Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't sue.
(a/n: I know this kind of story where a character is a vampire seems to be cliched and overused, but I am trying to make it my own work, so please be patient!
No flames unless you have a ruddy good reason!
Read on, oh faithful ones!)
Chapter One
Ginny sat down at the table, wondering what was going on. Already there was her father, her mother and Albus Dumbledore. No one else had been called in, save Ginny. She looked from her parents to the Headmaster. Molly and Arthur looked apprehensive and nervous, while Albus was only smiling knowingly.
"Is this about the swamp? I didn't know that the twins were actually going to use the spell! Honestly!" she said quickly. Dumbledore shook his head.
"My being here is not about the swamp, Miss Weasley," he said. Ginny sighed in relief.
"Then ignore everything I just said," she said with a grin.
"We have something important to tell you, Ginny," Arthur said, sounding forlorn. Ginny's grin faded. "What do you know about the Weasley's family history?" He asked her seriously. She frowned at his question.
"We've been here for centuries, longer than the Malfoys', I think," Ginny said. "If I'd known I was going to be tested, I would have studied," she said, smiling.
"Stop being childish Ginevra and listen to your father!" Molly snapped. Ginny stared at her mother in shock. Molly had never yelled or raised her voice at her before.
"It's all right, Molly," Arthur said, patting his wife's hand. He looked back to Ginny with a strained smile. "We arrived here almost at the same time as the Malfoy's did. A day or two in front or behind, it doesn't matter. Our families were friend's back then, and one of the Weasley daughters, Emelia, fell in love with their son, Edward. They married each other and Emelia soon fell pregnant. During her pregnancy, Emelia was bitten by a Vampire. It was through no fault of her own, nor was it Edward's fault. Amazingly, Emelia didn't become a Vampiress. Her daughter, however, did. Emelia went into labour and birthed a silver-eyed, red-haired Vampiress. That was five centuries ago. Emelia loved Virginia as any parent loves their child and went on to have another three children. They were all boys, and none of them turned into Vampires. Virginia married her second cousin, Marick Malfoy and they had two children, one boy, and one girl. The first born, the boy didn't become a Vampire, but his sister did. No, Virginia was not bitten during her pregnancy, and the gene that she had to become a Vampiress would have passed on to her son if she had been bitten," Arthur said.
"All right... How does this affect me?" Ginny asked.
"All of the Weasley-born women have the same gene that Virginia Malfoy, nee Weasley, had. They all became Vampiress'. They went through their life watching as their sisters, mothers, aunts and female cousins became Vampiress', while their brothers, fathers, uncles, and male cousins lived their normal lives. All of the Weasley-born women have a gene inside of them that makes them become a Vampiress. You are a Weasley-born female Ginny and that gene is in you too. You're a Vampiress," Arthur said. She stared at him in shock, then smiled frostily and stood up.
"Thank you for telling me that, father. I'm going to my room now," she said in a neutral tone, then went up to the attic.
Ginny had made a deal with the ghoul. As long as she could sleep in the attic, he could rattle chains and bang pipes in her old room as much as he liked. Molly hadn't been too happy until she realised that Ginny had made Charlie soundproof her room.
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Ginny slammed the door behind her and flopped onto the bed with a sigh.
A Vampire, huh? That's not going to be good for my social life... Ha, what social life? She thought to herself with a huff. Someone knocked on her door politely. Knowing her family, she sighed and sat up.
"Come in, Professor," she said. Albus opened the door and walked in, his eyes twinkling.
"Hello, Ginevra. How do you feel after hearing that news?" He asked, closing the door behind him.
"I'm angry. Why didn't they tell me about this sooner? I'm sixteen for the Gods sakes! Why not when I hit puberty or something?" She asked, too angry to blush or be modest about her words. Albus smiled.
"The gene is only activated three years after your menstruation cycle begins. Something to do with the proper cycle, I believe," Albus said with a grin. He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a wrapped lolly. "Lemon drop?" He offered.
"Thank you," Ginny said and took the offered sweet.
"I have made a list of books that I would recommend you read so you can understand what is happening to you," Albus said, placing a scroll on her desk. "Most of the books on the list you will find inside the chest in the cupboard," he said, indicating to the cupboard beside Ginny's bed. "You will also be required to take other subjects to help you refine your new abilities. You have everything written in this letter," he said, placing a Hogwarts envelope next to the scroll. "If you need anything else, then do not be afraid to owl me and ask. I will be glad to help in any way I can," Albus said. Ginny nodded.
"Do you think I should tell anyone?" She asked before he could leave. Albus turned and smiled at her.
"You can tell whoever you feel to be trustworthy. It is ultimately your own choice. Your brothers are all being told now," he said, then walked out of her room. Ginny rolled back onto her bed and hugged her teddy bear tightly. After a few minutes, she rolled over again and with a sigh, went over to her desk. She took the scroll and envelope, then sitting on her beanbag, began to read them in the fading daylight.
Ginevra Weasley,
6th Grade at Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Chosen and compulsory subjects:
Transfiguration- M. McGonagall
Astronomy- O. Rion
Potions- S. Snape
Divination- Firenze
Defence Against the Dark Arts- R.J Lupin and A. Moody
Charms- F. Flitwick
Care of Magical Creatures- R. Hagrid
Rune Studies- K. Yepir
Extracurricular studies:
Society and the affects on an outsider- R.J. Lupin
Emotions and control- S. Snape
Seeing the future- Firenze and S. Trelawney
Sensitive senses- R. Hagrid and O. Maxime
Medieval and modern fighting- A. Moody
Changing shapes and forms- N. Tonks and M. McGonagall
History of mythical beings- W. Binns
Living to an old age and the benefits- A. Dumbledore
The books and equipment you will need for this year are written on the next page.
We look forward to seeing you!
Happy learning!
A. Dumbledore
Ginny looked over the page, and sighed in relief when she saw that the books were only for her normal subjects. She untied the scroll, wincing as the parchment flowed over her knees and landed just past her feet. She hoped that Dumbledore had really big writing...
Ginevra,
Before I write the books you will need, I am required to tell you this...
For the next two years at Hogwarts, you will be taught by various Professors, on various subjects to help you understand who you are and what you are becoming, as both a person and a Vampiress.
As you have probably heard, Vampires and Vampiress', have the tendency to drink blood. However, contrary to popular wizard and Muggle belief, not all drink blood. If you feel the urge at any time to drink another's blood, get away from them as quickly as you can achieve and proceed to contact me immediately
As no one is sure whether you will have this tendency, you will be given your own room, just in case. If you have any problems about this arrangement, then please owl me and tell me, so we can organise something better suited to your liking.
You will be allowed to come to Hogwarts two days earlier than the other students to decorate your room according to your own preferences. During this time your training can begin so as to get you acquainted with the routine straightaway. Your parents have already been told about this, so you have no need to tell them.
In addition, you will also be allowed in the Restricted Section of the library, as long as you tell Madam Pince exactly what book you are researching. You will be stopped from going in if the book is not one that will help you with understanding what you are going through. I know you will understand.
We all look forward to seeing you on Friday the 30th of August!
Enjoy the rest of your holidays, and keep safe.
A. Dumbledore.
Ginny glanced at the list of books, then sighed and pushed the scroll off of her. She stood up awkwardly and went over to the cupboard. Realising that she could still see, even though it was night, Ginny pulled the chest of books out quickly and opened the latch on the front. The lid sprung open to reveal hundreds of books, magically shrunk to fit inside the chest. Ginny looked at the list again, then took out the book on the top of it. 'The Weasley family: their history since arriving in England'. Their family crest was on the front, and the wyvern roared and spat friendly fire at her to show his recognition.
Ginny had to know what was happening to her, especially since she had just lifted a chest that she'd struggled with not only last week! She closed her curtains and lit the candles, then sat down on her beanbag to read. The introduction read much like what Arthur had already told her about their family over the years, so Ginny skipped right to the information on Virginia Weasley.
Virginia Weasley (nee Malfoy). (1705- present)
Virginia Weasley is the oldest Weasley in history. Over five centuries old, Virginia outdates all Weasley's, even your Great-Great-Great-Great Uncle Milbert, who died of boredom last year.
Virginia has the traditional red hair, and although she was born a Vampiress, the effects did not take affect until she turned seventeen years old. She has looked seventeen everyday since, only putting on weight when pregnant with her two children, Maverick II and Francesca (see below). Virginia has the ability to look older when she chooses, often selecting an old woman when she has the need. Unfortunately, Virginia had the Thirst and often risked her own life to Drink others, until she married Maverick at twenty. He allowed her to Drink from him and in doing so, became an immortal as well. (See below.)
Francesca was also a Vampiress until she played a trick on a Muggle village and was killed when captured. The two Muggles that killed Francesca went missing a week later and their bodies were never recovered. Neither Virginia, nor her husband have made a public statement about that affair, and 'do not wish to, and for these bloody books to leave them alone'.
For more information on Virginia, her husband or their children, find it yourself!
Ginny shook her head at the book, then closed it with a thud. Grabbing another book from the chest that was also on the list, Ginny started to read that.
Vampires are nocturnal beings, and are often associated with bats in both the Muggle and wizard worlds. Although some Vampires may turn into bats naturally, it is rare that someone comes across a morphing Vampire. Often, the person turning into a bat is only a wizard with their Animagus licence trying to scare a Muggle or fellow wizard. Vampires heal quickly, as their blood and skin regenerates two times faster than that of mortals.
Vampires are the only beings that are unaffected by the Veela's hypnotic dance. This started a war in the 19th century, as one Veela was so desperate to attract a Vampire that every woman and man in a ten-kilometre radius became attracted to her instead. These included the Vampire's wife and son (his daughter was unaffected). As Vampires mate for life, the Vampire in question threatened the Veela's life unless his wife and son were returned. The Veela by then, had no control and kept dancing. In his rage, the Vampire killed her. Set out for revenge, the Veela's family killed him and his family.
Both sides made a huge mistake, as they had killed the Veela Princess and the Vampire Prince. Although the war ended a century later, the two sides have had an uneasy truce ever since. It is only in the last few years that Veela's and Vampires have been able to attend functions without an argument or at least one death occurring.
Vampires and Werewolves came to a truce two centuries ago, when the Vampire Princess and Werewolf Prince fell in love and produced children. The two leaders of each clan only spoke to each other at the birth- they both demanded that their children marry. Two arguments and one death occurred at the wedding, but that was irrelevant to the werewolf or Vampiress in question- one Vampiress found out that her husband was having an affair (the ultimate insult and offence) and she killed him, after two arguments.
Vampires and Centaurs respect each other. As of yet, they have not had any wars, marriages or deaths caused by the other species. They both intend to keep it that way, as they both know that the other side are messy and ruthless warriors when the need arises. They distance themselves from the other in an attempt to keep it this way.
Vampires' reflexes are faster than that of normal beings, wizards included. Their reflexes are so fast that people often refuse to fight against them unless they it has been verified that they have taken a slow-reflex potion.
Vampires are quick learners, and are extremely knowledgeable and smart. They have photographic memories, and often remember events down to the last detail centuries after the event actually happened.
When faced with a problem, a Vampire will often study all sides and then figure out the answer in less than ten minutes, depending on what and how large the actual problem is. Due to this, Vampires will often become Judges in the Muggle world, or will be employed in other problem-solving jobs.
"Ginny! Dinner's ready!" Molly yelled up the staircase. Ginny sighed and, putting the book away, went downstairs to the dining room. Silence fell when she walked in the room.
"If you're all going to act as if I've got dragonpox, I'm going to eat in my room!" Looking at each of them, Ginny noticed that none of her siblings meet her eye. Only Molly and Arthur looked at her. "Fine," Ginny said. She stalked over to the table and grabbed a plate and some food, then went back up to the attic. She kicked the door shut and sat on her bed, refusing to cry.
