Ginevra Scorned

“You never saw me as a little girl. I was no red-haired befreckled fan girl looking for her jumper. I was the bad twin, the enemy in a family of friends. Maybe you could see past my cunning or the green in my tie. I will be the woman scorned and you will be the chosen one. You are the hero and I am the one they wished was never born. How is someone meant not to feel worthless when their whole life is just working against the odds? My love flows for you like a waterfall. You will forget it ever was in the lake of it all."

***

Year One

“Alright you go on Percy, then you Fred,” Molly Weasley said to her sons.

“I’m not Fred, I’m George!” The twin declared.

“Honestly you call yourself our mother, tsk,” the other added.

“Alright George you go ahead,” Molly huffed.

“I’m only joking, I am Fred.” With that, Fred ran through the wall and disappeared. George quickly followed.

“Alright Ron and Ginny come here.” Molly looked them both over with a smile before pulling them into a bone-crushing hug. “Oh my babies, be good this year, make us proud.”

“Yes mum,” they chorused.

Molly planted a kiss on Ginny’s forehead then turned to Ron. “Ronald you’ve got some dirt on your nose, let me just get it.” She began fighting him to rub his nose with her hanker chief.

“No mum, it’s fine! Gretoff!” He grunted.

As they were tussling a boy with messy black hair and cello taped together round glasses approached. He had overgrown bangs, baggy clothes, and the most piercing green eyes Ginny had ever seen. He was pushing a cart with a large leather trunk and a beautiful snowy white owl.

“Hello dear,” Molly said in a sing-song voice, immediately abandoning her efforts to clean Ron’s face. “Are you looking for the platform to Hogwarts?”

“Erm…yes,” the boy stuttered out in a soft voice.

“Is it your first time?”

He nodded and glanced between the three Weasleys nervously.

“Not to worry dear, it’s my twins' first year too. This is Ron and Ginny,” She pointed between them.

“Ron here was just about to go through, so you can follow after him. Go ahead, Ron.”

Ron gave Ginny and the new boy a final glance before running through the wall. He immediately found himself on a bustling platform he’d seen many times, but now there was a new excitement to it. This year he would finally get to embark on the crimson locomotive to Hogwarts. Finally, his chance to prove he was more than just his family name.

The dark-haired boy appeared behind him with a stunned expression on his face. All of this seemed to be new to him, he must be a muggle-born. Ron shrugged and made his way to the train, hoping to avoid any more manhandling by his mother.

Back on Kings Cross Molly was having a final word with Ginny.

“Ginny dear, I meant what I said, be good.” Molly gave her a hard look, “Absolutely no funny business, I mean it. I don’t want any letters home about your behavior. The twins are bad enough, I don’t need your brand of mischief tarnishing our family name too.”

Ginny went to argue and her mother hushed her with another piercing gaze and dismissive wave of her hand. The truth was as long as Ginny could remember bad things had been happening to others around her. She swore up and down that it wasn’t her fault but no one ever believed her. Whether it was Fred and George hanging by their toes from the roof after they turned Ron’s teddy into a spider, Ron nearly drowning in the pond when he and Ginny went out there to feed the ducks, or the boy who ogled Ginny at school ending up with a gash through his right eyes. Injuries always befell those who got too close to Ginny, and it had led to her parents deeply mistrusting her. Ginny promised herself at Hogwarts it would be different. Once Ginny could control her magic, she’d never let it harm anyone again. She’d finally be the child her parents could be proud of.

***

By the time Ginny made it to the train the final whistle was sounding. She made her way through the train corridor looking for an empty compartment when someone flagged her down.

Ron’s familiar voice rang out, “Ginny in here!”

Ginny rounded the corner and saw Ron waving at her in a compartment seated beside the dark-haired boy from the platform.

“You remember Harry, this is Harry…Harry Potter,” Ron absolutely beamed as he said it. “Harry this is my twin sister Ginny.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Harry stuck out his hand politely. Ginny’s jaw dropped.

