Chamber Born

Ginny dove. Wind whipped through her hair and stung her eyes as she hurtled toward the grass. Flying was always exhilarating, but this was one of the rare times that no one was home, where she could truly go all out without fear of being discovered. She pulled up on Charlie’s old broom in the nick of time and skimmed her hand on the grass, letting out a great whoop. She could not wait until she went to Hogwarts this year. She was going to prove herself to everyone. She grinned wickedly at the thought of making the house team in year one, just like Harry Potter. She still couldn’t believe he was staying with them this summer. He was stoic and handsome and… she sighed. She imagined that he was watching her now, flying on her broom at top speed. She frowned slightly as that train of thought brought her to her present reality… her problem. She couldn’t speak in front of him. It was mortifying—absolutely the most embarrassing thing she’d ever done, repeated over and over again whenever she saw him. Which, with six older brothers, was nearly a death sentence. They would be talking about this for years.

Ginny banked and returned to the shed, placing Charlie’s broom back exactly where it had been before… Not that she had no recourse. She hadn’t spent her childhood memorising spells Bill and Charlie cast at home for nothing. She had just gotten her wand and had already tested out a few of the nastier curses she’d witnessed. They all worked for her on her second or third try. Ollivander had told her that her wand was bent toward combat magic and curses. Yew was especially rare and combined with dragon heartstring was well known for its suitability for the Dark Arts. Her mother had glared at Ollivander when he’d said that and Ginny had felt a chill at both her wood and core being staples of Dark oriented wands.

That said, she did find some of the more esoteric Egyptian curses Bill had shown them rather easy to cast. That would go a long way to preventing her brothers from teasing her about her Potter Problem.

***

Ginny was practically giddy with excitement as she lugged her trunk onto the Hogwarts Express. She was here, finally. She knew Ron would hate if she tried to sit with them, and she had no desire to embarrass herself more in front of Harry Potter. No. She would find her own friends… and, while Harry was great, everything she’d ever imagined—kind, sweet, and from what she’d heard, a real hero—she had to make her own way and prove herself if she was going to be worthy of him… and more importantly, outdo her brothers.

So when Ginny saw her old friend Luna, who she hadn’t seen in two years despite living quite close to her, she beamed and open the compartment.

“Luna!”

“Hi Ginny,” Luna said, smiling while kicking her feet.

“I missed you,” Ginny said. A brief and uncharacteristic sadness came over Luna’s features.

“It was hard… after my mum…” she said.

“I’m sorry,” Ginny said a little awkwardly, but earnestly. “Umm, do you mind if I join you?”

“Please do.”

Ginny nodded and entered, placing her trunk on the rack and sitting across from Luna.

“Excited for Hogwarts?”

“A little. Daddy helped me prepare.” Luna held up a radish necklace she wore as if making an obvious point. Something long forgotten clicked for Ginny.

“Nargles?”

Luna beamed at her.

“Yes. You have always had very few nargles, Ginny.”

“Thanks!” Ginny said happily. She knew, in Luna speak, this meant that she wasn’t an idiot. She giggled suddenly, remembering Luna proclaiming that Ron had quite a few nargles and how much that had disturbed him at the tender age of eight.

Luna smiled even wider at her giggles. The compartment door opened.

“H-hi,” a small girl said. “Are you first years?”

“Yes,” Ginny said. “Want to come in?”

“Yeah…” The girl entered the compartment. She had brown hair and eyes and, despite her obvious nervousness carried herself in a manner Ginny might describe as lofty. It was an odd contrast. Ginny and Luna helped her put her trunk away and she sat across from them.

“Ginny Weasley.”

“Aurelia… Rosier.”

Ginny’s eyes went wide. “R-Rosier?”

The girl nodded and her gaze went from fearful to almost steely.

“Yes.”

“Nice to meet you,” Ginny said stiffly, which only served to harden the girl’s expression.

“I’m Luna. Luna Lovegood,” Luna said dreamily. “You have such a pretty name.”

“Uh, thanks,” Aurellia said, now looking a little thrown. Ginny’s shoulders sagged. Who cares who this girl’s family was—her dad had mentioned the last of the Rosiers had died in the last war to his friend, Alastor Moody.

“Sorry, I’m being a right prat. Can we start over?”

Aurellia looked at her for a moment and then nodded.

“Ginny Weasley, absolute twit.” She offered her hand to Aurellia who giggled.

“Aurellia Rosier,” she said, now smiling.

“Excited for school?”

“Yeah,” Aurellia said, and it sounded like she meant it. “Can’t wait… Honestly, I’m just happy to be on the train.” She made a face.

“Wanting to get away from home?” Ginny guessed

“You have no idea. What house do you think you’ll be in?”

“Gryffindor,” Ginny said immediately. “Whole family’s been in it for like… forever.”

