Chapter 4
”Hey Ginny! Wait up,” Ron was coming up the corridor with Harry and Hermione in tow, as usual, when Ginny was walking from dinner with Hestia the next day. “You go ahead, I see you back in the dorm?” Shrugging, Hestia did as she asked and Ginny turned to face her brother. “Hey guys!”
“What were you doing with Flint yesterday?” Typical Ron not to waste time on pleasantries, Ginny thought.
“We had our first Quidditch practice yesterday.”
“You are on Slytherins team? Congratulations! I didn’t know you liked Quidditch,” Harry said with a smile.
“Thanks, only as a reserve, but it is great to be get to practice with the team. Flint is a great Captain.” Ginny wasn’t sure she really thought he was a great Captain; she was still annoyed at how he had yelled at Samuels after yesterday’s practice. But she knew it would annoy Ron and after Flint had saved her from Travers, she should show some loyalty.
“What do you mean ‘Great Captain’, the guy is an evil prat. Everyone knows that. Besides, you don’t even know how to play Quidditch!”
“I guess there is a lot you don’t know about a lot of people Ron Weasley.” Ginny couldn’t believe him; he was so infuriating. “Was that all? I’m supposed to be meeting my roommates and write our Transfiguration homework.”
“No, that wasn’t all. You still haven’t explained why you were with Flint. Even if you would have been on their team, Malfoy was back at least half an hour before you showed up with that Blood Purist.”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you or anyone.” Ginny wanted to counter the Blood Purist comment as well but to be honest she had no idea on the Quidditch Captains views on blood statuses. Some things you were better off not asking about in Slytherin. “Nice to see you, Harry, Hermione” with that Ginny turned towards the corridor leading down to the dungeons and Slytherins common room.
“I can’t believe you’re my sister!” Ginny felt her eyes tear up, she knew she weren’t the best Weasley, the green tie around her neck reminded her about it every day, but Ron was a prick. She focused on keep walking in the same pace and ignored him.
“I’m writing to mum!” It took all of Ginny’s willpower not to flip her brother of over her shoulder but she managed and felt really proud over her control of her temper.
She was almost at the Slytherin Common Room when she heard someone calling.
“Weasley!” Bloody brilliant, Ginny thought before hastily wiping the traitorous tears of her cheeks before turning to face a fuming Rosier. “Did you really pick a fucking fight with Travers?”
“I-” Ginny started.
“Didn’t last year teach you anything?” Rosier pulled her into the same classroom she used when tutoring them last year.
“But,” Ginny tried to come up with some defence, “he-”
“He what?” Rosier crossed her arms, leaning back against the wall.
“He was harassing this little kid, I couldn’t just-”
“You couldn’t just what? Not give him another little kid to harass?”
“No!” Ginny protested. She wasn’t a little kid. But trying to argue that point wouldn’t go over well, that much she knew. “I didn’t think that far, okey? I just heard him scream and took off running.”
Rosier scoffed, “like a bloody Gryffindor, no thinking at all.”
“Maybe I’m a rubbish Slytherin! Just as I’m apparently a rubbish Weasley! Why can’t everyone just bug off and leave me alone,” Ginny finally let out the anger that had brewed in her since her run in with Ron.
Rosier didn’t react on her temper-tantrum with more than a raised eyebrow from her place leaning casually against the wall. “You know the difference between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, Weasley?”
Ginny didn’t think Rosier was looking for a listing of the qualities the Sorting Hat was supposed to look for. She shook her head.
“We always make sure we know the consequences of our actions.”
Ginny looked back at the older girl in confusion, opening her mouth but didn’t know what she wanted to ask.
“Gryffindors call it braveness to run straight into situations they haven’t assessed. Slytherin calls it reckless behaviour. There is nothing desirable with not thinking. If you know the cost of your actions and still think they are worth the consequences, then go ahead. But I never want to hear you blaming your stupid actions on not thinking again.” Ginny blushed against her will, she really had to learn how to stop that reflex.
“So, it’s okey to run into a fight I might lose if I think the cause is worth it?” Ginny finally got her question out.
“Of course, that is what you take away from it,” Rosier laughed genuinely, before growing serious again, “yes, if you actually understand exactly how deep Travers and Taylor are into the Dark Arts, understands what it means to be cursed without guaranties to be found in time and still want to take that on to save a stranger, then by all means, go ahead.”
The more Ginny thought about it, the less sure she was she would risk that for a stranger, though maybe that was exactly what made her less of a Weasley. Neither of her brothers would hesitate running straight into a dangerous situation, would they? Another thought hit her.