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For Ginny, August 30th couldn't come quick enough. Her brothers had hardly looked at her for the rest of the week, excepting Fred and George. They'd only tried to offer her Blood Pops and ask if she could turn into a bat excessively every single day. She was sick of it; sick of them, and sick of being ignored, yet again.
Looking at her parents, Ginny made herself smile and kissed them goodbye. They were the only two who hadn't treated her any differently. They'd seen how hard it had been for her after Voldemort, and they didn't want to make the same mistakes over again.
"You be a good girl, Ginny. Have fun at school and do your best. Learn and listen to what you're being taught," Molly said, adjusting Ginny's scarf for her. Ginny smiled and nodded.
"Yes Mum. Goodbye," she said and hugged her tightly. "Bye Dad," Ginny said, hugging him just as tightly. "Thank you for being there for me," she whispered to them. "Say goodbye to the boys for me, will you?" She asked, looking down so they wouldn't see her tears. Her brothers had refused to come in through the barrier and had all said formal and stiff goodbyes in the Muggle world.
Molly nodded in response to her daughter, her smiling face being replaced by an angry one. It was true that the boys hadn't seen Ginny after her first year. They hadn't heard her crying and screaming throughout the night. They hadn't had to watch as their daughter grew paler and skinnier. Ron was too busy worried about Harry and Hermione to take any interest in his sister, Fred and George were always creating explosions in their room, Percy was too busy studying and reading, and Bill and Charlie had their work. Molly and Arthur hadn't done anything to help Ginny either. They'd sat back and watched as their daughter wasted away.
This time it was different. There was no danger of her still being possessed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. This was her; this was Ginny. It was whom she was, who she was becoming, and not one of her brothers had supported or encouraged her in any way. Fred and George's antics didn't help in any way...
Molly hugged Ginny again and kissed her head.
"We'll tell them for you, dear. You have to hurry, or else you'll miss the train," she whispered. Ginny nodded and Molly let go of her reluctantly.
"Listen to what you're being taught, Ginny. Oh, and enjoy your new room. Have fun decorating it," Arthur said with a wink. He ruffled her hair, then kissed her. "Be good. We're very proud of you," he whispered. Ginny nodded. "There's a gift for you in your trunk. Open it when you get there, ok? Don't tell your mother I told you," Arthur whispered again. Ginny smiled and nodded. He let go of her, then watched as she walked over to the train. Ginny turned and waved at them. The clock struck eleven, and Ginny went inside to an empty train. Arthur and Molly waved until the train was out of sight, and their daughter could no longer be seen. Molly straightened out her robe, then narrowing her eyes, went out to where her sons were waiting to give them a good telling off.
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Ginny woke up with a start and looked at her watch. Ten minutes left. She thanked the Gods with a sigh, then began packing up Exploding Snap. It had been a boring trip. Snap was boring with one person. There hadn't been anyone to talk to, play pranks on, or even just see. She's read or slept for most of the trip. Ginny sighed and put her old robe on. She had the feeling that her life was going to be just like that from now on: lonely and boring. She stepped out onto the waiting platform, and smiled over at Hagrid. He beamed down at her.
"'Ello Ginny. How are yeh? Nice trip?" he asked. Ginny shrugged.
"It was kind of boring. I mostly read and slept. I discovered that Exploding Snap isn't as exciting with one person," she said with a grin. Hagrid nodded, then pulled out a watch.
"That ain't good. We're goin' to be travellin' to the castle in Olympe's carriage," he said. Ginny nodded and followed him over to the large powder-blue carriage. He opened the door for her, and grinning, bowed. "Madam," he said. Ginny smiled and went into the carriage, Hagrid following. Ginny was thankful that she was so small, and that the carriage was so large, as Hagrid filed most of it.
"Thanks Hagrid. You're the only person besides Mum and Dad that's treated me civilly since I found out I'm a Vampire," she said, looking around her. The seats were dark purple and there were blue silk belts strapped to the seats.
"Yer better use those. The horses are a bit rough. Poor things haven't been out for ages," Hagrid said. Ginny nodded and tied the strap around her waist. Hagrid whistled loudly, and the carriage began to lift off of the ground. Ginny could hear the horses wings flapping steadily, and concentrating for a moment, she found that she could actually hear each and every feather moving on their wings. She shook her head, but the noise didn't go. She cursed under her breath. "No cursin' now. What happened?" Hagrid asked, looking at her in concern.
"My hearing's just improved I'll say. This is going to be annoying," she said with a sigh. Hagrid smiled at her.
"It'll be a'right. Yer'll learn how to control it soon enough," he said. "What can you hear?" he asked.
"All of the horses wing feathers moving with the wind. And I can hear your brother in the Forest. If I really concentrate, I can hear Dumbledore talking to Snape in the dungeons. I think I can hear in a thirty kilometre radius all the way around. Wait, how high are we up? The Hogwarts castle is supposed to be thirty kilometres tall..." Ginny said, looking out of the huge window. She groaned. "Crap! Sorry Hagrid... We're about five kilometre's above it. A thirty-five kilometre radius hearing range. Not good..." Ginny said with a sigh. Hagrid beamed at her.
"It'll be good. Yer'll see," he said. He looked out the window and saw that the horses were starting to descend. "Get ready. We're goin' down," he said. Ginny nodded and held onto the side bar. The carriage landed with a small bump, and Hagrid climbed out of it. Ginny followed him, and they went up to the castle. Hagrid opened a side door, and took a torch from the wall. "This is the way to the Great Hall. Teachers corridor," he explained as they walked down the passage. Even though Ginny was behind Hagrid, and there was minimal light, she could see everything around her as if it was broad daylight and there was no roof. After a few minutes, Hagrid stopped and opened a side door. Ginny walked into the Great Hall, blinking at the sudden light.
"Ah, Miss Weasley! Right on time," Albus said, smiling at her. Ginny smiled back uncertainly. "As there are no teachers, we have decided that you can dine up here with us for the next two days. If you don't want to, then we will understand," Albus said. Ginny nodded. She saw the other teachers along the table. Everyone, including Sibyl Trelawney was in attendance. Well, nearly everyone. Lupin was absent. Snape glared at her, obviously not happy about the arrangement. Ginny smirked inwardly.
"Well, as everyone's here, I wouldn't want to disappoint you all," she said with a grin. Albus smiled and conjured a chair from thin air. Ginny sat on it and as soon as Albus was sitting, the food appeared on everyone's plates. The meal was eaten in silence. When everyone had finished, Albus turned to Ginny and smiled, his eyes twinkling.
"Would you like to start your training tonight once your food has had time to settle, or tomorrow after some rest?" he asked. Ginny considered it. Tonight would mean that she'd have to admit that she was indeed a Vampiress. Tomorrow would mean that she could sleep in her own room and try to forget that tomorrow was coming...
"Tomorrow, please. I'd like to decorate my room tonight," she said, smiling fakely. Albus nodded and looked at her over his half-moon spectacles with a frown. Then, as quickly as he'd done that, he was sitting straight and smiling at her again.
"The password's 'password'. We haven't had time to change it yet," he said. Ginny nodded. "You're allowed to use magic to decorate. You know the spells, I presume?" he asked. Ginny nodded.
"Yes, sir. Thank you," she said, standing. "Goodnight Professors. I will see you in the morning," she said with a smile, then walked over to the side door, somehow knowing that the large doors were locked. Once they had said goodbye and Ginny was gone, Snape turned to Albus.
"Are you sure this is appropriate, Albus? She could have easily started training once everyone else had arrived," he said quietly. Albus nodded.
"I am well aware of that, Severus. From tomorrow onward when Harry and Hermione find out about this from Ron, Ginny's life is going to be hard. Indeed, it is already, since her first year here with Voldemort. It was a very difficult life she chose," he said, now addressing all of the teachers. "I think you should give her some credit and see that she is not a small girl with immense power; she is a lady who needs to learn to control her immense amount of power. That is what you're all here to do. You have to teach her to control this," he said. "We all have to make it seem that her life is actually worth living. She is at a difficult age, and with the entire school and her friends shunning her, she will feel isolated. When a person is isolated, the world seems bleak. You all know this. You've all experienced isolation long before you came to me. You need to help her, or else she will have the ending that all of you tried to escape," Albus said. Severus nodded curtly.
"We know what we're here to do, Albus. We know that we have to stop her from dying. I just wish you'd tell us why. Why is she so important?" Minerva asked. Albus chuckled.
"Every individual is important Minerva, some more so than others. Those people are often the most seemingly insignificant people of all. Harry Potter, was an ordinary baby and after one tragic event, he became the most famous wizard in our world! Other people may not become famous, but does that make them less important than those that are? Most people that are famous are that for the wrong reasons; very few are for the right reasons," Albus said. Minerva narrowed her eyes at him.
"You didn't answer my question, Albus," she said. Albus nodded absent-mindedly, then smiled at her.
"I'm off. I have to organise everything for her training tomorrow," he said, then left the Great Hall with a quick goodbye to everyone. Minerva shook her head, then sighed, and left too.
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Ginny walked into her room and looked around. There were plain white sheets on a plain white king-size bed. The walls were white, as was all of the furniture. Opening a door, she saw a white bathroom with white towels. The only things that had colours were herself, the flames in the white fireplace and her trunk. Even the carpet was white! Definitely too much white, she decided. She picked up a note on her bed.
Ginevra,
Your room can be coloured to suit your taste. You can use magic to colour the walls, furniture, linen, bathroom, anything you like. Have fun!
A. Dumbledore
Ginny grinned and started colouring everything with her wand. The walls turned light blue, and the carpet went dark blue. Ginny decided to keep the ceiling and skirting boards white, but made glow in the dark stars appear on it. Her quilt changed to burgundy, the sheets and pillowcases turned silver, and as an afterthought, Ginny made her towels purple. Her furniture changed to black. The windowsills turned to green, as did the curtains (a lighter shade though). Going into the bathroom, Ginny made the tiled walls a mix between purple and blue, making the basin a pale purple. She changed the colour of the toilet a few times, before finally settling on plain white, and making the toilet seat the same colour of the basin. The fireplace turned black, as did the mantelpiece above it. The mirror standing in the corner, Ginny left white then she stopped and looked around her new room. She smirked then went over to her trunk suddenly feeling exhausted. She managed to change into her pyjamas before collapsing on her bed. After crawling beneath the quilt, Ginny fell asleep.
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"Good morning Ginny. I trust your sleep was good?" Albus asked, smiling at her. Ginny nodded.
"Yes, thank you. I'm not a morning person, so I'll apologise now for my lack of response," she said with a grin, then sat down to breakfast. Albus chuckled.
"It's good that you're not a morning person. It makes it easier for the change to occur," Lupin said. Ginny nodded, then remembered that she hadn't seen him at dinner the night before. At the same time as this came to her realisation, so did the fact that it had been a full moon. The last full moon of the month, in fact. Lupin looked pale, which wasn't unusual, but other than that and a few scratches he'd received by going to the Shrieking Shack, he looked considerably well.
"You're looking well, Lupin," she said, smiling. Lupin nodded, then smiled back at her.
"Miss Weasley? How is your studying going?" Minerva asked, smiling at her.
"For school or my new... lifestyle?" Ginny asked.
"School," Minerva replied. Ginny grinned apologetically.
"Most of my time has been with what's happening to me, and I've barely given school a thought at the moment. I hope you understand," she said. Minerva nodded.
"You can't put off your responsibility as a student just because you're changing form," Snape said, glaring at her. Ginny tried not to groan. Here she was, only just having woken up and too many people were asking questions, or accusing her. It was really annoying!