“THE Harry Potter?!” Ginny gaped.

“Yeah I know!” Ron exclaimed, “He’s got the scar and everything! Show her,” He insisted, shoving Harry lightly.

“Oh okay…” Harry said uncertainly, pulling up his bangs to reveal a long thin lightning scar. When Ginny continued staring, he quickly put his hair back down.

“Gin say something,” Ron urged, “Isn’t this awesome?”

“Yeah um…hi,” Ginny shook Harry’s outstretched hand and gave him a small smile.

“Hi,” Harry smiled back.

Ron began chatting loudly with Harry about how he wanted to be sorted into Gryffindor and all the things he wanted to learn at Hogwarts, based on what their older siblings had told them. Harry nodded along politely and agreed that he thought Gryffindor sounded like a great house, much better than Slytherin, which Ron had informed Harry all the dark wizards had come from. As they spoke Ginny watched Harry. His movements were very subdued, but there was something almost mesmerizing about his eyes. They were the sort of eyes that looked like they held secrets in them. His eyes brightened as he listened to Ron. Every once and awhile he’d glance over at Ginny and give her that same soft smile. Ron asked some question and Harry answered then turned to Ginny. “What do you think, Ginny?” Harry asked.

Ginny snapped out of her musing about his eyes to blurt out, “Can I fix your glasses?”

“Huh?”

“Pardon?” Ron and Harry both looked at Ginny in surprise.

“You’re glasses, are broken and held together with cellotape. Can I fix them? I know how.” Ginny reiterated.

“What’d you mean you know how Gin?” Ron gaped.

“Fred taught me,” Ginny shrugged as she pulled out her wand. “Can I?”

“Uh…sure,” Harry took off his glasses and handed them to Ginny.

Ginny tapped the glasses with her wand, “Oculus Reparo.” Immediately the glasses mended themselves back together properly and the cellotape disappeared into the air. Ginny caught the wave of jealousy coming off Ron as he looked at her brand-new wand. The Weasleys had only had money for one new wand, and Ginny had gotten it in exchange for Ron also getting the only available broom from their older brothers. Ron had their brother Charlie’s old wand, which didn’t seem overly fond of him. Ginny had gone with their mother to Ollivander’s and been paired with an eleven-inch dark wood wand made of yew with a unicorn hair core. When Ginny had first used it it had made all the lights in Ollivander’s go dark and then come back on in an eery green hew that faded into a beautiful gold color. He had seemed rather taken with the display, but Molly had scarcely smiled until they were back with Arthur and the boys. Ginny hadn’t quite known what to think of this.

Harry looked down at his glasses in amazement, “Wow, thanks Ginny!” He put them back on grinning. His eyes were even more prominent when seen through glass without cracks.

Ginny blushed slightly and busied herself putting her wand away, “Don’t mention it.”

Soon the trolly came and Ron oggled in amazement as Harry ordered them the lot. The boys dove into every candy imaginable as if they were starving. Ron quickly pawned off their mother’s sandwiches to Harry, who seemed equally excited to get anything homemade. He seemed fascinated by the idea of growing up in an all-wizard family, and Ginny was very curious who had raised him but was too shy to ask. Ron told Harry all about their brothers and warned him about Fred and George’s antics.

“Percy’s a prefect and got a right stick up his butt. Thinks he’s better than everyone. I got his old rat, scabbers. I can do a bit of magic on him, that George taught me, it’s supposed to turn him yellow.” Ron gave Ginny a look. She figured he was still mad about her showing off her magic earlier, everything was a competition with him.

Ron pulled out his own slightly bent wand and pointed it at a squirming Scabbers. Right as he was about to speak their compartment door flew open.

“Have you seen a toad, a boy named Neville’s lost one?” A girl with big bushy brown hair and bucked teeth asked.

“A toad?!” Ron exclaimed in annoyance.

“Yes a toad. Why have you got your wand out?” The girl sounded exasperated and curious.

“No we haven’t seen one, and Ron here was about to show us a spell he knows.” Harry supplied.