“What about you, Luna?” Aurellia said.

“Oh, I don’t know. I suspect I’ll be happy in whatever is decided. You?”

“Probably Slytherin or Ravenclaw,” she said. “Everyone in my family was in Slytherin and everyone in my foster family is too. But I think I’d enjoy the house of the nerds.”

“S-Slytherin?” Ginny said.

“Yes,” Aurellia said, looking annoyed.

“Merlin, sorry. I’m sure loads of great people are in Slytherin,” she said, remembering that Bill had had a close Slytherin friend—to her mum’s chagrin—and it had only been the twins and Ron who had constantly ragged on the entire house.

“It’s fine.”

“Ginny, you’re collecting a few nargles,” Luna said. Aurellia looked absolutely confused by this statement, but Ginny flushed and looked down.

“Err, what are nargles?”

“Invisible creatures that make you act like an idiot,” Ginny said a little shame-faced.

“I’ve never heard of them…” Aurellia said carefully.

“Err, well Luna is the only one I know who can see them,” Ginny said.

“I see,” Aurellia said.

“Anyway, she’s right. I’m being an idiot. I’m sure Slytherin will be great. There’s just a house rivalry and a lot of my family is pretty anti-Slytherin. But most of my brothers are idiots, so what do they know?”

Luna hummed, seemingly in agreement.

The compartment door slammed open, and a very dishevelled looking girl stood before them.

“Ginny?” she asked.

“Yes?”

“I’m Hermione Granger, we met briefly at Diagon. I’m fairly certain neither Harry or Ron are on the train. They were staying with you right? Did they make it to the platform?”

“They came with us to King’s Cross, but… I honestly didn’t check to see if they followed us onto the platform.” Hermione looked distraught. “I’m sure they’re okay!” Ginny said quickly. “Mum and dad were with us. I’m sure they’ll sort whatever happened out. Why don’t you sit with us?”

“Oh… okay.” Hermione nodded and sat down next to Ginny. Everyone introduced themselves and Hermione only briefly paused at Aurellia’s last name, clearly recognising it, but not seeming too bothered.

“Granger… of the Dagworth-Grangers?” Aurellia asked. “I think I might have met some of your family at last year’s New Year’s Gala.”

Hermione shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’m muggle-born.” Aurellia’s eyes widened noticeably and Ginny saw Hermione lean back defensively.

“You’re muggle-born?” Aurellia said, her tone unreadable.

“Yes,” Hermione said acerbically.

“I knew they were lying,” Aurellia whispered.

“What?”

“My guardians… well, they don’t have a lot of kind things to say about muggle-borns. But they don’t seem very… in touch.”

Hermione gave the girl an appraising look.

“Who are your guardians?”

“The Parkinsons.”

Hermione immediately stiffened.

“As in Pansy Parkinson?”

“Yes. She’s kind of like a sister to me.”

“I should go,” Hermione said.

“Oh Morgana,” Aurellia said. “I—I’m not like that…”

“Like what?” Hermione folded her arms and her body was angled toward the door slightly as if ready to leave at any moment.

“You know…”

“I don’t.”

“I don’t hate muggle-borns,” Aurellia said. “Pansy is nice to me, but I know what she and her family think…” Aurellia sighed and made a frustrated noise. “Please, don’t go.”

Hermione slowly sat back down.

“Look, as close as Pansy and I are, her parents really don’t care for me. I’m just an annoyance to them. Pansy’s mother is my godmother, but I don’t think she ever expected to have to fulfill her duties… They brought me up with all the pureblood stuff, but it was always weird to me that we never even saw muggles or Muggle London. And… well, when we went to Diagon to get my wand and everything… I sort of snuck off and went out the other exit in the Leaky…”

Everyone was staring at her now.

“And it was crazy. I mean, absolutely terrifying. I still don’t understand half of what I saw, but… it was nothing like we were told. We were told muggles were living in dirt and were little better than animals. But it wasn’t like that. And you’re so… normal.”

Aurellia blushed here.

“Not normal… but you know.”

“Not filthy?” Hermione said, but her tone was softer now despite her obvious sarcasm.

“Sorry.”

Hermione shook her head.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Aurellia looked at Hermione.

“I saw these portraits… only they weren’t portraits, they looked real, and they were huge…”

“Oh videos…” Hermione trailed off, her brow furrowing. “Muggles have a way of capturing events and playing them back exactly.”

Everyone stared at her.

“Really?” Ginny said.

“Yeah, of course.” Hermione looked shocked that Ginny didn’t know this.

This launched a long discussion of the muggle world and how it operated. Ginny repeatedly told Hermione she didn’t have to answer all their questions, mortified that she was acting a bit like her dad, but Hermione said she was happy to answer and even suggested a few books for further reading.