"I do realise that Professor, but as I only just found out that this is happening to me, I wanted to know as much as I possibly could before I hurt someone without realising it. I didn't want a repeat of my first year happening without me knowing what was going on. Professor Dumbledore? Where would you like me to meet you for my training to begin?" She asked sweetly. Albus glared over at Severus then cleared his throat. Ginny noticed that Minerva was trying not to laugh at Severus' shocked expression, which he immediately covered up with a scowl.
"The Room of Requirement will suffice for now. Minerva, did you make the timetable up?" he asked, turning to her. Minerva nodded and handed him a parchment. Dumbledore looked it over, then handed it to Ginny. "The top half is for weekends, including this one, the bottom half is your school schedule and how your extra lessons will fit around them. If you want anything changed, then just ask. Hogsmeade weekends will be your choice if you decide to study or not. Any questions?" he asked. Ginny looked over the parchment.
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Saturday and Sunday
9:00 to 10:00- Room of Requirement- A. Moody
10:00 to 11:00- Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom- R.J. Lupin
11:00 to 11:20- RECESS
11:20 to 12:20- Divination classroom- Firenze and S. Trelawney
12:20 to 1:20- History of Magic classroom- W. Binns
1:20 to 2:20- Transfirguration classroom- N. Tonks and M. McGonagall
2:20 to 3:00- LUNCH
3:00 to 4:00- Dungeons- S. Snape
4:00 to 5:00- Room of Requirement- A. Dumbledore
5:00 to 6:00- Hagrid's hut- R. Hagrid and O. Maxime
7:00 to 10:00- training for extracurricular subjects, homework and dinner
If there is a Hogsmeade weekend, it will be your own decision as to whether you join the other students.
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School
Monday to Tuesday
9:00 to 10:00- Transfiguration- M. McGonagall
10:00 to 11:00- Divination- Firenze
11:00 to 11:20- RECESS
11:20 to 12:20- Defence Against the Dark Arts- R.J. Lupin & A. Moody
12:20 to 1:20- Care of Magical Creatures- R. Hagrid
1:20 to 2:20- LUNCH
2:20 to 3:00- Rune Studies- K. Yepir
3:00 to 4:00- Potions- S. Snape
5:00- 10:00- training for extracurricular subjects, homework and dinner
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Wednesday to Thursday
9:00 to 10:00- Charms- F. Flitwick
10:00 to 11:00- Potions- S. Snape
11:00 to 11:20- RECESS
11:20 to 12:20- Care of Magical Creatures- R. Hagrid
12:20 to 1:20- Rune Studies- K. Yepir
1:20 to 2:20- LUNCH
2:20 to 3:00- Defence Against the Dark Arts- R.J. Lupin & A. Moody
3:00 to 4:00- Astronomy- O. Rion
5:00- 10:00- training for extracurricular subjects, homework and dinner
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Friday
9:00 to 10:00- Astronomy- K. Yepir
10:00 to 11:00- Charms- F. Flitwick
11:00 to 11:20- RECESS
11:20 to 12:20- Divination- Firenze
12:20 to 1:20- Transfiguration- M. McGonagall
1:20 to 2:20- LUNCH
2:20 to 3:00- Care of Magical Creatures- R. Hagrid
3:00 to 4:00- Study time
5:00- 10:00- training for extracurricular subjects, homework and dinner
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"No questions, sir," she said. Albus nodded. Everyone finished eating their breakfast in silence. "When will Tonks be here?" Ginny asked once she'd finished. Albus looked over at Lupin, who shrugged.
"She said she'd be here at eight. She probably lost her watch again," he said with a grin. Suddenly there was a loud bang from outside of the Great Hall doors.
"Who's smart idea was it to lock the bloody door? Let me in!" They heard Tonks yelling. Albus smiled, his eyes twinkling as he opened the door. Tonks stood there, looking annoyed and embarrassed. "Sorry Albus. I was told to come to the front..." she said, glaring over at Lupin, who smiled. Ginny smirked at them. "I'm not late, am I?" Tonks asked, suddenly worried. "I couldn't find my watch this morning," she said, glaring at Lupin again. She reached the table quickly. "Hey Ginny! Didn't see you there! How's it going?" Tonks asked, grinning. Ginny smiled as Tonks' hair turned electric blue and her eyes changed to pink.
"Good. How are you?" she asked. Tonks shrugged and waved her hand about, her nails changing from pink to black and blue.
"Could be better, could be worse," she said off-handedly. Ginny nodded. Tonks went over to Lupin, who was grinning openly. "Give me back my watch, you ruddy git," she demanded. Lupin held up his hands.
"I don't have it," he said, his grin going wider.
"That's why it's in your left robe pocket," Moody muttered. Lupin glared at him. Tonks grinned and held out her hand. Moody smirked at them as Tonks grew an extra arm and started tickling Lupin, while the other arm went into Lupin's pocket. Laughing, Lupin tried to slap away her hand. Finally getting her watch, Tonks' third arm retreated and disappeared. She put her watch on, then went back to Albus, who was smiling largely.
"When do I have to meet Ginny?" she asked. Albus looked at Ginny.
"Twenty past one," she said. Tonks groaned.
"You mean I got up before ten and I didn't have to? That sucks!" Tonks said. Ginny laughed quietly then stood up, excusing herself from the table.
"I'm going to go get ready. See you in half an hour Moody," she said, smiling, then left through the Great Hall doors. She went straight to her room, and saw clothes sitting on her bed, a pair of pants, shirt and long karate-like coat. There was also a pair of lace-up boots with a small strap on the inner side of the left boot. All of the clothes were white. Ginny grinned and changed into them quickly.
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Ginny arrived in the Room of Requirement a few minutes early, dressed in the clothes she'd been given and looked around the room. There were Muggle weapons and equipment, as well as wizarding ones. Everything was already set up, and she saw Moody over in the corner, making sure the swords were sharp enough.
"Ginny. You're early," Moody said, then turned around to her. Ginny nodded. The bell rang outside loudly and she grimaced. "Sorry," he said and the room became void of all outside sounds.
"Thank you... You don't mind that I'm early?" she asked. He shook his head, grinning grimly.
"It's probably the last time you'll want to be early. In fact, I doubt if you'll ever be early again," he said with a smirk. Ginny nodded. "Warm-up instructions are on the wall. Read them, then do them," he said. Ginny went over to the indicated wall and looked at his instructions. She realised she didn't have to read it to know what it said, and started doing as the instructions read. After stretching her legs and arms for five minutes, she started skipping with a nearby rope. After another five minutes, she stretched her arms and legs again. "Is your blood pumping properly now?" Moody asked when she'd finished. Ginny nodded. "Good. Get over here," he said. She walked over to him. He handed her a small white handled dagger. "Put that in the strap of your boot," Moody instructed. Ginny did as he said. He looked at her, then nodded. "Get on the mat," he said. Ginny walked over to the blue mat and looked at him. "Do you know anything about martial arts?" Moody asked.
"Not a lot, sir. Only what I've seen on the Muggle movies, but I think most of it is bullshit and wirework," she said. Moody nodded.
"Call me Moody, not sir," he said. Ginny nodded.
"Yes, Moody," she said. "I know how to punch and kick, but not very well. Mum never let me play with the boys when she knew they were getting rough. We played when she wasn't around and I learnt bits and pieces then," Ginny said. Moody nodded.
"Show me," he barked. Ginny nodded and kicked the air. "Punch," he said. Ginny nodded, then put her hands up to her face, clenching her fists and making sure that her thumbs weren't tucked in. She punched the air. Moody frowned. "Again," he said. Ginny punched again. "You're wrists are moving too much. You'll break your hand doing that and won't even dent the opponent. Give me your wrists," he said. Ginny held her arms out, and Moody touched his wand to her wrists, muttering a spell. "Punch again," he said. Ginny punched again and could feel that it was a better punch. "Good. Now punch this bag ten times with your left hand, then ten with your right," Moody said, and a punching bag appeared out of thin air. Ginny began doing as he asked, and after five minutes, she had finished. Moody made Ginny do some more warm ups, then told her she could go.
"Already? Why?" She asked. Moody looked at her.
"If you do too much in one day, you'll hurt your muscles. You haven't used them enough, or in this way before, so you don't want to hurt yourself by doing too much at once. Do the warm ups at eight o'clock for half an hour every day. It will make you hungrier for dinner and after two hours you'll feel tired and ready for sleep." Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't say anything and he didn't reprimand her. "Go to your next lesson now," he said, pushing her out the door.
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"Nice outfit," Lupin said, grinning. Ginny smirked.
"Thanks... I forgot to bring a change of clothes. Mind if I go and get changed now?" she asked. Lupin waved her away. "Hi Tonks," Ginny called, smirking as she left. Tonks stopped hiding under the table and looked at Lupin, shocked.
"How'd she know?" She asked. Lupin shrugged.
"No idea..."
Ginny shook her head. The hearing thing was all right for some things, but other things she did not want to hear! Tonks and Lupin snogging was one of those things! She shook her head again then walked into her room and changed quickly. She went back to the room, listening to make sure that nothing was going on inside, then knocked and went inside.
"Ginny... How are you?" Lupin asked, grinning at her. Ginny shrugged.
"I'm learning how to become a Vampire. How do you think I am?" she asked, smirking. Lupin nodded in agreement. "What about you and Tonks?" she asked him. Lupin went red slightly.
"We're just friends," he stammered. Ginny nodded.
"Sure... If that's what you want to tell yourself Moony, go ahead," she said, smirking again. Lupin paled, and narrowed his eyes at her.
"What did you just call me?" he asked, his voice threatening. Ginny looked at him, unfazed by his tone.
"I called you Moony, Remus Julian Lupin," she said, her tone and face unwavering. He raised a hand to hit her, then let it drop by his side.
"Get out, Ginevra," he said quietly. "Now!" He yelled when she didn't move. Ginny walked over to the door calmly, then stopped and looked at him.
"Do not confuse me with her, Remus. I'm not Lily and I will not be who you want me to be," she said. Lupin looked at her, his eyes beginning to turn from blue to black. Ginny stalked back into the room angrily and slapped him. His eyes turned to blue again.
"Do not hide away from me like that! I forgave you years ago, you've just been hiding too much to realise it! Snap out of it Moony, or I swear I'll make you!" Ginny said in a voice that wasn't her own, then left the room again. Lupin sank to the floor in shock.
One conversation that she wasn't even supposed to remember and she knew him inside out!
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Flashback
Ginny sat in 12 Grimmauld Place, staring out of the window, completely bored. She wasn't allowed in the meetings; Harry, Ron and Hermione payed less attention to her every day and Kreacher was just a pessimistic weird house-elf, wrapped up in his own intentions and his Mistress' love of hatred. Her Dungbomb supply had run out the day before and there was nothing left to do. She heard a knock on the door and looked over to see Lupin standing there, smiling. He'd forced himself to come up here, to talk to her. He was scared, she could tell.
"Hi Ginny. Is this seat taken?" he asked. Ginny shook her head.
"Go ahead. How are you Lupin?" she asked, smiling.
"I've been better. Full moon tonight..." he said, staring up at the sky. "Make sure I get out before it comes on, ok?" Ginny nodded.
"Why do you do it Lupin? Why don't you just take the potion?" she asked him. Remus sighed heavily. "It's because of Lily, isn't it? You still love her..." Ginny said. Lupin looked at her, wondering how she knew something that not even James or Sirius had known.
"How did you..." he began, then stopped. Ginny continued.
"You miss Lily more than anyone, because she treated you kind and you loved her more than anything. Yet, you didn't do anything because you thought she'd reject you because of what you became every full moon," she said. Lupin didn't ask how she knew. It wasn't important anymore; she simply knew. "She asked you to be the Secret Keeper too, but you refused, because you knew you'd go there every night to watch her. To watch James with the wife you should have had and the son you could have had. You refused because you didn't want to be reminded of everything you missed out on," Ginny said. She had no idea where this information was coming from, but it seemed that she was right. "You turn into a wolf every month and don't just howl at the moon, you howl for her too. She's the sanity that you have in your mind every time you change, she's the thing that keeps you human, isn't it? That's why you can't talk to me. People say that I look like Lily sometimes, and you're afraid if you talk to me, you'll see Lily, you'll hear Lily, because you want me to be Lily. Don't you Moony?" Ginny asked, looking at him. He'd barely begun to nod when she fainted.
