Chapter 16
“Oh thank Morgana.”
Ginny turned, on her way to the carriages, and her face split into a wide smile.
“Aurellia!”
Her friend hugged her quickly and then did the same with Astrid and Luna.
“I can’t believe Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson had Vincent and Greg follow me around on the train. Sorry I didn’t come say hi, I didn’t want to subject you to that.”
Ginny winced in sympathy. That must not have been a fun trip.
“Greg was actually quite nice,” Aurellia said thoughtfully. “Vince is a bit of a prat. I don’t know why they hang out.”
“I think their fathers are friends,” Ginny said with some distaste. She’d heard exactly how their fathers knew each other from her own.
“Let’s get into the carriage,” Astrid said impatiently. They piled in.
Ginny noticed Luna was staring out the window at the space in front of the carriage.
“You okay Luna?”
“They’re rather beautiful, aren’t they?”
“Umm, what are?”
“Thestrals.”
Everyone looked at each other in confusion.
“Luna, I don’t see anything.”
“Only some people can see them,” Luna said, with a note of finality. Ginny didn’t press. It was hard, sometimes, to read Luna’s moods. She was rarely ever angry or stressed. The one negative emotion she did show was sadness. Ginny had learned that the best way to approach this was in silent support.
***
The feast was great. Aurellia, Ginny, and Pansy all sat together at the end of the table, with a large gap between themselves and the Slytherins who’d already arrived. Pansy’s expulsion from her family had made her a pariah amongst the house. No one wanted to anger the Parkinsons by associating with an estranged daughter. So it was a surprise when Hestia and Flora smiled at Ginny and sat across from her.
“We didn’t get to speak much last year,” Hestia said. “But we were wondering if you’d like to study with us. We’re trying to get our grades up.”
“I should be free,” Ginny said. “I have to check my schedule though.”
Hestia cocked her head.
“Don’t we all have the same schedule until third year?”
“I’m… studying ahead,” Ginny said. Flora looked at her more closely.
“How far ahead?”
“She’s going to be joining our third year review sessions,” Pansy said.
“Our?”
“Granger and I,” Pansy replied.
“You’re studying with Hermione Granger?”
“Yes,” Pansy said haughtily.
“Flora,” Hestia said warningly.
“What do I need to do to join with Ginevra?”
“Flora!”
Flora ignored her sister.
“Not hold us back.”
Flora nodded.
“Where are you right now?” she asked Ginny.
“I’m a quarter way through third year material.”
“How well do you know it?”
“The practical? Very well. Theory,” Ginny made a so-so gesture.
“If I won’t slow you down, I can join?” Flora asked. Hestia looked irate at being ignored.
“Yes,” Pansy said.
“It might take me some time.”
“We’ll be here,” Pansy replied.
Flora nodded, and an irrepressible grin grew on her face. She ducked her head and focused on her meal.
“Flora?” Aurellia asked. “Mind if I join you while you study ahead?” Aurellia looked sadly at Ginny and Pansy.
“Of course,” Flora said kindly. “If Hestia gets her head out of her bum, she can join too.”
“Flora! Can you imagine what mum and dad would say if—”
She cut off at the glare Flora shot her.
“Mum and dad aren’t going to Hogwarts, we are. If they have a problem with me studying with the student who broke three academic records by their third year, they’re barmy.”
Hestia subsided, but she still looked disgruntled. After a moment of silence, Ginny spoke.
“Umm. Why did you ask to study with me?” Ginny said.
Hestia and Flora both looked at her as if she were daft.
“Because you’re top of the year,” Hestia said slowly. Pansy hit her arm.
“Did you not owl the school to send over your grades like I said?”
Ginny blushed. The real reason she hadn’t was because she didn’t much care. Tom had taken her exams for her and done most of her year’s worth of classwork.
“No. I guess they sent them to the Burrow.”
Hestia and Flora looked intrigued by this statement, but, being Slytherins, they didn’t press.
Pansy grinned.
“I hope they opened them.”
Ginny laughed, imagining her family’s faces upon learning that she’d come top in her year while possessed.
“Ms. Weasley, Ms. Parkinson.”
Professor McGonagall was upon them.
“Yes, professor?” Ginny said in her most formal tones. Professor McGonagall arched an eyebrow, seeming unsure if Ginny was being sarcastic with her. She wasn’t. Pansy had given Ginny and Hermione a run down, over the summer, on proper wizarding etiquette. Generally, it wasn’t used amongst friends. But it was polite to address those with authority with respect. Pansy had also given them a course on how to be disrespectful while still being polite. That course was much longer than the etiquette one.
Ginny, however, was being entirely sincere—Professor McGonagall was one of the foremost transfiguration experts in Europe and a very good teacher. It was just that she or her family wasn’t known for formality whatsoever.
“After the feast, please join me in Professor Flitwick’s office.”
“Of course, professor.”
She arched an eyebrow again and swept off.
“Very good,” Pansy said, nodding. Ginny smiled, glad she’d gotten it right.
***
An hour later, they entered Professor Flitwick’s office. Ginny had never been here before. It was filled to the brim with books piled everywhere. She noticed that many of them seemed to be fiction.
