," Hermione said, staring at her, trying to be suave.

"What class do you have first period?" Pansy said, snatching up Hermione's schedule.

"Damn. I can't see you 'til second period: Potions," she pouted.

"Well, that is a shame, isn't it," Hermione said, trying not to laugh.

"Well, until then," Pansy said, walking away. Then she changed her mind and whispered in Hermione's ear, "Save you a seat."

After Pansy was a considerable distance away, Lavender snorted.

"Hermione! You scoundrel!" she said, laughing hysterically.

"Shut up!" Hermione said, also laughing, "You know that she obviously wants me, so I'll play along until after the dance, when I'll sadly leave her life forever."

"Yeah, let's just hope that she doesn't want to get too friendly. We don't want any babies on their way before the month is over," Ginny said, cringing.

"You mean babies, or puppies? 'Cause obviously if she ever procreated they would be a pug-human devil child. EW!" Lavender screamed.

Parvati had squirted orange juice out of her nose and all over the table at Lavender's last comment.

First period, Ginny went off to Transfiguration while Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dean, and Seamus went to Herbology. Parvati and Lavender headed towards the North tower where Professor Trelawney's heavily perfumed room was located.

*

Ginny sprinted into the Transfiguration room five minutes after the bell rang. She quickly sat down in the nearest vacant seat, trying to avoid the people staring at her, which turned out impossible because everyone was staring at her, including Professor McGonagall.

"Now that Mr. Ferretly has so kindly graced us with his presence we will begin," McGonagall said, as she tapped her wand on the board and words appeared describing the spell they would practice today. The spell looked relatively simple, changing an iguana into a decorative dining platter.

Ginny took her notes as usual keeping her eyes fixed on McGonagall, trying to deter any stares. When the time came to practice, Ginny heard someone call her.

"Hey, new kid! Come here!" she whipped her head around and saw Michael Corner waving and gesturing wildly from the other said of the room.

Ginny was glad to have someone to talk to, and she had to admit that Michael was still very attractive.

Ginny, stop that! You know that you're trying to get a date for the ball, not impress your old boyfriend.

"So, Godric was it? Funky name dude. Anyways, why are you and the other people from your school here again?" Michael inquired.

All right remember Ginny, you're a guy. Act like it. You hate school, sports are awesome and YOU LIKE GIRLS.

"Uh, some weird shit about getting in touch with out sister school or some B.S. like that. But I figured I got away from classes and homework for a month, so what could be better than that?" she said, as she watched Luna's failed attempts to transfigure her iguana from across the room.

"True, I don't know what I wouldn't do to get away from this school for a entire month," Michael said wistfully, looking off into the distance. "Anyways, that short redheaded chick that came with you, she's your sister right?"

"Rowena? Yeah, she's my sister, why do you ask?" she said casually, trying to see what Michael was getting at.

"Um, you don't have any problems with guys dating her or anything, do you?" he said, nervously backing away in case Godric was one of those protective brothers who came after people who even so much as looked at their sisters.

"Nah, it's cool man. She does her thing, and I do mine. Why are you asking though? You've never even met her," Ginny queried.

"'Cause I think she's hot and I'd like to get to know her," Michael said simply. "Could you introduce me or something, I kind of have problems making the first move."

You got that right; it took you two weeks to kiss me.

"Uh, sure, no problem. Meet me after dinner in the Great Hall," Ginny said, but was stopped from saying anything else after McGonagall yelled at them to get back to work.

*