"Albus!" Lupin yelled. He lifted Ginny up and carried her down to the meeting. He kicked open the door and everyone stopped talking immediately. Albus, Molly and Arthur rushed over quickly. "We were just talking... Just talking," Remus said. He put Ginny down on the table and Albus looked at Ginny quickly. He lifted an eyelid and checked her pupils.
"Are you sure you were just talking?" he asked, frowning. Remus nodded.
"We were just talking..." he repeated. Albus smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Go down to the kitchen. Sit down for a while. Molly, Arthur, can you take him down please?" Molly and Arthur nodded then helped Lupin outside. "Everyone leave now, please," Albus said. "Severus, you stay," he said. Severus nodded and walked over to him.
"You believe him? That they were just talking?" he sneered, then looked down at Ginny. Albus nodded, and looked at Severus sternly.
"Severus, we have been through this numerous times before. When will you trust me and my judgement?" he asked, shaking his head.
"I do trust you. I don't trust him," Severus said, indicating to the door where Lupin had just left. Albus nodded, then looked back to Ginny.
"Lily?" he asked quietly. Ginny opened her eyes and smiled at Albus. "It's against the rules, Lily. You shouldn't do this. The girl has already had too much trouble in her life..." Albus said. Lily/Ginny nodded.
"I know, Albus. It can't be helped though. She will have much more trouble, pain and hurt in her life. This one day will be a flower compared to them... You will find out what I mean at the beginning of the next school year. Hello, Severus. You're looking healthier than last time we saw each other..." Lily/Ginny said with a smile. Severus nodded, shocked. "Oh, dear... I seem to be shocking everyone today. I should go. I doubt she will remember what happened, so don't worry. If she does then... then it can't be helped and she's meant to remember. Oh, before I go... Severus," she said, looking at him. "Be kinder to people, will you? You always were too mistrusting. Believe in people, and they will surprise you. At least believe in this one more... She values your opinion. A 'harsh opinionated critic of my family and life' is what comes up mostly. Do try," Lily/Ginny said, smiling. Albus looked at Severus, who merely scowled. Ginny's eyes closed again.
"Ginny? Are you ok?" Albus asked. Ginny opened her eyes and sat up in shock. She swayed for a moment before falling backwards again.
"Dizzy... Why am I here? I'm not allowed," she said, her brain registering where she was quickly. Albus smiled at her.
"It's all right, Ginny. You fainted. You're all right now..." he said. Ginny nodded slowly so as not to make the dizziness worse and closed her eyes. "Do you remember what happened?" Albus asked.
"Umm... I remember talking to Remus... Professor Lupin, sorry. I don't know what about though," she lied. "Then I woke up here," she said. She kept her eyes closed for two reasons; one, so Snape couldn't tell that she was lying, and the second to make sure her headache wouldn't get worse.
"All right. Do you feel well enough to go down to the kitchen now? Your parents are down there with Remus," Albus said kindly. Ginny opened her eyes squinting then, making sure the headache was gone, nodded and stood up. She walked out of the room and listened very carefully while trying to make it seem as if her footsteps were getting fainter.
"Do you believe her, sir?" Snape asked quietly.
"I'm not sure... She seems too innocent to lie, but appearances are often deceiving. I'm not sure what to think about anyone anymore..." Albus admitted, then laughed softly. Ginny walked away quietly.
End Flashback
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Ginny did nothing until recess, then walked to the Great Hall through the tunnels, and came out through the side door. She sat down at her seat, avoiding anyone's gaze. Albus smiled at her as she ate a piece of cake, making Ginny wonder if she'd suddenly got cake on her face. When everyone had finished, Albus made the teachers leave and told Ginny to stay.
"Remus told me what happened at your lesson," he said. Ginny nodded. "How often do you let Lily take you over Ginevra?" he asked her, smiling still.
"Not very often. Once or twice a year. Birthdays, anniversaries, the times when she needs to feel human and cry. That time I made her take me over. Remus needed a good slap and he wouldn't have let me do it. I knew he would let Lily though, so I told her to do it. She agreed and we did what needed to be done," Ginny said simply. Albus nodded.
"All right... I won't argue with you on that. You haven't told anyone about this have you?" he asked. Ginny stared at him in surprise.
"That's rich coming from you, Albus. You told me to tell someone whenever something like that happened to me again, and now you want me to keep it a secret? Of course I didn't tell anyone! I'm not an eleven-year-old anymore and I know what to do. Could you imagine the impact on Harry, or anyone else for that matter, if he found out I was being possessed by his mother? He'd never leave me alone!" she said with a short laugh. Albus smiled.
"All right... You should go to your next lesson now. Firenze and Sibyl are expecting you," Albus said with a smile. Ginny nodded and left quickly.
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"Ah, Miss Weasley! I had the feeling you would be late..." Trelawney announced. "I'll get the tea!" she said, and turned around to get everything ready. Ginny nodded in disbelief, raising an eyebrow at her when she wasn't looking. Firenze smiled at Ginny, then walked over and cupped her face with his large hands.
Don't be cynical, Ginny. She means well, Firenze said in her mind. Ginny sighed and nodded.
"I know, Firenze. I know," she replied quietly. "Are you comfortable helping me? Our species haven't spoken to each other for centuries," she said, remembering the information from the book. He smiled again, then let go of her.
I am fine with it, no matter what my old herd think. Though your species are ruthless, as are ours, I hardly see it necessary in this instant for us to fight a war against each other. I agreed to teach you and teach you I will. He said, smiling still. Ginny nodded and sat on a cushion just as Sibyl turned around with two teacups. Firenze waited patiently as the two women drank their tea and Sibyl tried to get Ginny to do some tea reading.
"I can't work with one whose aura is so clouded by grief and anger!" Sibyl cried impatiently after five minutes. Ginny looked at Sibyl, confused.
"How am I angry?" She asked, frowning. "I'm confused, but not angry," she said, turning to Firenze, her confusion showing clearly.
"Sibyl... Perhaps you should rest for a while. Let me try," he said, leading her away. Ginny listened as his hooves made a kind of musical pattern along the wooden floor as he walked back. Ginny put her teacup down gratefully. "Follow me, please," he said quietly. She nodded and followed, wondering why his hooves weren't making the music again as he walked. "Centaur's have their own powers, we just do not like to brag about it," Firenze said over his shoulder. "It would be faster if you rode me. Climb onto my back," he said.
"Are you sure, Firenze?" she asked softly, frowning. Firenze nodded. Ginny climbed onto his back reluctantly and held on as he galloped outside. He went around to the lake and stopped on the side closest to the Forbidden Forest. Ginny climbed off unsteadily.
"I can not go in with you, but I can give you this," he said passing a wooden bowl to her. "Fill it with water, and go into the clearing to your left," he instructed. Ginny nodded and filled the bowl with water from the lake then went into the Forbidden Forest quietly. She walked in the general left direction and eventually walked into a clearing. Not knowing what to do next, Ginny placed the bowl in the centre of the small clearing and sat in front of it. She looked into the bowl, feeling foolish. At first, nothing happened. She watched her reflection, then, ignoring her face, looked deeper into the bowl. Suddenly, pictures began appearing in the water and Ginny knew straight away that they were not reflections.
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Draco Malfoy stood in the corridor, glaring at Ginny, who smirked triumphantly and walked away. He glared for a moment longer, then smirked and closed his eyes. When nothing happened and Ginny continued to walk away, Draco opened his eyes, and glared at her retreating back. He concentrated again, but Ginny continued to walk away. From nearby classrooms, people began to walk out and over to Draco. He took no notice of them, still glaring at Ginny.
"Move!" He hissed at a nearby girl, who simply ignored him and tried to grab his robes. He pushed her away, then, before anyone else could touch him, closed his eyes. Everyone stopped looking at Draco, then looked to each other in confusion. Not knowing why they were out there, they simply walked back to their classrooms again. Draco glared after them, then looked around for Ginny. He shook his head with a scowl, then left.
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The picture changed and Ginny would have gasped if she had control over herself.
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Ginny kissed Draco hungrily, swearing at him under her breath.
"You are such a conceited jerk. I hate you," she breathed. He smirked, kissing her neck.
"Right back at you, bloodsucker," he sneered, then kissed her again.
"Veela," she retorted smirking, then ripped his shirt open.
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Ginny willed the picture to change. She did not want to see that! The water rippled, and it changed to black. She grinned, knowing what to do now. She wanted to see... herself in two years and willed it to show her.
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An older looking Ginny wrapped her cloak around her tighter and pulled the hood over her face. She looked around suspiciously, then walked down Diagon Alley quickly and surely. She knocked on a door three times. A slit opened, and someone looked down at her.
"Where do the birds fly?" He asked. Ginny smiled.
"South to see the sun rise," she said. The door opened quickly, and Ginny walked into the darkness. The door shut behind her, and she took off her cloak, her short black hair shining in the candlelight.
"This way, Ma'am. Sorry about that... Precautions, you know," the man said, sounding both scared and apologetic. Ginny nodded and the man led her down a side corridor. Ginny walked after him, fingering the dagger in her sleeve. She knew that the dagger in her boot was still there, even without feeling for it or looking to check. It had become part of her two years ago when she'd received it from Moody.
Loud noises filtered from side rooms, most of it recorded by Muggle devices, and played to disguise what was really happening inside the rooms. Ginny grinned inwardly. So, he knew she'd come... His attempts to conceal the activities were useless however, because she managed to hear everything anyway.
"How do you know she will come here, Malfoy? She doesn't take well to demands, even if it's by you," a man said sounding worried.
"She's already here, Rowan. Be patient," Draco replied with a smirk. Ginny smirked at his voice, knowing that he was in the end room where the recordings were being played the loudest. The man opened the end door and Ginny walked inside. The door shut behind her with a bang, but she didn't even batter an eyelid, or wince at the sound. Draco stood up with a charming smile on his face. "Welcome, Ginevra. I trust that you are comfortable meeting here?" He asked. Ginny held back a smirk.
"Quite comfortable, Draconius. You requested a meeting with me, however, as I do have other appointments to keep, I would appreciate that we make this quick," she said coolly. Draco nodded and pulled the seat out for her. Ginny sat down and waited until he'd done so too, to continue talking. "Mr Ollivander is expecting me at midnight, so you have fifteen minutes to talk Draconius," she instructed. Draco nodded his head in acknowledgment.
"Ollivander? He's not in Diagon Alley anymore and his shop's closed. No one's been able to find him, so how do you know where he is?" Rowan asked, glaring at her. Ginny looked at the scrawny man beside Draco and smiled evilly.
"I am quite aware of the circumstances involving Mr Ollivander, Rowan. You would do well to teach your cronies manners, Draconius," she said, raising an eyebrow at him. Draco nodded, glaring at Rowan.
"Do not speak unless spoken to, do you understand me, Rowan?" He said in a threatening tone. Rowan nodded, pointing to his throat. Draco held back a smirk, then looked to Ginny. "Please refrain in hexing my men, Ginevra. As much as I dislike Rowan's manners, his information is invaluable and his voice is a vital resource so I can receive that information," Draco said. Ginny nodded her head once and took the spell off of Rowan silently.
"You now have ten minutes, Draconius," she said. Draco nodded.
"The Veela have decided to join the Vampires, but they have some conditions," he said. Ginny nodded for him to continue. "They don't want any of your people to bite any of ours. They want to use our spies during it and the final condition is that they will join only if you agree to lead both sides into war," Draco said, looking at Ginny intensely for a reaction.