It was a few hours later that the Hogwarts Express finally pulled in. They all left, Ginny and Aurellia both whispering excitedly about possible future illicit forays into Muggle London and Luna quiet, but thoughtful. Hermione seemed rather smug at the fact that they were so interested in what she had to say, but Ginny was just relieved she didn’t seem annoyed at their ignorance or questions.

Ginny’s breath caught as she watched Hogwarts come into view, a black silhouette set against a midnight blue backdrop. It was a rare cloudless night and stars littered the sky. Luna and Aurellia seemed equally reverent as they stared up at the castle.

They docked and Ginny helped her friends out of the boat. Luna stepped out, surprising graceful, while Aurellia needed Ginny to steady her as she almost fell in. She looked relieved as they made their way up the stone steps to the Castle entrance.

Hagrid knocked on the giant doors, seemingly made for him, and a stern looking woman, dressed all in black, answered. She led them to another set of doors and smiled.

“Welcome to Hogwarts,” she said and waved her hand. The doors swung open, revealing the Great Hall. Ginny gawked at the ceiling. She’d heard about it, but it really did look like it opened up onto the heavens. She waved at Hermione, who waved back, but looked concerned at Harry and Ron’s absence. Ginny just shrugged at her worried look. Those two seemed to get in trouble constantly.

The sorting started and Ginny listened with half an ear, starting to get very nervous. They were on C’s right now.

“Carrow. Flora.”

“Slytherin!”

“Carrow. Hestia.”

“Slytherin!”

“Cole. Astrid.”

“Ravenclaw!”

“Creevy. Collin.”

“Gryffindor!”

Why did they have to go alphabetically? This was torture. She listened until they got to Luna.

“Lovegood. Luna.”

The hat sat on her head for a good long while before it finally called out, “Ravenclaw!”

Ginny whooped and cheered for her long-time friend. Luna smiled at her and skipped happily to the Ravenclaw table.

Finally they got to Aurellia.

“Rosier. Aurellia.”

It took the hat a minute, but it called out, “Slytherin!”

Ginny cheered and clapped along with most of Slytherin, drawing a lot of odd looks. A black haired girl at the Slytherin table hugged Aurelia tightly as she approached.

Finally her name was called.

“Weasley. Ginevra.”

She heard a lot of cheers from the Gryffindor table and grinned as she approached the hat. It was placed on her head as she sat.

“Ah! Another Weasley. Hmmm… plenty of courage, of that there is no doubt. But there’s a thirst to prove yourself. Your hope to top your brothers could definitely turn into more, a thirst for greatness. And Slytherin could help you along your way…”

“Slytherin?” Ginny chirped in her head, blanching at that.

“Indeed. Of course I could stick you with the rest of your family in Gryffindor. You’d no doubt do well there…”

“Why Slytherin?” Ginny asked, feeling as if she were asking the hat to pitch it to her.

“You have potential. Potential and power. In Gryffindor you would likely be popular and well liked. But in Slytherin… in Slytherin you will have more freedom to forge your own path, one not constrained by your family.”

Ginny sucked in a breath. That… sounded like exactly what she wanted… but Slytherin? Her family would… she honestly had no idea what they would do. She thought of Aurellia. Had she truly meant what she said to the girl? Did it not matter?

“Place me where you think I’ll do best,” Ginny said inside her mind.

“Very well, Slytherin!”

The hall grew absolutely still. And then that stillness was broken by Aurellia and Luna’s whoops. The rest of Slytherin finally joined and Ginny smiled, handing the hat to a stricken looking McGonagall. Then Ginny calmly walked over to her new house and sat down next to Aurellia who smirked at her.

“Didn’t expect that.”

“Neither did I,” Ginny said. “But I’m not mad about it.”

“Weasley?”

Ginny turned to look. It was Draco Malfoy.

“What are you doing here?” He looked pale, well paler than usual.

“Sorting hat thought I had Slytherin chops,” she said, shrugging.

“Well… glad to see a Weasley has some sense,” Draco said, seeming to recover himself.

Ginny smirked.

“Well, I wish I could say my brothers had any sort of sense, but, at least the ones you’ve met, are a little lacking in that department. Although Fred and George make up for it in other ways,” she said with some fondness.

“Are you saying that there are other sensible Weasleys?” Draco said, but his tone was now teasing more than rude.

“Bill’s great. Charlie’s obsessed with dragons, but definitely plenty of sense.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of Bill Weasley. Cursebreaker?”

“Uh, yeah,” Ginny said, surprised. Bill wasn’t exactly famous. “How do you know about him?”

Draco blushed a bit.

“My sister had a huge crush on him in school,” he said. Ginny rolled her eyes.

“Merlin, everyone did. I can’t tell you how many girls just showed up at the Burrow and were extra nice to me. Mind you, got a lot of ice cream out of it.”

Draco laughed, seeming relieved that she wasn’t going to make fun of his sister.