“Good evening,” Professor Flitwick said. They both nodded to him respectfully. He raised an eyebrow at that.
They weren’t the only ones there. Marietta Edgecombe, Marcus Belby, and the Ravenclaw Seeker girl were all sitting there. Professor Snape was also there, along with Professor McGonagall.
“We have a report that you both used dark magic against Ms. Change, Mr. Belby, and Ms. Edgecombe.”
The Seeker, who must be Chang, looked up in surprise.
“I didn’t report that.”
“No, Ms. Edgecombe did, along with Mr. Belby.”
Chang glared daggers at her two friends.
“Ms. Weasley, Ms. Parkinson, what do you have to say for yourselves?” Snape asked.
“Well, how would you describe dark magic?” Pansy said flippantly. Ginny had to bite her tongue to keep from dropping her jaw or laughing, she wasn’t sure which.
“Ms. Parkinson!” Professor McGonagall said.
“Neither Ginny nor I cast illegal magic on the train,” Pansy said.
“Did you hex these three students?”
“We only hexed Edgecombe and Belby,” Ginny said.
“I used a transfiguration to bind everyone in the compartment,” Pansy said.
“Did you now? I never noticed you showing particular interest or aptitude in my class, Ms. Parkinson.”
Ginny glared at Professor McGonagall, but Pansy just smiled.
“I could demonstrate it for you if you like?” Pansy said.
“Perhaps later,” Snape said. “Hand over your wands. Let’s get this over with.”
They did and he tapped his own against each of them. To both Ginny and Pansy’s shock, the past ten spells they’d cast erupted from the wand.
“Ms. Parkinson, I am unaware of some of these spells,” Snape said, looking at her in curiosity.
“Some are rather ancient, sir.”
“I see. I am quite familiar with all banned spells. None of these will legally qualify as dark magicm” Snape said, implying heavily that he would classify them as such.
“Still, it is unacceptable that you attacked other students unprovoked.”
“We never said it was unprovoked,” Ginny said, an edge to her tone as she glared at Professor Flitwick now. Pansy laid a hand on her arm.
“Explain,” Snape said.
And they did. About how the dementor brought up Luna’s bullying and how they had questioned her about it. Once they had finished, Chang stood up and glared at Marietta and Marcus, fists balled at her sides.
“You better thank Merlin and Morgana that they hexed you before I did. I would not have let you off so easily.”
“Cho!” Marietta said, looking affronted.
“You bullied that poor girl so badly that it was the memory brought up for her by dementors!” Cho yelled. Marietta glanced at the professors and wisely didn’t say anything.
Professor Flitwick looked upset.
“As the attack happened against my own students, it falls within my purview to punish the act.”
Pansy stiffened next to Ginny.
“No punishment.”
“What!?” Marietta said. Marcus stayed quiet.
“Ms. Edgecombe and Mr. Belby, you will receive two months worth of detentions and fifty points from Ravenclaw each. You both will also be removed from consideration for prefect.”
“That’s not fair!”
“Do you deny that you bullied Ms. Lovegood in the way described? I am happy to call for Ms. Lovegood and make use of the Headmaster’s pensieve if you wish.”
Marietta hesitated and sat back down, glaring at everyone.
“Very well. Ms. Parkinson, Ms. Weasley. I generally do not approve of retribution being exacted by students. I would like you to come to me if there are any future problems. However, as I have shown an appalling lack of awareness of these events, I can understand how you would want to take the matter into your own hands.”
Marietta and Marcus stared at him in complete shock.
“Ms. Chang, please stay a little longer.”
He nodded in dismissal to everyone.
***
Cho sat still as everyone filed out. She had believed Marietta when she’d said that she had just teased the Lovegood girl, but thought it best not to report the attack by the Slytherins. She respected defending one’s friends, even if they may have gone overboard.
Marietta had always been a little bit mean, but Cho had always thought there was a healthy dose of irony behind her snarky comments. She’d never have believed that Marietta and Marcus would have ruthlessly bullied anyone.
She felt a little like her entire life at Hogwarts was crumbling around her. Her two best friends had just turned out to be terrible people, and she hadn’t even noticed.
“Ms. Chang.”
“Yes, professor?”
“I would like you to look out for Ms. Lovegood.”
“Of course.”
“I would also like you to report any other bullying you see within the house.”
Cho looked down in shame.
“I didn’t even notice when my best friends were doing it, sir.”
“It was not your responsibility. It was mine. However, I believe we can both learn from this experience.”
Cho straightened a bit.
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Also, if you discover that any prefects were aware of this, please let me know.”
Flitwick’s look was steely, and Cho nodded, matching it.
***
Cho sat across from the Lovegood girl. She looked up and immediately flinched back.
“Hi, I don’t think we’ve been introduced. I’m Cho. Cho Chang.”
The girl tentatively looked at the proffered hand and then cocked her head. She shook it.
“Luna Lovegood.”
“It’s nice to meet you Luna. From now on, if you need anything, let me know.”
She nodded her head.