"I will have to take the final condition to the rest of the Council, but I am sure the conditions can be arranged," Ginny said calmly. Draco nodded.
"Rowan, leave us. I have a final condition to tell Ginevra that you were not privy to and I do not wish to lose my life over a careless action," Draco said. Rowan stood up and bowed to both Draco and Ginny before exiting out a side door. Draco walked over to Ginny and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I like what you did with your hair," he said, smiling at her. "It's dark. Suits you," he said with a grin.
"Well, I could hardly walk around with it being red at this time. I am under suspicion for everything I have not done and I do not wish to attract attention to myself. We are on the brink of a war and my hair being red would have just been screaming 'target'," Ginny replied with a smirk. Draco nodded and sat on the table in front of her.
"Do you really know where Ollivander is?" He asked. Ginny smirked and stood up to meet him face to face.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" She asked, then kissed him softly. "I've got to go shopping, my cupboards are completely empty," she said. Draco nodded seriously.
"I didn't think that shops were open at this time of night," he replied.
"Some shops are only open now," she said, then left. Draco sighed as the door closed behind her. Ginny left the building quickly. The man bowed to her before he closed the door after her. She smiled and placing the hood over her head again, walked over to a side alley and Disapparated.
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Ginny kept watching, wanting to know what was happening to her, why people were scared of her, bowing to her and how she was on a 'Council' that she had no idea about.
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Ginny arrived at an intersection and began walking down a road. She stopped in front an old house and knocked on the door five times. Like in Diagon Alley, a slit opened and someone peered down at her.
"Is that you Mabel?" the voice asked void of any emotion.
"Mabel has been found, but she is not here at the moment. May I come in?" Ginny asked politely. The door opened and Ginny walked in. Ollivander smiled at her, making his hologram disappear.
"Hello Ginevra. What do I owe this pleasure? You were very limited in the fireplace," Ollivander said. Ginny nodded and removed her hood.
"I apologise Oscar, but it was difficult to be certain that the line was secure. I know that we were talking through various fires, but I did not want to risk telling you everything," she said. Oscar nodded.
"To be wary is to be safe," he said, smiling at her. "Come into the lounge room. Would you like some tea?" He asked as they sat down.
"Yes, please," Ginny said. The teapot poured two mugs of tea and the spoon lifted with sugar on it. "One, please," Ginny said. The spoon dropped the sugar in the mug, and the mug lifted itself to Ginny's hand. She sipped the tea and waited for Oscar to start his before talking. "How are you finding the Muggle world these days?" she asked, smiling. Oscar sighed and sipped more of his tea before replying wearily.
"I'm restless. I am waiting for this war to end so I can return to my home. A giant went through the neighbouring land last week. It took all of my will not to go out there and stop it myself. I timed the Ministry. They took an entire minute to get here, then an extra twenty to finish erasing everyone's memory. I saw that your people got here in two seconds. Congratulations," he said, smiling. Ginny looked at Oscar, worried.
"You should not be outside when things like that happen, Oscar. It is too dangerous for you to go out," she admonished. Oscar smiled and nodded.
"Yes, I know that Ginevra. Besides, who said I was outside? I happened to be Looking and I managed to time it accurately from that. Are you keeping up with your Seeing, Ginevra?" he asked, smiling. Ginny nodded.
"Yes, I am, thank you Oscar. How else do you think that my people were there in two seconds flat? They managed to get the target out before the Ministry arrived, or the Veela's. They arrived a second after we did, I heard," she said. Oscar smiled.
"Half a second actually. Thankfully neither saw each other. Or at least, then had enough common sense not to attack each other," he said. Ginny nodded.
"The Council gave strict orders to them all. They followed them and even when Maverick saw the Veelas', he had enough sense not to attack them while there was a giant overhead. Over five centuries old and he still acts like a teenager," she said, shaking her head. Oscar laughed.
"And you do not? You think are more mature than him?" He asked, grinning. Ginny shook her head.
"I do not walk out into the battlefield without a wand! He had no weapon whatsoever! He was lucky to survive with the injuries he received! If he had not had that Cloak on, he would have been killed instantly! I, at least, have enough common sense to go out with two knives and a wand, Oscar!" Ginny said. Oscar nodded gravely.
"How is the Council nowadays? I haven't heard of them for years. Is Xavier still leading them?" Oscar asked. Ginny nodded.
"Yes, he is still the Council Highness. Agnes is still married to him and Virginia Weasley is also on the Council... Virginia Weasley, the most feared Vampiress in all worlds, magical or Muggle," Ginny said, contempt filled in her voice. Oscar raised an eyebrow at her.
"Contempt? You don't fear her? Or you wish you were in her place?" He asked. Ginny shook her head with a small smile.
"I am happy with my own position on the Council, Oscar. I just think that Virginia is overestimated. I have known her for two years and I have not seen one piece of evidence to attribute to this reputation of fear. I am not afraid of her at all. I have seen her in her Vampiress form and I have watched her kill. There is nothing about her that makes me think of her as anything special, unless you count the way she uses seduction, or the offer of seduction, to get her prey. She is part Veela after all," Ginny said. Oscar smiled and nodded.
"That is exactly why she is feared Ginevra! She can seduce anyone, no matter what species or if they are man, woman, or child. That is the reason she is feared, because the love the person thinks that they feel for her will drive them to do anything for her. She's even seduced Vampires with the Veela part of her, as she can control it. A man would even kill himself if she asked them; just because they think they're in love with her. She has stopped an entire army just by seducing the enemy's leader and killing him," Ollivander said. Ginny sighed with a nod.
"I know... I am not afraid of her because she failed to seduce me. She tried everything, the Veela side of her, the Vampiress side of her; both sides offering the world. She tried everything, yet she failed to seduce me. She does not scare me, because she is scared of me. If I will not succumb to her, then she has no control over me, or what I will do. That is why she tried to seduce Draco away from me, to use him as a way to control me. I do not think I thanked you properly for that spell bag..." She said, smiling. Oscar smiled back.
"You've thanked me thousands of times, Ginevra. There is no need to do so again!" He said, waving her thanks away. Ginny nodded then took his teacup from him, knowing he was done. She smiled when she read the leaves. "Anything new?" He asked. Ginny nodded.
"My husband is following me. He is going to try and see if you are actually here, which will prove fruitless, as you are not, are you, Oscar? Since I am not the Secret Keeper either, he is going to have a hard time figuring out where you are exactly," she said with a smile. She looked at her own tealeaves, then laughed quietly. Oscar raised an eyebrow, looking for an explanation. "He is going to try and seduce the information from me," she said. Pulling a watch from her pocket, she looked at the moons and dials, then stood up. "It is time for me to go. I have less than six hours of night left. Be well Oscar and do not let yourself be seduced by my husband. He is still the enemy, do not forget," she said with a wink, then kissed his cheek and let herself out, closing and locking the door behind her.
She looked around, and spotted a bush nearby. She knew every part of this place and that bush was not part of it. Smirking, she set it on fire. Draco changed back into himself and cursed loudly as he put the fire out.
"You bint! Those were new robes!" He yelled. Ginny laughed and walked over to him, smirking.
"Maybe Rowan is not the only one that needs a lesson in manners. You do know it is rude to stalk people, Draco?" She asked, grinning. "I already know that you are going to try and have sex with me to get the information, but I am not the Secret Keeper. How about we call a truce, then go home and have sex anyway?" She asked, smirking. Draco ran a hand through his hair, then looked at her intensely.
"Promise you're not the Secret Keeper?" he asked. Ginny held up a hand and nodded.
"I, Ginevra Molly Malfoy, nee Weasley, promise that I am not Ollivander's Secret Keeper," she said solemnly. Draco smirked at her, then kissed her hungrily.
"All right. I think sex sounds great. How long do we have left?" He asked, pulling away.
"Less than six hours," she replied and they Disapparated to Malfoy Manor.
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Ginny stopped the images and shook her head slowly. She knew that Malfoy was going to be a big part in her life... She stood up shakily, then walked out of the Forbidden Forest to where Firenze was waiting. She noticed that the sun was in a different position from before and looked at her watch. She'd been in there for rest of the lesson!
"How are you feeling?" Firenze asked, smiling at her.
"Annoyed. Oh, it worked," she added when he looked at her, surprised. "I saw four different visions, all of them had to do with Draco Malfoy and myself. The last one was more with Mr. Ollivander, then there was some stuff with Malfoy," she said. Firenze just smiled and instructed for her to tip the water on a nearby tree, then climb onto his back. Ginny did as he said, then held on as he galloped over to the school entrance. She climbed off quickly and thanked him, before getting out of the sun. Her eyes were hurting from the intense light and her skin was tingling.
"Enjoy your next lesson. We will see you tomorrow and Sibyl will let you work on your tea-reading some more," he said. Ginny nodded, then went in through the side door, and headed to her lesson with Professor Binns.
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"Ah, Ginny, there you are," Professor Binns said, floating through the wall. "I was wondering where you were. You're late," he said. Ginny nodded.
"Sorry Professor. I took longer than expected with my lesson beforehand. I apologise," she said. Professor Binns nodded, seemingly surprised.
"That is all right. Do not let it happen again," he said. Ginny nodded and sat down. "I will begin by asking you what knowledge you have of the Vampires. I understand that most students rarely listen in my class, as shown by their sorry scores in their end of year exams," he said, with a pitiful smile. Ginny nodded, silently thanking her memory.
"I know that Vampires mate for life and they are nocturnal beings. Vampires are immune to the Veela's hypnotic dance and stare. The Vampires came to an uneasy truce with the Werewolves two centuries ago, when the Werewolf Prince and Vampire Princess fell in love and had children. The Council Highness is Xavier, I believe," Ginny said. Professor Binns nodded.
"You have been reading, I see," he said with a ghostly smile. "The Council Highness is Xavier Torleni, as you said, and the other information you said, is correct. Now, we will go through some dates then see if you can remember them in a different order," he said. Ginny nodded. "15th century. 1413, February 6, the first Vampires were discovered in the Muggle world. It was not until the next century that people started telling the tales. Vampires were hunted for another full century before the Muggles stopped then began believing that they were all just a myth. That was the same time that the Ministry began and the Wizarding Protection Act was introduced. That was 1723, though there were many tales of Vampires from then on. Even now, Muggles claim to have seen a Vampire sucking someone's blood," Binns said. Ginny nodded.
"What's the 'W' stand for in your name?" she asked, remembering the first letter of his name.
"I hardly think that it is necessary for you to know my first name, Miss Weasley," he replied. Ginny gave a nonchalant shrug.
"I know, I just thought I could mix up information and see if I still remember things without getting the other information mixed up with it. I'm just remembering the part that Vampires were hunted by Muggles during the 16th century," she said. "If you were to throw in something else while I was remembering that, then it might make my memory better for trying to keep it remembering the right things," Ginny said. Professor Binns nodded, understanding what she meant.
"My first name is William," he said.
"William, got it. I like the name William," she said, grinning. Binns nodded, then continued to read off the dates.
"1825, April 26th, the Vampires declared war on the Veelas for killing the Vampire Prince. The Veelas declared war right back, for killing the Veela Princess. The war ended this century, due to a shortage of beings on both sides. They have only just been able to go to wizarding functions without killing each other," William said. Ginny nodded. "The giants were almost made extinct during the last fifty years due to the war with You-Know-Who. Some half-breed giants survived, as did some others that chose not to participate in the war," Professor Binns said. Ginny nodded.
"Are you scared of Voldemort?" She asked. Professor Binns shook his head. "Why don't you say Voldemort then?" She asked him. William cleared his throat.
"I refuse to say his name as I do not think that he deserves the title of 'Lord'," he said. Ginny frowned.
"Why not his childhood name then? Tom always hated when anyone called him by that," she said. William nodded.