“I never really think before acting or speaking, is that what makes me a bad Slytherin?”
Rosier shrugged, “I’m not sure the Sorting Hat picks us for what is already is there, more about what we can become.” With that she turned to leave, opening the door before turning back towards Ginny. “We will resume our tutoring from last year, meet me back here Wednesday after dinner.” With that she left Ginny without a backward glance.
---
The morning a few days later found Ginny and her group of friends eating breakfast in the Great Hall.
“You should have seen it, I managed to score three times on Bletchley yesterday” Alex was excitedly telling their friends about the Quidditch practice the day before. Or rather telling Tyler and Flora, Hestia wasn’t even pretending to be listening – instead she had all her focus into her project of learning wandless magic that she had been into since the summer. Alex continued “and Ginny made a whole practice without enraging Flint, a new record!” Ginny responded to her friend’s teasing in the most mature way she could come up with – she stuck her tongue out. But Alex was right, it had been a really good practice the day before. She had been unsure if she was welcome back after Flint throwing her out after the first practice but he hadn’t said anything. In return she had kept from talk back to him. Then afterwards Warrington had started to teach her the Sloth Grip Roll he had promised during the try-outs. Best Tuesday ever!
“Oh, look a Howler! I wouldn’t want to be the person getting that one.” Tyler exclaimed.
Flora said thoughtfully “I think it is a sign of bad parenting to yell mindlessly at your kids.”
Ginny felt her heart sink, she had a bad feeling about this. As the owl carrying the Howler got closer, Ginny recognized the shaky flying, Errol. The direction of the owl made it clear that it wasn’t going to the Gryffindor table, leaving her as the only possible target.
“It’s mine, you guys might want to cover your ears.”
“Yours? What have you done?” Hestia wanted to know, looking up from her wandless magic attempts.
“I guess we will find out.” Ginny said gloomily. She really couldn’t remember anything she had done lately, though since getting into Slytherin everything she did seemed to agonize her mother.
Ginny Weasley,
Haven’t we raised you better than to associate with Blood Purists and Death Eater children in that house of yours? It is bad enough you are in Slytherin with all that bad influence – I specifically told you to keep away from the traditionalistic families after I heard you was hanging out with a Malfoy last year.
Now your brother writes to me and tells me that you have been socializing with that Flint boy. I heard enough of him from your brothers to understand what kind he is of. I don’t want him anywhere near you, your brothers will see to that.
And to think that you on top of this behaviour have the nerve to write and ask for futile shoes in early Christmas gift, at this rate you will be lucky to get any Christmas gift at all.
If I have to tell you one more time to choose your company wiser, I will enforce a house change or pull you out of Hogwarts.
Why can’t you be more like your brothers?
Love,
Mum
“Sweat Merlin” Tyler broke the deafening silence in the Great Hall and looked shocked between Ginny and the now burning Howler.
Ginny thought she was burning up with humiliation and anger, to keep herself from starting to cry in the middle of the Great Hall she focused on the latter and stormed over to the Gryffindor table.
“YOU!” Ginny yelled when she had reached Ron’s part of the Gryffindor table. “ARE THE WORST BROTHER EVER.” This was worth any consequence, that she didn’t have to think before being able to determine.
“Ginevra! You can’t cause this kind of ruckus at breakfast; don’t you realize that your behaviour reflects on me as well? Five points from Slytherin.”
Pushing her way past Percy, she hissed “I guess that gives you second place to that award.”
“Weasley,” Flint started as she passed him on her way out of the Great Hall. Merlin, Ginny thought, he really didn’t deserve to hear that. No way was he ever going to help her again.
“I’m sorry-” Was all she got out before pushing past him and starting to run. She didn’t know where she was going, just that she needed to get away. Several stairs and corridors later Ginny found an abandoned classroom, slipped into it and sank down against a wall. Still fuming with anger, she started to plan revenge ideas on Ron, desperately trying to keep her mind of her complete humiliation.
