Hogwarts' Next Top Witch

Hogwarts' Next Top Witch

By Mariposa

Prologue

"Hermione, don't be ridiculous, there's no such thing as a vampire slayer!" Ron laughed. He shook his head and merrily laughed again. "Vampire slayer!"

"I didn't say one really exists - ow!" Hermione yelped as a garden gnome bit her hand. She flung it across the yard. "It's a television show."

"Television," Ron mused slowly. "I remember learning about television in Muggle Studies. My dad finds it fascinating."

"You should come over to my house to watch it sometime, Ron. I think you would like that show." Hermione grinned. "Every guy seems to fancy Buffy Summers."

"Who's Buffy Summers?" Harry had just appeared from the backyard, carrying his Firebolt and panting slightly. He had been playing Quidditch with Fred and George. "Is she in Ravenclaw? Or Hufflepuff?"

Hermione frowned. "Haven't you ever seen the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Harry?"

"Oh, that show." Harry shrugged. "I've heard of it, but I've never seen it. My aunt and uncle never let me watch the telly, remember?" After he helped Ron pry away a gnome that was desperately clinging to a vine, he announced, "I'm going in to change."

Hermione watched him go inside the house and once the door was shut, she leaned in towards Ron and whispered, "I think we should get Harry and Ginny back together."

Ron sighed. "Hermione, you know Harry doesn't want to be dating anyone and putting them in danger while He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is on the loose."

"Yes, and that's very noble of him, and I don't mean to be blunt, Ron, but your sister will be in well, mortal peril, as your mum's clock says, whether she's dating Harry or not. So they might as well be dating!" she finished brightly.

"Well, I think it's more complicated than that and we shouldn't meddle in their personal lives," Ron replied. "It's their business."

"But I know Harry still has feelings for Ginny and it's just that I feel bad for him when the three of us are together. I think he feels like a third wheel sometimes."

"It's not like we snog when he's with us!" Ron exclaimed. "Okay, there was that one time-"

"All I'm saying is that it wouldn't be such a bad thing if they were back together." Hermione casually tossed a garden gnome into the air.

Ron wiped his palms on his jeans and looked up. In the distance he could spot a brown speck in the sky, forming into an owl as it came nearer.

"I bet that's Ginny's O.W.L.s," Ron said and sprinted into the house, Hermione following him.

The spotted brown owl perched on the windowsill and sure enough tied to one of its leg was an envelope with Ginny's name written on it. Ron untied it and the owl hooted and flew off.

"I wonder what she got." Ron was tempted to open the envelope.

"Put it down, Ron, it's not for you," Hermione reprimanded him.

At that moment Fred and George came in from outside and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny had arrived by Floo Powder from Diagon Alley where they had been buying ingredients for dinner that night.

"Ginny, your O.W.L.s just came moments ago," Ron said, waving the envelope at his sister.

Ginny's face went white. "Really? So soon? I didn't think they'd be here for another week."

"Open them up dear," Mrs. Weasley encouraged her. "I'm sure you did fine."

The truth was, Ginny wasn't so sure. She probably could have spent more time studying and less time snogging Harry. Apprehensively she tore the envelope open. She sighed with relief. Except for the "P" in History of Magic, she had received an "O" in Charms and "E"s in everything else.

"How did you do?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Do you want to hear the bad news or good news first?"

Mrs. Weasley frowned. "There's bad news?"

"I got a "P" in History of Magic...but it was the only fail grade I got!" Ginny added quickly as her mother started to frown. "And look! I got an "O" in Charms! I've got mad skills in charms!" Ginny handed her mother her O.W.L. results.

Mrs. Weasley looked them over with an approving nod. "Well, I wish you had done better in History of Magic, but everything else looks good."

"Don't you know that flunking History of Magic is a Weasley tradition, Mum?" Fred put in. "Of course, Percy broke that tradition, but George and I got it right back on track, followed by Ronniekins here, and now our dear sister keeps the tradition alive." He patted Ginny's shoulder. "Way to go, sis!"

"Actually, Mum, Ginny did quite well considering how much time she spent with Harry," said Ron.

Ginny glared at him. "I didn't spend all my time with Harry. And he did help me study, we weren't always, uh playing Quidditch," she said shooting her mum a quick glance.

Mrs. Weasley looked at her through narrowed yes.

"And anyway, Harry and I were quite tame compared to Ron and Hermione."

Hermione turned beet red and Ron exclaimed, "Ginny!"

Giggling, Ginny grabbed her O.W.L.s and dashed out of the kitchen and upstairs.

"She was just exaggerating, Mum," Ron said quickly. "You know how she likes to test your limits."

As Ginny walked towards her room, she ran into Harry who had just came out of Ron's room. "Hi, Harry!" she smiled at him brightly.

"Oh, hi, Ginny." Ever since he had had broken up with her at Dumbledore's funeral nearly a month ago, he had been afraid that any encounters with her would be awkward, but Ginny acted normal around him, as though nothing had happened between them. He was a little perplexed by this. Shouldn't she be lunging herself at him, begging him for his undying love and how she couldn't live without him? He noticed the envelope in her hand. "Are those your O.W.L.s?"

"Yep. The only failing grade I received was in History of Magic and the only people who pass that class are the ones whose names begin with 'Her' and end with '-mione.'"

Harry smiled. "Well, I guess I'll see you later, then," he said after an awkward pause. He continued downstairs and Ginny went into her room.

* * *

Bill and Fleur came over for dinner that evening and Molly had made a large feast for the occasion. The seven Weasleys, plus Harry, Hermione, and Fleur sat around the table, all praising Molly on her honey baked ham.

"I 'ave wonderful news!" Fleur announced.

"Are you pregnant?" Molly asked faintly.

"You're changing your bridesmaid dresses?" Ginny asked hopefully.

Fleur shook her head. "Non, non! None of zose. I am going to 'ave my own contest! Eet weel be called 'Ogwarts' Next Top Weetch! Ten weetches weel compete een various tasks to see 'oo eese ze best overall weetch at 'Ogwarts." She paused dramatically. "And I 'ave given two of ze spots to you two!" she said cheerfully to Hermione and Ginny who gave each other questioning glances.

"Who else is going to be in this, uh, competition?" asked Hermione.

"Lavender Brown, Parvati and Padma Patil, Romilda Vane, Luna Lovegood, Cho Chang, Susan Bones, and Pansy Parkinson."

"Why even bother having a contest to find the best witch at 'Ogwarts, I mean Hogwarts, when we all know it's Hermione?" asked Ron.

"Ze next top weetch eesn't jeest about 'oo can make ze best potions or 'oo can recite 'Ogwarts: A 'Istory mot pour mot. Eet eese also about social skeels and overall presence. By ze end of five weeks we weel 'ave our next top weetch!"

"Five weeks!" exclaimed Hermione. "I can't go, then. I have to help Harry and Ron find the Horcruxes."

"Oh, don't worry about that." Harry waved his fork around idly. "We'll wait until you get back. I'm not really in a big hurry to save the Wizarding World, at least not right away. Might as well have a few weeks of R&R before we start destroying the Dark Lord."

"We promise we won't start without you," Ron added.

"Right!" Fleur said brightly. "I guess zat settles everyzing."