“Let’s see then,” the girl in the doorway urged.

Ron cleared his throat importantly and raised his wand again before chanting, “Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow.” a flash of light came from his wand and Scabber’s jumped slightly, but other than that nothing happened.

“Are you sure that’s a real spell?” The girl chided, and Ron gave her an irritated look. “Well it’s not very good is it.” Ron huffed and looked over at Harry for support. Ginny just rolled her eyes at her stupid brother’s antics.

“Of course I’ve only tried a few simple spells, but they’ve all worked for me,” the girl went on, “For example, you’ve got dirt on your nose.” She pulled out her wand and pointed it at Ron’s face, “Scourgify” she chanted, and with a little pop the dirt disappeared from Ron’s nose.

“OI!” Ron exclaimed, covering his nose defensively as Ginny giggled.

Hermione turned to Ginny with a small self-satisfied smirk, “Just simple magic really. I’m Hermione Granger, and you are?”

“I’m Ginny Weasley, this is Harry and my twin brother Ron.” Hermione did a double take looking at Harry again.

“Holy cricket are you Harry Potter?!” Hermione exclaimed.

Harry nodded and gave her a weak smile. Hermione turned to Ron with a less impressed gaze. Ron had already dived back into the snacks and was chewing on them loudly.

“Well the three of you better get changed into your robes, I expect will be arriving soon. With that she swept from the compartment, looking back once to give Ginny and Harry another smile.

***

Hogwarts was even more massive and grandeur in person than Ginny’s older brother’s description ever did justice. The first years followed a giant man named Hagrid carrying a large lantern towards a fleet of small row boats docked at the edge of the Black Lake. Their group of three from the train got in a boat together and it immediately started moving on its own across the lake. Hagrid led all the boats seating groups of three to four in his own larger boat by himself. As the boat moved Harry, Ron, and Ginny all stared about in wonder. As they went Ginny wondered which large tower housed Gryffindor Tower and if the common room would be as cozy in person as Percy had described. Ginny was itching to get there and join in on the family Gryffindor pride. Ron seemed preoccupied pointing out the quidditch pitch to Harry. All the Weasleys, but Percy were massive quidditch fans, and Fred and George played as beaters for the Gryffindor team. Harry seemed to have never heard of quidditch which shocked and applauded Ron.

“Never heard of quidditch?!” Mate, it’s the best sport there is!” Ron declared, “You’ll see at flying lessons.”

Soon the boats arrived at a boat house that led up to a grand balcony leading into a room just off the Great Hall. All the first years gathered before a stern-looking woman, with a severe black bun, sweeping emerald green robes, and a matching witch’s hat, who Ginny guessed to be the Gryffindor head of house Professor McGonagall. Fred and George had done many impressions of her, and her voice was as curt as they’d described. They may even have been going easy on her.

“Hello first years, my name is Professor Mcgonagall, I suggest you do your best to spiffy up, for in a few moments we will be entering the Great Hall and joining your other peers for the sorting ceremony.”

McGonagall left briefly as students began talking eagerly amongst themselves. Ginny began to straighten her robes when a snide voice spoke nearby. Looking on she saw a boy with slicked back bleach blonde hair flanked by two taller, heavy set approaching Harry and Ron.

“So it’s true what they were saying on the train, Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts.” The blonde spoke, “This is Crabbe and Goyle, and I’m Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.” Harry looked on in intrigue while the blonde stuck his hand out to him.

Ron snorted at the boy's introduction and the blonde turned on him. “Think my names funny do you? No need to ask yours, Red hair and a hand-me-down robe, you must be a Weasley.” The blonde—Draco—turned back to Harry, “You’ll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don’t want to go making friends with the wrong sort.” He gave Ron another derisive look. “I can help you there.”

Harry stared Draco down, not taking his outstretched hand, “I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks.” Draco glared at Harry then made a derisive snorting sound and stalked away with his lackeys. Ron smirked after him.