"I never thought to call him by that. It seems a trivial name to give someone so... feared," he said.
"Yet if you don't fear him, then any name you call him will become trivial, don't you think Professor?" She asked with a smile. "It's time for my next class," she said, standing up. "Have a nice day, Professor. I look forward to our next lesson," Ginny said, leaving the room.
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"Hey Ginny. How was old Binns?" Tonks asked with a wink. "As boring as his usual self?" She asked, grinning. Ginny shrugged.
"I stayed awake and I learnt something, so I'd say it wasn't a total waste of time. Where's Professor McGonagall?" She asked. Tonks grinned.
"She's been indisposed. Women troubles..." She said with a wink.
"Right... What's with the blue hair?" she asked. Tonks shrugged and pulled at it, making it grow slightly longer.
"The pink was getting too bright, so I changed it. Now... What do you want to change first?" She asked, smiling at her. Ginny shrugged. "The easiest to do is probably your eyes. Once you can change them, the rest is as easy as a click," she said, clicking her finger with a grin. Her nose began to grow, then as quickly as it had done that, it was back in its normal shape.
"So how do I do that?" Ginny asked, eager to start. Tonks smiled.
"Think about your eyes changing colour. Think about them changing from brown to another colour. Black would be the easiest at the moment because it's the closest to your natural colour. Close your eyes and think about it. Thinking about it?" she asked. Ginny nodded. "Good. Now will it to happen. Want your eyes to change like your life depends on it. If you don't change your eye colour then the world will end, how about that?" Tonks asked with a grin. "All right, open your eyes now," she said after a while. Ginny opened her eyes, and Tonks whistled. "Well, you just saved the world. Congratulations," she said, handing her a mirror. Ginny looked at her reflection and tried not to gasp too loudly. Her eyes were black. "Will it back to your natural colour and it will do it," Tonks said. Ginny nodded and closed her eyes. "Uh, uh. Eyes open this time," Tonks said. Ginny opened her eyes reluctantly and willed her eyes to turn back to brown. She watched as the black colour began to fade and it started to brown again. When Ginny's eyes were back to normal, she looked at Tonks.
"That's it?" She asked. "I have to do that for every body part and it will happen?" She asked in disbelief. Tonks shrugged.
"Often the simplest things give the best results. I didn't believe it either until I did it," she said with a grin. "Can I ask you something?" Tonks asked. Ginny nodded. "Is it true that Vampires can turn into bats?" She asked, grinning.
"Some can, but it's very rare. Apparently it's usually just wizards with their Animagus licence turning into bats," Ginny said. "I haven't tried it yet though," she added when Tonks opened her mouth. Tonks shut it with a frown.
"How'd you?" She began to ask, then waved the question off. "Don't worry. I bought a book on the anatomy of a bat if you want to read it and try it out," she said, grinning. "It's also got other animals, in case you wanted to turn into an owl or wolf without your licence," she added with a smirk. She turned around and took a thick book out of her bag, handing it to Ginny. "Just think of it as... extra homework if someone asks," Tonks said with a wink. "You head off to lunch, I've got to talk to Albus before I go there, ok?" Ginny nodded and left the room. Tonks went over to the fireplace and called Albus' name after throwing in some powder. Albus' head appeared in the fireplace, and he smiled at her.
"Is everything all right, Nymphadora? You look shocked," he said. Tonks nodded.
"Well she just managed to change her eyes, both of them, I might add, in less than half an hour and turn them back. All in one lesson! I didn't even manage to change one of mine fully in an hour, and I was born with this ability!" she said. Albus smiled and nodded.
"You have to understand Nymphadora that she... Have you made the room soundproof?" he asked suddenly. Tonks shook her head and quickly did so.
Ginny stopped listening with a small frown. She wanted to know what Albus was going to say...
"As I was saying, you have to understand that Ginevra has been looking for a way to escape the reality of her life since her first year here. Being a Vampiress has given her that chance and she will do everything to keep that, whether she does it unknowingly or not. Though she may not admit it, being who she is becoming has given her more control and power over herself. She is changing, and unlike other people her age, she knows what and whom she is changing into. She may change a few things along the way, such as the way she looks or the choices she makes and the things she experiences, but all in all, she will become a Vampiress, like her ancestors before her. We have to attend lunch now... I hope there's chicken stew again, I quite enjoyed that," Albus said with a smile, then turned the connection off. Tonks shook her head, then left the room to go to the Great Hall.
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Now she knew what to do, Ginny wondered if she could change her appearance spontaneously. She smirked to herself as she sat down. As she started eating her stew, she began to concentrate on changing her appearance. She willed her hair to grow slightly longer, grinning when she felt it hit her shoulders. Wondering what to do next, Ginny looked around without moving her head. She could see that Snape was staring at her in shock, and tried not to laugh. Apparently, he'd noticed. Ginny started to change the colour of her eyes to something completely opposite from her natural colour. Green would be good... She thought with a smirk, then looked at her reflection on her spoon discreetly. Her eyes had changed to green! Excellent! Ginny thought, trying not to laugh. Other than Snape, no one had noticed yet. The bell went and Ginny changed back to her normal appearance before leaving the Great Hall.
"I presume you saw all of that?" Snape muttered to Albus, who smiled and nodded.
"Of course. Personally, I thought it was relatively entertaining," Albus replied, then left the Great Hall chuckling to himself. Snape glared at nothing in particular, then smirked evilly when he realised Ginny's current lesson was with him.
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Ginny waited patiently outside of the Potions classroom for Snape to arrive. She didn't have to wait long before she heard his footsteps echoing loudly throughout the dungeons. She could even hear his cloak billowing in the wind he created by walking fast. Ginny made a mental note to get some headache potions from Madam Pomfrey. This extra-sensitive hearing was going to kill her when the rest of the student population returned! She sighed softly. Snape turned the corner and saw Ginny waiting for him. At least, he presumed it was Miss Weasley. The girl standing in front of his classroom had black hair.
"Miss Weasley?" He ventured. Ginny nodded with a frown. "I am quite aware of your ability to change your features. There is no need to show off," he drawled coldly.
"I didn't realise that I had changed anything, Professor," Ginny replied coolly, making her appearance go back to normal. Severus nodded curtly and entered his classroom, not bothering to wait for Ginny or let her in first.
"I presume you realise that you are here to learn about Occulmency as well as how to control your emotions?" he asked. Ginny nodded. "How? I was only just told of it yesterday," Snape said, glaring at her. Ginny smiled.
"Yes, I know that. I heard Professor Dumbledore speaking of it to you. I only listened because my name was mentioned and then I stopped," Ginny said. Snape nodded briefly.
"You've guarded your mind well," he said.
"I had to so I could survive. I will not risk my life over such a trivial matter as leaving myself, or my mind unguarded for people to see," Ginny replied.
"Good. Make sure it stays that way," Snape replied. She nodded curtly. "I will try a few things to do with Occulmency, then we will begin emotive control," Snape said.
"Yes, sir," Ginny said, knowing he would appreciate, or at least acknowledge the term as one of respect. Snape nodded curtly.
"Close your eyes and think of something that you think I would not know about you already," Snape instructed. Ginny nodded and closed her eyes. She thought of Lily taking her over and how they all thought that she couldn't remember it. Concentrating on that Ginny kept her mind closed too. After a few minutes, when nothing happened, Ginny opened her eyes cautiously and saw Professor Snape staring into space intensely.
"Professor?" When he didn't reply, Ginny waved a hand in front of his face. "Wake up," she said. Snape snapped out of his trance-like state immediately and glared at her.
"Never do that again!" he snarled. Ginny nodded, slightly frightened. "Go to your next lesson," he said. Ginny grabbed her things and left quickly, wondering what had just happened. Snape made the dungeon soundproof and went over to the fireplace, throwing some powder into the flames.
"Albus!" Snape said. Albus' head appeared, looking both amused and inquiring, an effect only he could pull off.
"Yes, Severus?"
"That... She... She just... She just pulled me out of an Occulmence state!" Snape said sounding more shocked than his features let on.
"Really?" Albus asked, his eyes twinkling. Snape sighed and shook his head.
"I really do not know why I bother telling you anything anymore, Albus," he said and made the fireplace connection cut off.
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Ginny walked to the Room of Requirement and seeing the door already there, opened it and went inside. Albus smiled over at her.
"Hello, Ginevra. You have been causing quite a stir I have heard," he said smiling.
"I must have, as Professor Snape just kicked me out of his lesson ten minutes early," Ginny replied with a small smile. "All I did was make sure if he was all right. He wasn't moving..." she said shrugging. Albus nodded.
"He was in an Occulmence state. It is supposedly impossible to get someone as experienced as Severus out of an Occulmence state. Congratulations," he said with a smile. Ginny nodded slightly.
"What are you actually going to teach me, sir?" She asked with a small frown. "It says on the parchment 'the benefits of getting old', but I don't understand how can you teach me something like that," Ginny said. Dumbledore smiled at her, eyes twinkling.
"Quite right, Miss Weasley. I will be telling you of my own experiences, difficulties and solutions to life, but not even I know everything, or how to handle things from other's point of view. I will be showing you around the world that you will be experiencing as a Vampiress. You will meet some of the Council members. But before we do any of that, I must teach you the etiquette required when meeting a Council member," Dumbledore said. Ginny tried not to look disappointed, but she must have failed as Albus smiled at her. "Do not worry, I am sure I will only have to tell you once. It will not take long," he said.
"Yes, Professor," Ginny said. Albus nodded and began talking.
"Firstly, you must always bow, or curtsy, when you meet a Council Elder. It is a sign of disrespect if you do not. Even when the Elder tells you not to, still do it to show your respect for that person, or their rank..." Albus kept talking and soon Ginny found herself feeling bored and tired. His voice kept droning on, even when she put her head on the table and fell asleep. Ginny started snoring softly, yet Albus kept talking, knowing that her memory would remember the things he said when the time came. Besides, the Muggles had shown that the brain responded better to new information while the body was asleep...
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Ginny looked around warily then headed into a nearby building. She closed the door firmly behind her, then started walking up the stairs. She walked up to the very top of the staircase, ignoring landings and doors on either side of her. She went over to the only door on the landing and walked into the small circular room. A large window was the only thing the room had, but Ginny didn't seem too upset or annoyed by this. In fact, she seemed rather glad. She walked over to the window then stepped onto the windowsill and looked out into the night. The moon was full and she could hear wolves howling to the moon somewhere in the distance. From their distinctive howl, she also recognised werewolves howling and grinned, knowing that Lupin would probably be howling somewhere too. She removed her cloak and left it in a heap on the windowsill before stepping off the edge calmly. As she fell downwards, Ginny's body began to change shape. Her arms and legs shortened and her body began to take on a leathery look. By the time the wolves stopped howling Ginny had changed into a bat and was flying away from the building. From the way she was flying, it was obvious that Ginny knew where she was going.
Ginny landed on a tree and hung upside down from a branch then squeaked loudly. The noise reflected back and Ginny knew that the window was opened. Ginny flew inside and morphed to her original body and smiled at Draco. He smirked at her then closed the window and drapes.
"What took you so long?" He asked between kisses. Ginny kissed him back before pulling away to reply.
"You try falling from a twenty storey building and changing into a bat at the same time," she said.
"Maybe some other time," Draco said and pulled her back to him, smirking.
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Ginny woke up and looked around quickly. Albus smiled at her as she looked at her watch.
"Our time is up. You should go to your next lesson now. Hagrid and Madame Maxime are waiting for you at the hut. Be quick in the light. Even though you won't die from it, if you stay outside on a sunny day for too long you could end up very sick and extremely sunburnt. More than other people..." he said. Ginny nodded then left through the side door. She went out of the entrance and over to Hagrid's hut where, indeed, Hagrid and Olympe were waiting.