Her life was ruined. And what her mum wrote hadn’t even been true. She probably spoke less with Malfoy than Ron did, even if they might be more civil when they actually did. And Flint might be an asshole and a prat at most times but he had saved her from that Dark-Magic-loving-Ravenclaw and Travers, it really wasn’t fair to accuse him of being a Death Eater wannabe after that. What was this obsession with Death Eaters anyway, You-Know-Who had been dead for twelve years – wasn’t it time to move on? The memory of Tom Riddle’s diary came uninvited to her but she pushed it away as she always did. How did her parents even think she could stay away from everyone with a relative that had been active in the war – that was half the castle. Ginny betted that her mum probably didn’t even keep track of any Death Eater kids in other houses, even less about who actually had their parents’ views on blood purity and muggle-hunting. They were so out of line! They campaigned tolerance for muggles but couldn’t even see past the colour of a student’s tie…
“Ginny?” Ginny looked up to see Hestia coming into the classroom. “There you are, we’ve been looking all over. Next time, please go somewhere with less stairs… I get enough of those moving staircases when we climb them getting to Astronomy…”
Ginny didn’t answer, she was glad that her friends had come looking of course but she wasn’t sure what to say to them. They all had really different types of families, Hestia and Flora came from an old pureblood family just like her but the likeness ended there. Their family was kind of traditional, the odd aunt and uncle was even rumoured to have joined the Death Eaters even if they hadn’t been found guilty at their trial. Lucky her parents didn’t seem to know about that, Ginny thought. Though Ginny had met Hestia and Flora’s parents last Christmas break and they didn’t seem evil, wearing formal wizarding robes at all times it seemed but she hadn’t heard a single blood slur against anyone from them. When listening to the twin’s childhood stories it sounded like they even visited some muggle places on their holidays and played with the muggle kids in the closest village.
“Less than that could make one envy White.” Hestia said sitting down on chair close to her. Ginny almost smiled, not even a situation like this could get Hestia to start sitting on the floor, then she grasped what Hestia had said.
“Alex? Why?” Ginny gaped at Hestia. “Oh, you mean being an orphan? Isn’t that a bit hard?”
“Yeah, you’re probably right – but relatives are the worst sometimes. Trying to get you to conform to their ideas and live by their rules. Can’t everyone just live and let live?” The girls stayed silent a while after that before Hestia continued. “Look, allow yourself to feel that rage – just don’t do anything stupid or write a heart-breaking reply to get revenge before you have calmed down. That is probably what I would do and it would probably just make everything worse.”
“I don’t ever want anything to do with them again. How old do you have to be to owl the ministry for emancipation?”
Hestia laughed, “girl talks ain’t really my strong suit. Tonight, Flora and Alex can give you all the fluffy reasons why you shouldn’t break with them. How about we come up with ideas to humiliate that brother of yours in public instead?” Hestia finished off with a smirk.
Halfway into a plan on how to get Ron turned into a weasel the classroom door opened. Looking up Ginny saw two identical, freckled faces looking down at them. “Look what we got here, ickle-Slytherins scheming to prank a poor little Gryffindor?” Ginny thought she saw George sneaking down an old looking parchment into his robe before following up on their brother’s comment. “Need any help with that?”
“How did you guys find us? That map of yours?” Ginny asked.
“Can’t tell you all our secrets little sister, you’re sneaky enough as it is!”
“When where you going to tell us that you lurked your way onto Slytherins all-male Quidditch team?”
Hestia rose from her chair. “I should get going to our double Transfiguration class. I tell Professor McGonagall that you are okey but want to be excused from Transfiguration due to personal reasons?”
“Thanks” Ginny smiled gratefully towards her friend.
“Bye Carrow!” The twins chorused.
“Bye Weasleys, don’t get caught when you drag her into anything stupid.”
“Soo, how did you know I got onto the team? I wasn’t allowed to tell non-Slytherins that try-outs were going to be last Saturday, something about Gryffindors showing up to spy last year.”
“Who would do something like that?” Fred said. “I’m wounded over this lack of trust.”
“Well, your evil Captain asked us to pass on too whoever of your brothers that might have a problem with him talking to his chaser that ‘if he wouldn’t let our little sister tell him how to run his team, he certainly wouldn’t let any of us do it’.” George told her happily.
“He accompanied that with some threats about what would happen to us if we did try. I’m kind of sure that the dude doesn’t know what’s up and down on his wand but the description of where he was going to put his broom didn’t sound like it needed any wand waving.” Fred chipped in with a more amused than scared tone.
“Well come on now, this is your first-time cutting class – you can’t spend it up here!”
“Where are we going?”
“Flying of course, rumours have it that Slytherin has a new chaser that we have yet to evaluate this year.”
“I would love to, but mum will kill me if she hears of me breaking school rules…”
“Don’t say that.” Fred said seriously. Ginny looked questionable at him. “She did tell you to be more like your brothers!”