“Nice one Harry,” Ron declared, and Harry smiled back at him. Ginny couldn’t help but smile too.

“Follow me, you may now enter for the sorting ceremony,” Professor McGonagall declared as the massive double doors to the hall opened wide to reveal an even more magnificent room containing four long house tables laden with empty golden cups and platters, a large walkway down the middle leading to a long staff table with a podium in the center decorated with a brass owl that known other than Albus Dumbledore stood behind. Over it all was a seemingly endless ceiling displaying the night sky from outdoors, and at the very center front of the hall was a beat-up old wizard hat that looked to have a face in its seams.

As soon as all the first years had finished filing in the hat’s seam mouth opened wide and the hat began singing a toon about the founding of Hogwarts and the sorting into houses. Finishing on a verse about inter-house until and harmony among all. As Ginny listened the words about Gryffindor rung out to her “The Gryffindor Lions brave and true.” Ginny could be that, she would be the bravest Gryffindor anyone had ever seen.

“Let the sorting begin,” The had declared. Professor McGonagall pulled out a long sheet of parchment and began calling names.

“Susan Bone,” A girl with bouncy auburn curls and a nervous expression sat for a moment for the hat screeched “Hufflepuff!” And she rushed over to the table of students dressed in yellow ties.

“Hermione Granger,” Hermione sat for a moment, the hat catching on her poofy hair and displaying the scrunched-up look of concentration on her face.

“Gryffindor!” The hat screamed. This went on, and Malfoy and his cronies predictably went to Slytherin. A girl named Padma went to Ravenclaw while her twin Parvati went to Gryffindor. That separation would not be happening to Ron and Ginny, Ginny thought. Soon McGonagall called out, “Harry Potter!”

The room went dead silent as all eyes fell on Harry. The hat placed on his head fell over his eyes and he sat there for several long moments. He seemed to be muttering something to himself or the hat that Ginny couldn’t make out. The hat seemed to be speaking back to Harry. Finally, the hat raised its voice and said, “Well if you’re sure. Better be GRYFFINDOR!” The table of red erupted in cheers and Ron and Ginny both clapped excitedly. Harry ran away from the hat grinning and quickly took a seat by Hermione and the toad boy Neville.

“Ron Weasley,” McGonagall called.

Ron walked slowly up to the stool and his face was clear to the audience as the large hat fit nearly perfectly on his large round head. There was a pregnant pause as Ron held his breath before the hat bellowed, “GRYFFINDOR!”

Ron exhaled in belief and sprang off the stool grinning like a maniac to join Harry at the Gryffindor table.

“Ginevra Weasley,” The world stopped for a moment as Ginny realized it was her turn. She felt like she was moving in slow motion as she made her way up to the stool and sat down. McGonagall placed the hat on her head and it quickly fell over her eyes. All she could think was “Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffindor!” She must have said something aloud because the hat answered.

“Ha! You aren’t a Gryffindor!” Before Ginny could even process these words the hat was already screaming, “SLYTHERIN!”

“No!” Ginny croaked. There was no cheering, it was crickets as McGongall removed the hat from Ginny’s head and she sat there frozen.

“Dear, your table is that way,” McGonagall urged, giving Ginny a little push. Ginny’s legs felt like lead as she walked slowly towards the sea of green. Everything felt wrong, the world as Ginny knew it was off kilter. As she went to sit students moved away, leaving a large section of the bench for her to sit all alone. A girl named Pansy Parkinson glared at her from her seat next to Draco Malfoy, and Malfoy and his lackeys sneered at her. Ginny didn’t hear the end of sorting and she barely processed a word of Dumbledore’s opening speech or staff introductions. All Ginny knew was that she would never bring her family Gryffindor pride. She would never be the daughter they wanted.