"Hello Hagrid. Hello Madame Maxime. How are you?" Ginny asked once she was in the shade. She felt boiling hot and had hardly been in the sun for more than two minutes!
"I am veree well, thank you," Olympe said, her French accent drawing out.
"I'm good. We should start now, eh?" he said grinning, and led them into the forest, his crossbow slung over his shoulder.
There was complete silence for most of the trip, but to Ginny it seemed as if there was noise everywhere. It was even worse than at a Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match with everyone barracking for their team! Seeing that Olympe and Hagrid seemed to be unaffected, Ginny bit her cheek in an effort not to complain about the intensity of the noise and kept walking.
Soon enough they stopped and Hagrid turned to her, beaming broadly.
"Well done! That were bad enough for us, but it musta bin worse for you, eh? Sorry 'bout that, Gin. Tell me wotcha can hear," he said, then waited patiently. Ginny nodded and closed her eyes.
"There's a herd of Thestrals twenty-five kilometres east. They're teaching a young one to fly," Ginny said smiling. "An Augurey is trying to coax some bugs into it's nest somewhere that way," she said, indicating to where the bird was, eyes still closed. Hagrid looked at Olympe who nodded. "A herd of Centaurs are over there. They're discussing the movement of the planets and... us being here in the Forest. They're not happy, but as long as we stay in the clearing they can't hurt us," Ginny said sounding relieved. "You can't hear them, can you?"
"No, we can'," Hagrid replied.
"Our 'earing is veree... How you say? Limited compared to Vampyres," Olympe said. Ginny opened her mouth to talk, then turned frowning, her eyes still closed.
"Wot is it?" Hagrid asked quietly.
"A Jobberknoll is dying..." she said and with a horrified shudder tried to block her ears. It apparently didn't work, as the look of distress didn't leave Ginny's face and she fell to the ground. "Stop that noise. Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it," she repeated, pleading as every noise the bird had heard was screamed out backwards.
"Listen ter somethin' else, Gin," Hagrid said. He wrapped his large arms around her, knowing how horrible the Jobberknoll sounded. "Listen ter me heart," he said softly. Ginny nodded and listened to Hagrid's large heart beating. Soon enough, the sounds from the Jobberknoll faded and all Ginny could hear was Hagrid's heart. She kept listening, even when she felt Hagrid lift her up and carry her out of the clearing. Ginny didn't move her head, knowing that the Jobberknoll hadn't died yet. Hagrid started running, his footsteps pounding on the forest floor. Ginny could hear Centaurs following after them and a few arrows whizzed overhead.
"Turn left," she said so suddenly that Ginny wasn't even sure if she had said anything. Apparently she had though, as Hagrid turned left. Ginny could hear Olympe following them. As they entered another clearing the Centaurs stopped following them and Hagrid put Ginny down carefully. "We need to go out that way for about three kilometres and we'll be in front of Hogwarts," Ginny said, pointing in the right direction and trying not to listen to the Jobberknoll. She listened to her own heart beating and found that it drowned out most of the sounds. Hagrid looked down at her frowning.
"Jus' how do yer know this?" He asked. Ginny smiled.
"I just do," she said with a shrug. She thanked Lily silently then waited for Hagrid to pick her up again. He headed in the direction Ginny had indicated, Olympe following behind them. A few minutes later, they saw light between the trees and Hogwarts came into view. As they walked out of the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid put Ginny down and he looked around, not recognising the surroundings.
"Where are ve, 'Agrid?" Olympe asked, looking around too.
"We are near the back entrance to Hogwarts. Your hut is over there, Hagrid. You'll start recognising the trees in a few seconds," Ginny answered. "I hope you don't mind, but I'll go in myself. I'm going to have a sleep before it's time for dinner. Thank you for the lesson, Hagrid. I learnt a lot. I look forward to seeing you both for tomorrow's lesson," Ginny said, then left them. She heard Hagrid and Olympe walking in the direction of his hut and soon she heard Hagrid mutter, 'She was right'.
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Ginny walked over to a nearby tower that was joined to Hogwarts and slipped around the side. She fought her way past bushes and vines and stopped when she saw a door that looked it hadn't been used in years. She opened it carefully, Lily telling her about the traps that had been set by students to stop other students from coming in. After sending a beam of light at the Devil's Snare and making the Muggle booby-trap disappear, Ginny looked around the large room. There was a long large table with chairs placed around it, a few cupboards and a circular window.
"Where am I, Lily?" Ginny asked. Lily smiled.
"This is connected to the oldest part of Hogwarts. It was rumoured in my time to be the meeting place of the Council that you've been hearing about. My friends and I found a corridor... Well, it will be easier if I show you. This way," Lily said and walked in a particular direction, not needing to light her wand. Lily/Ginny opened a side door and walked into the large circular room. There was a bed and various parts of furniture on one side of the room. On the other side there was a door that seemed to lead into a walk-in closet. Lily/Ginny walked over and opened the door. She looked in the wardrobe with a grin then went straight to the back of it. She took off the Glamour and a door appeared. Lily/Ginny opened the door and walked down the long tunnel. After a while, Ginny realised that she could see doors up ahead.
"Where do those doors lead to?" She asked Lily.
"They are secret doors into the castle. This is the oldest part of Hogwarts, so everything was built around it. What do you think is behind all of the tapestries?" Lily answered grinning. "The doors are hidden by runes and Glamours so no kids could just suddenly fall into a tunnel while they were with their girlfriend or boyfriend," Lily said laughing as she ran to the doors. "You better do this in case we get caught. Albus won't be happy if he finds out I've told you about this," Lily said.
"Why?" Ginny asked, but Lily had gone. Curiosity taking over, Ginny opened the first door and pushed the tapestry away slightly so she could see where she was. Judging by the cobwebs and dust in the corridor, Ginny guessed that it hadn't been used in about thirty years. Going back into the corridor, she opened the door opposite and pushed the tapestry away. Seeing the familiar statue of the one-eyed witch, she listened carefully before going out even further. Not hearing anyone, Ginny walked out and closed the door behind her, it disappearing into thin air. If Ginny hadn't known different, she would have assumed that it had only ever been a stone wall, not a door.
Why aren't you exploring any more? Lily asked.
I'm tired and I want to look at that anatomy book that Tonks gave me. I'll explore more tomorrow. Ginny replied. Lily nodded then left quickly as they both heard footsteps approaching. A while later, Dumbledore came into view and looked at Ginny, seeming surprised.
"Hello, Professor. Are you all right?" Ginny asked smiling at him.
"I'm fine, thank you Miss Weasley. I just... wasn't expecting to see you here. Where did you just come from?" he asked, looking at her over his glasses.
"I came from the girl's bathroom," Ginny lied, knowing that it was nearby. He merely looked at her, unconvinced.
"As much as I would like to believe you, Miss Weasley, I find it a hard thing to do. The alarm was set off inside there," he said, indicating behind the tapestry. "Lily has already taken you over today and she is the only one that knows about that part of the castle. Not even the Marauder's know about that, as Lily has assured me. 'They weren't part of the club', if I remember you correctly," Albus said smiling slightly. Lily sighed and frowned at him.
"I was just showing her around. It would be easier for her to be there, away from everyone. She's going to be hassled by everyone's sleeping habits and won't sleep for most of the year. At least there are soundproof spells in there. It wouldn't be too hard to move everything from her current room," Lily said. Albus shook his head at her.
"Yes, yes. I believe it would be easier. As long as you promise to get to your lessons on time and still keep up with your studies, Miss Weasley?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. I won't go into the Forbidden Forest unless it's for my lessons, either. Don't worry. I know what I can and can not do," Ginny said smiling.
"I see you have the telepathic ability," Albus commented. "Only one sided though. Even without the natural block, your mind would be difficult to penetrate," he mused. "Your things will now be in your new dwellings," he said, then left Ginny standing there.
"How do I get back in?" Ginny asked, unsure of what to do.
"Point your wand at the tapestry, flick it to your right and say 'Open to me', then the door will open," Lily told her. Ginny did so, then went into the corridor again and down to her new rooms. There was no noise to be heard in the corridor, meaning that thankfully, the silencing spells worked both ways. Upon arriving in the circular room, Ginny realised that it was decorated exactly as she had decorated the room she had been given originally.
She sat at her desk and looked at the things she had been given over the day. She looked at the dagger that Moody had given her closer, and realised that there was writing on the blade. Frowning, Ginny tried to read the minuscule writing. She held the dagger on the blade and yelped as she slit her finger on the sharp edge. As she watched her blood creep down the blade, the writing became clearer and she could read what it said.
Awaiting blood... Ginny frowned. After her blood reached the bottom of the handle, it stopped immediately and the writing began to change.
Blood received... The dagger pulsed slightly, almost as if it was alive. Again the writing changed.
Ginevra's blood. Ginny moved the blade slightly in the light, noticing a red tinge to the writing. She stood up to go wash the blood from her finger and heal it, then realised that the slit was gone. The slit had closed up and there was only a small horizontal scar along the top of her finger. Ginny wasn't really surprised, as she remembered that Vampires healed two times faster than mortals did. She cleaned the dry blood from her finger then grabbed the book that Tonks had given her. She put it on her desk, hoping that the weight of it wouldn't break it. She looked in the contents and began to read the section on bats and their anatomy.
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Hearing the Hogwarts bell, even from this part of the castle, Ginny realised that it was eight o'clock. She remembered Moody telling her to excercise at eight o'clock and grudgingly did the excercises she had done that morning. After the half hour work out, Ginny noticed that she felt hungrier than she usually did at this time and thought that perhaps Moody was right, after all...
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After dinner, Ginny excused herself and went back to her room. She continued to study the anatomy book then read over some of the other text books for school, rather than her 'extracurriculur activities'...
Later that night, Ginny slipped out of the tower. She filled wooden bowl with water, then headed towards the Forbidden Forest. She knew she'd promised not to go into the Forbidden Forest, but there was something she needed to do.
She stopped in the clearing that Hagrid had gone into to escape the centaurs and sat down with her bowl and water.
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Ginny looked at her husband, and nodded briefly. She smiled slightly, then slipped out of the room quickly and quietly. She walked outside, the full moon making her red hair seem even brighter. She started running towards the nearby forest and began to change her body.
Her shoulders broadened and fur began to grow. Her face became longer, and a snout appeared. Soon a wolf was running in Ginny's place. The only thing that made her recognisable was the red fur on her stomach. She stopped at the edge of the forest and howled. Soon, her ears picked up the sound of an owl flying overhead. Ginny howled again, shorter this time and the silver feathered owl landed on her back carefully. She walked into the forest and stopped in a clearing. The owl flew off Ginny and Draco landed on the ground, the owl gone. He helped Ginny up and looked at her.
"Why must we continue to do this, Ginevra?" Draco asked. Ginny smiled at him.
"Your guests were there on official business. The silencing spell they used was weak, at best. I'm certain they didn't want anyone to hear what I heard. I didn't want to take any chances. They could tell I knew what they were up to this morning... That's why they went to bed straight after dinner. They're planning to kill us..." she said grinning. Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"All right... Did you still need to go shopping?" he asked suddenly. Ginny looked at her watch.
"Yes, I better. Would you like to come? My suppliers have been asking of you," she said.
"I'm sure they have. Do they have my supplies or are they trying to get my money?" Draco asked.
"They have your supplies, but they want your money before they'll give them to you," Ginny replied. Draco sighed in frustration when he realised he didn't have his money in his robes. Ginny held up a bag, smirking at him. "Is this what you're looking for?" she asked.
"Ginevra, I've told you not to steal my things," Draco growled, snatching the bag from her. Ginny laughed at him and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She smiled at him sweetly.
"I'm sure you did... But then, I also remember you telling me that you'd never marry me if your life depended on it," she retorted, still smiling. Draco kissed her.
