บท 82: Ginny's Signature Spell
"Well, I daresay it's not surprising that Dumbledore would fix the glaring hole in Hogwarts's wards," said Daphne glumly, once she had heard Oleandra's story after her return. "I expect he didn't get around to warding the Chamber of Secrets, because he couldn't access it. The Scriptorium's within Hogwarts's limits, while the Chamber is probably under the Black Lake."
"Maybe pulling such a stunt at the Sorting Ceremony last year wasn't the best idea," admitted Oleandra. "I left my potion equipment in the Scriptorium."
"Don't feel bad, we all agreed to it," said Tracey, who had joined the Greengrass girls in their cabin.
The Hogwarts Express was currently chugging along at a leisurely pace towards Hogsmeade Station, and even Astoria's excitement had begun to wane after watching the Scottish Highlands' scenery go by after a few hours.
Seeing that Astoria was getting bored, Oleandra proposed a game of Exploding Snap.
"No thank you," sniffed Daphne. "I'd prefer to remain uncharred on my first day back in school, thank you very much."
Daphne had a point. It wouldn't do for all three of the highborn Greengrass ladies to show up on their first day of school with first-degree burns and smelling of carbonized hair.
"Say, have you all heard about Sirius Black breaking out of Azkaban?" said Tracey, trying to steer the conversation away from a dead-end. "They say he's coming after Potter. Do you think he'll be coming to Hogwarts?"
"Of course we've heard," said Oleandra, rolling her eyes. "We don't live under a rock, you know?"
"I doubt he'll be coming here," said Daphne. "If even we can't break into Hogwarts any more, then I doubt anyone could. Besides, there's no reason for Black to go there, anyhow."
She sniggered softly.
"Oh yeah, Harry's probably been expelled," Oleandra said. "He blew up his aunt like a hot-air ballon, didn't he? I guess it's back with the Muggles with him."
"Don't worry you about him, the Ministry wouldn't do that to their precious hero," announced a voice coming from the doorway.
The four girls turned to see who was talking to them. Oleandra blinked a few times before she figured out the identity of this jade-like beauty who was talking to them so familiarly.
"Good day, Miss Weasley," said Daphne. "I must say, you've changed so much I could barely tell it was you!"
Oleandra had to agree. Ginny's skin had cleared up; gone was the terminal case of the sunspots that plagued redheads. Her skin had grown milky white, and her fiery red hair was quite striking. Her eyes seemed filled with purpose, and she wore a slight smile on her face as she looked over the four girls sitting in the cabin.
"For the better, I'd hope," Ginny said, laughing softly. "And please, call me Ginny. Ron kicked me out of our compartment, so I figured I'd come and say hello. Harry's with him and Hermione, that's how I knew he wasn't expelled, by the way."
"Here, you can sit next to me," said Astoria brightly. "Do you want to be friends with my sisters?"
Ginny seemed slightly taken aback, and then she chuckled lightly.
"That's right, your sisters wrote to me about their club," she said. "The answer's yes, by the way. I'd be glad to join you on your adventures. Though I must say, I thought adventuring was more of a Gryffindor thing."
"It grows on you," said Oleandra, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Besides, it's the best way to grow stronger quickly. Provided you don't die, I suppose."
It might have been Oleandra's eyes playing tricks on her, but for an instant, she thought she had glimpsed a hungry gleam flash across Ginny's eyes as she said those words.
Ginny sat down next to Astoria, and the girls began talking about their plans. Time flew by, and the sky began to darken. A bit after midday, the witch with the food cart passed by, and the girls had some light snacks. Ginny didn't have any money, so Astoria shared half of her Cauldron Cake with her.
After dinner, Astoria declared that she wanted to stretch her legs, and left the compartment to get a look around. Shortly afterwards, Draco Malfoy, accompanied by his lapdogs Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle came up to say hello.
He had been slightly disappointed when he learned that the Greengrass sisters had taken down Slytherin's Heir together with his rival, but at the same time he didn't mind it so much. After all, Mafalda Prewett was a Muggle-Born (she actually wasn't one as her father was a Squib, but nobody cared enough to listen to her), and who had asked her to kidnap the twins' mother? Draco was a mother's boy through and through, so he completely understood why the twins had gone after her.
"Good day, ladies," he said politely. "Looking forward to —"
He had just spotted Ginny's fiery head of hair.
"Daphne, Oleandra," he said, his face wrinkling in disgust. "I wouldn't associate with the Muggle-Lovers if I were you. Their stink might rub off on you."
"Mr. Malfoy, I'll have you withdraw your words," said Ginny, whose eyes had narrowed dangerously.
Draco was caught off guard by Ginny's boldness. As far as he knew, she came from a family of Muggle-Lovers and was extremely shy. Draco, meanwhile, was flanked by his two massive cronies. Why was she picking a fight with him?
"Draco, please. Ginny is our guest—" began Daphne, before she was interrupted.
"Make me, Muggle-Lover," he snickered.
A wand had seemingly materialized in Ginny's hand, and quick as a flash, she had fired two silent Bat-Bogey Hexes at Crabbe and Goyle. Draco froze, a bead of sweat running down his temple. Ginny had her wand pointed straight at him. From the corner of his eyes, he could see his flunkies desperately, yet without great success, hold on to their noses in an attempt to stem the flow of snot from escaping their nostrils. In spite of their efforts, their snot was turning into bats, who flapped around their heads, crashing into them one by one, covering them in mucus. Eww.
"I apologize, I didn't mean it," Draco said quickly. "I greatly respect the Weasleys, as fellow members of an ancient and noble house."
"Good," said Ginny, withdrawing her wand. "I trust this won't happen again. And don't tell anyone about this."
Draco nodded, and left the cabin with Crabbe and Goyle. He certainly wasn't going to go around publicizing that a girl one year his junior had sent him running with his tail between his legs. But there was something about this Weasley that made her feel different from the others. Something that inspired respect… and fear.
Ginny sat back in her seat, shaking her head. Voldemort had never imagined that one day, a Malfoy would call him a Muggle-Lover!
She had avoided Hexing him directly, as she didn't want to irrevocably turn Draco into an enemy. The Greengrass sisters were closer to Draco than Ginny was, and she didn't want to ruin her relationship with them just yet…
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