Before she knew it the feast was over and she was being led down to the Slytherin Dormitories in the Dungeon by an angry-looking boy and girl named Anthony and Kristana. The whole place felt cold and unwelcoming with stone walls and black furniture. There were no windows to outside only viewing glass to the Black Lake. Ginny was led to a girl's dormitory which she’d be sharing with the angry girl from earlier, Pansy, and two other girls named Daphne Greengrass and Millicent Bulstrode. All of them looked at Ginny like she was scum on the bottom of her shoe, and when she went to set up at the bed her worn old trunk had been set beside, Pansy tutted at her. “You don’t get that one, go to the smaller one in the corner. That one’s mine.” Pansy declared.

“Says who,” Ginny bit back, as Pansy approached haughtily.

“Says me,” Pansy stood a few inches taller than Ginny and had no qualms about getting in her personal space. “And if you planning on living to see tomorrow, you’ll do well to obey what we tell you. We are all from some of the finest pureblood families in Britain and you are from a family of poor, filthy blood traitors. You are nothing, you are less than scum to us. You have no power here, and the sooner you learn that the easier it will be for you. Got it?” Pansy breathed down Ginny’s neck as a truly evil sneer split her face.

Ginny glared back defiantly but stood down when Pansy shoved her. The other two girls had come behind Pansy with equally as ruthless expressions and Ginny became very aware very quickly of her powerlessness in this situation.

“Good,” Pansy grinned as she swept away from Ginny who was now backed into the corner by the smallest bed. This was it, this was her worst nightmare.

Soon Ginny escaped out to the common room, hoping to compose herself away from Satan’s bitches. She sat on a black leather couch near the fire, trying to process the events of the last two hours when a familiar and unwelcome voice broke through her thoughts.

“A Weasley?” Draco Malfoy said a cruel smirk already affixed to his face as he approached the black couch Ginny sat on, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle

“What’s it to you?” Ginny snapped.

“Ooo tut-tut, bad manners Weasley,” Draco poked, “I’m just curious what a Weasley child is doing in Slytherin?” Draco asked plopping down beside her uninvited. “Are you their disappointment?”

Ginny gave him a piercing glare, “Are you done trying to get a rise out of me?”

He grinned wider, “No, not yet, we’re having fun aren’t we boys?” Draco looked to his companions who grunted in agreement. They stood over the couch like bodyguards.

Ginny huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, turning away from them.

“I’m still talking sweetheart,” he sneered.

“I’ve no idea why,” Ginny rolled her eyes.

“I’m Draco Malfoy and this is Crab and Goyle. What’s your name, Weasley?”

“I already know you, you were messing with my brother.” Ginny grumbled.

“Dear Ronald, I was just reminding of his place,” Malfoy said in a sickly sweet tone. “And asked politely, what’s your name sweetheart?”

Ginny glanced down at Draco’s outstretched hand, refusing to take it, “It’s Ginny.”

“Ginny,” Draco seemed to roll it around on his tongue, then reached out and patted her hand. “Ginny, if you ever want some friends who aren’t blood traitors like the rest of your family you know where to find me.” Draco snapped his fingers and walked out with the other boys following his lead.

Ginny stared after him in disbelief, before sinking back into the couch for another round of brooding.

***

“Ginny is a Slytherin? How could she do that?!” Ron paced the dorm floor violently. He and Harry’s new dorm mates Neville, Dean, and Seamus watched with uncertainty.

“I’m not sure if she got much of a choice mate,” Harry responded carefully.

“I don’t care, all of us Weasleys have been in Gryffindor for nearly a century! What is wrong with her? Slytherins are evil!”

“Maybe not all of them are,” Harry offered.

“Harry all the darkest wizards have been from Slytherin. If she was planning to betray our family, some notice would have been nice!”

“Ron—“ Harry started.

“No, she’s dead to me.” Ron declared with finality. “Let’s just go to bed.”

“Okay…” Harry looked uncertainly at his new friend. Would Ron have turned on him just as fast if the hat had sorted him into Slytherin? Would he have had to be friends with Draco Malfoy? Harry shuddered at the thought. No, Harry would not have wanted Ginny’s fate, but that didn’t stop him from feeling bad for her.