"I was stupid to say that. Do you know what I dreamt about after your stupid speech? I dreamt about you every night for a week. You stood at the foot of my bed, smiling at me, never doing anything. You just smiled. Then on the last night you kissed me..." Draco whispered.
"I know... Who said it was a dream?" she said then Disapparated. Draco shook his head then Disapparated after her.
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Ginny smirked at Draco and changed her appearance. She knocked on the door in front of them and they waited for a moment.
"We're closed!" A voice called. The heard footsteps and a slit opened in the door. "Oh, it's you. You brought him, I see... Come in then," the gruff voice said. The door opened and Ginny and Draco walked into the shop.
"Thank you, Isaac. I hope I didn't inconvenience you too much," Ginny said sweetly. The man shook his head and waved her off.
"It's fine, as long as you've come to take away those things. It's dangerous times. The Ministry are doing raids everywhere... If I was caught with those things..." Isaac said shaking his head.
"Did you do as I instructed?" Ginny asked. Isaac nodded. "Then you don't have to worry. They wouldn't have been seen if you'd been raided, so don't worry," Ginny said.
"You have my items, I presume?" Draco drawled. Isaac nodded.
"Everything is out the back. This way..." the man said and led them to the back of his shop. He moved a box off the floor and opened a trapdoor after removing the powerful Glamour. "They're down there. Follow me," Isaac said and taking a torch, went down the stairs. Ginny and Draco followed. Looking around, Ginny saw shelves full of beakers and jars. She recognised the ingredients in them and didn't seem too surprised that most of them were illegal. Isaac stopped in front of a large crate. "This is yours, Ginevra. That one's yours, Draconius," Isaac instructed.
"Thank you, Isaac. Leave while we check them," Ginny said. The man nodded and left gratefully. Ginny opened her crate and began looking at each of the items she pulled out. "Where is it?" she muttered to herself. After going through the entire crate, Ginny frowned. Glaring, she turned around. "Isaac!" she called. Isaac came down nervously.
"Yes, Ginevra?" he asked. She walked over to him, outwardly looking calm.
"Where is it?" she asked in a quiet tone. Draco stopped looking through his crate and watched, knowing how dangerous Ginny was when she used that tone.
"Where is what?" Isaac asked, obviously knowing what she was talking about.
"I ordered a Chimaera egg... Where is it?" she asked, her tone still dangerously calm.
"It... it should be there..." Isaac stuttered fearfully.
"Are you calling me a liar, Isaac?" Ginny asked. She put her hand around the larger man's throat and her nails began to grow, piercing his skin.
"I put it somewhere else so it wouldn't be smashed!" Isaac said. Ginny still didn't release him.
"Where?" she asked. Isaac pointed in one direction but his eyes looked in another direction. Ginny went in the direction his eyes looked and pulled a crate apart easily. A Chimaera egg sat in the shredded paper, it's black shell giving off a glossy look. Ginny picked up the egg and walked over to Isaac. "You took a great risk to hide this from me, Isaac, and an even greater one to lie to me about it," she said. She flicked her hand and Isaac fell onto the ground, clutching his throat. "Why did you try to deceive me? Your own benefit, or did someone give you a better offer?" she asked. Isaac gurgled in response, still clutching his throat. Ginny flicked her hand again and Issac stopped clutching his throat. He took deep breaths, trying to get it back to normal. "Tell me, or I won't be as lenient and you will never leave this cellar," Ginny warned.
"It was... Virginia Weasley. She told me... not to give it to you," Isaac replied, still trying to catch his breath. Ginny walked over to the crate and looked in it again.
"And the Re'em blood?" she asked.
"Same reason. It's next to the crate that had the egg in it," Isaac breathed. Ginny walked over to it and slashed open the crate. There were ten large vials full of a liquid. She picked them up and passed them to Draco who placed them, with the egg, into her crate. Isaac was now standing up and attempting to heal his neck, where there were five half-cresent marks. Ginny walked over to him and slapped his face so hard that it began to bruise and swell immediately.
"If you ever betray me like that again, I will go to another supplier and you will not be alive. Do you understand me?" she threatened. Isaac nodded, frightened.
"Yes, Ginevra... I will not betray you ever again!"
"Even to Virginia?" she asked. Isaac's pupil's dilated with fear and he hesitated.
"I can't control myself around her. She... she does things... I can't stop myself from doing things in her presence," Isaac admitted.
"You will be able to resist her once I heal you. I will not accept this excuse next time, Isaac," Ginny said. She healed him leaving her fingernails scarred into his skin.
"Thank you! You have been so kind to me! I will not forget it!" Isaac said. Ginny glared at him.
"Nor will I, Isaac," she said. She picked up the heavy crate with ease and walked out of the cellar, Draco following. He smirked at Isaac evilly on his way out.
"Where are we going now?" Draco asked. Ginny looked up at the moon.
"I will be going to see Virginia," Ginny said. "Did you bring your charm?" she asked him. Draco felt around his neck and pulled out a necklace with a dragon pendant on it. "Then you may come," she said. Holding her crate in one hand, Ginny put her arm around Draco and Apparated.
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Ginny placed her crate by the door and motioned for Draco to do the same. She spelled them silently so no one could take them or look inside. Then she turned to Draco and spelled him. Ginny opened the large wooden doors before her and walked into the old mansion.
"Ginevra! What brings you this way so early in the night?" a man asked, smiling down at her kindly. Ginny smiled back at him and bowed.
"Hello, my Lord. I fear it is business that brings me tonight and I can not stay longer than is necessary," Ginny said sounding apologetic.
"How many times have I told you to call me, Xavier? Ah, Draconius... When you have the chance tell your council that we have accepted their terms," the man said. Draco bowed to him.
"I will. Thank you, my Lord," Draco said solemnly. He moved slightly behind Ginny and she looked to a side door with a barely suppressed glare.
The air went still immediately as a lady walked into the room, her body wrapped in a red dress with fox fur around her neck. Her blue eyes were piercingly beautiful, as they were cold. She wore thin high heels that were strapped up her legs. Two men followed her. One was her husband Maverick and the other, her bodyguard Bart. Virginia Weasley, the most beautiful woman in the world had come into the room.
Ginny was almost certain that Virginia was screwing Bart, but since she had no solid proof, she couldn't tell the Council.
Upon seeing Ginny, Virginia smiled fakely and walked over to her.
"Ah, Ginevra. It's a pleasure to see you," Virginia cooed. Ginny would have slapped her if she wasn't a Council Elder.
"Virginia," Ginny replied coldly.
"Why the hostility?" Virginia asked surprised.
"You intercepted my order from Isaac and told him to hide the Chimaera egg and Re'em blood," Ginny said. Virginia laughed lightly.
"Why would I want to do that? Those things have no value to me!" Virginia said.
"You knew what I was planning to use them for and didn't want it to be done!" Ginny said.
"Well, why don't you tell everyone what you were doing?" Virginia asked, her blue eyes narrowing. Ginny knew that Virginia had trapped her and smiled briefly. So, she had scared Virginia, yet again.
"Well?" Xavier asked, looking down at them. Ginny knew she had to confess, and did so whole-heartedly. She knew exactly what she had been doing and didn't regret it one moment.
"I was attempting to help a friend under the orders of Albus Dumbledore, my Lord," Ginny admitted, looking up at him.
"Attempting to help which friend and how?" Xavier asked.
"My friend, Hagrid. He's trying to increase his strength so he can... persuade others to help on the Light side of the war," Ginny said. Xavier nodded.
"Hagrid is the half-giant?" he asked.
"Yes, my Lord. He is trying to convince the full-blooded giants and he can not achieve that without a strength equal to theirs..." Ginny said.
"Well, I see how the Re'em blood would help with that... What of the Chimaera egg then? How does that help your friend?" Xavier asked.
"That wasn't actually for Hagrid, my Lord..." Ginny admitted.
"Then..." Xavier began, but he was cut short.
"Then who was it for? Why are you obtaining Grade A Non-Tradeable Goods?" Virginia demanded. Xavier looked over at her and glared. He, like Ginny, was immune to Virginia's charms.
"Do not interrupt me, Virginia!" Xavier bellowed.
"I apologise, my Lord," Virginia said stiffly, taking an effort not to glare at the older man.
"Who was the Chimaera egg for Ginevra?" Xavier said, effectively ignoring Virginia.
"The egg was a present for my husband," Ginny replied.
"Come forward, Draconius," Xavier instructed. Draco moved so he beside Ginny and bowed to Xavier again.
"Yes, my Lord?" Draco asked.
"Do you have an upcoming occasion that could be celebrated with the gift of this egg?" Xavier asked him.
"Yes, my Lord. It is my birthday in two week's time," Draco answered. Xavier nodded.
"Well, that settles it then. Virginia, what reason did you have to make Ginevra's supplier hide these ingredients?" He asked her sternly. For the first time in a long time, Virginia faltered.
"I... I was merely protecting her ignorance from the wizard's Ministry. It is illegal for them to trade Chimaera eggs," Virginia said. Xavier raised an eyebrow at her, then looked to Ginny who was refraining from talking with some difficulty.
"You have something to say to this, Ginevra?" He asked calmly. Ginny nodded.
"Yes, my Lord. Unlike, Virginia has said, I am quite aware that the eggs are not allowed to be traded. That is why I had my supplier do a spell so that even if his store was raided, he would not have been found out and taken to Azkaban. The spell I used was one you taught me yourself the fourth time I met you," Ginny said. Xavier nodded.
"Yes, I remember that. The spell is quite effective..."
"You shouldn't need ten vials of Re'em blood," Virginia said suddenly. Xavier glared at her, not liking that he was being interrupted, yet again.
"Virginia, if you interrupt me once more, you will be sent from the room!" He bellowed.
"I apologise, my Lord," Virginia said frostily. "If I may continue with my question, please?" she asked. When no one said anything to stop her, she continued. "You shouldn't need ten vials of Re'em blood to make him stronger. One of those vials is enough to make your friend strong for a week," Virginia said looking at Ginny in triumph. Ginny simply smiled.
"I am quite aware of that. I do know about the ingredient, as I am the one who ordered it..." She said. Virginia glared at her, but Ginny just ignored her and continued to talk to Xavier, who was watching the events unfolding with amusement. "Five of the vials are for Hagrid to use for a month to convince the full-blooded giants. The other five are for my husband's instructor, Severus Snape. I believe you know him, Virginia... You tried to seduce him not that long ago and failed, if I remember correctly," Ginny said, her voice completely calm. Virginia clenched her fists and glared at Ginny, completely disregarding the other Elders.
"Who told you of that?" She asked, her teeth gritted. Ginny smiled briefly.
"I have my sources... As I was saying, the other five vials are for Severus to use in a potion. He was intending to surprise the Council with its presentation, so I do hope you will not ruin the surprise," she said.
"We will certainly be surprised, as we are not aware of the potion he will be presenting," Xavier said. Ginny bowed her head in acknowledgment once and smiled slightly.
"Thank you. I do hope you will not be offended, but if I do not return home to catch two people that are attempting to kill my husband and I, they may get away before the night is over," Ginny said looking at her pocket watch.
"We thank you too, Ginevra. We hope that your next visit may be for leisure so we may spend more time in your presence," Xavier said formally.
"I hope that too, my Lord. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your night and sleep well during the morrow's day," Ginny said. She bowed to Xavier and his wife, Agnes. Draco did the same before following her outside...
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The images stopped and Ginny rubbed her eyes. She shook her head and made her way back to her new room wearily. So intent on getting to her bed, Ginny barely noticed that the moon was going down. She put the bowl away then flopped onto her bed, fully clothed. Within minutes she was asleep.
A few hours later, Ginny woke up in shock.
In two years or less she was going to be married to Draco Malfoy!
Ginny didn't have enough time to wonder why or how this would happen as she fell asleep within seconds of waking up...
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(a/n: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!)
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