A/N: thanks to all the ppl who have read and/or reviewed so far!
The Journey
Harry woke the next morning to the sound of Ron crashing about with his trunk. He seemed to be having trouble fitting his pyjamas in.
“You do realise you could just enlarge the trunk?” Harry mumbled sleepily.
“I can only do it so it’s twice the size,” replied Ron. “I don’t want it that big.”
“Go and get Hermione to do it then,” said Harry.
“Oh alright, I suppose I’ll have to.” Ron didn’t seem too enthusiastic about having to ask Hermione to do something he couldn’t, but he left the trunk anyway and went to find her.
Harry slowly got out of bed, pulling on some jeans and a t-shirt in a sleepy daze, then clumsily going down to the Common Room. He collapsed in a chair, supposing that he would wait for Ron, who was now yelling up the girls’ staircase for Hermione. After about a minute, she came down the stairs, still in her pyjamas, and gave Ron one of her most condemning glares.
“What?” she said, her eyes shooting daggers at Ron.
“Oh, er, I was wondering if you could expand my trunk slightly…” he mumbled, not meeting her gaze.
“Well I shouldn’t really, not if you’re going to learn to do it yourself, but…” Ron looked up at her hopefully. “Oh, ok, but just to stop you whining. I’ll go and get my wand.”
“Thanks Hermione, you’re my best friend!” called Ron as she traipsed back up the stairs, waving her hand to tell him not to bother.
When she came back down a few minutes later, holding her wand, she marched up to the boys’ dormitory with Ron hurrying along behind her, looking slightly frightened, as though he thought that she might be about to turn his trunk into a Hungarian Horntail.
When the three of them went down to breakfast ten minutes later, they found Ginny, sitting alone at the Gryffindor table, staring glumly at her plate, while a group of girls in her year sat a bit away from her, whispering and out what was won, giggling. Harry, Ron and Hermione went to sit by her, hoping to find out what was wrong.
“Hey Ginny,” said Harry. “What’s up?”
She lifted her head to look at them.
“They still haven’t got over the whole toad thing.”
Ron and Hermione looked thoroughly confused, so Harry explained what had happened to Ginny in Potions yesterday.
“And you’re going to let them get at you?” asked Hermione when Harry had finished. “Ginny Weasley is down-in-the-dumps because a bunch of immature girls are gossiping about her?”
Ginny nodded ashamedly.
“Goodness me - I never thought I’d see the day,” said Hermione.
Ginny smiled and shrugged.
“Oh, I suppose you’re right,” she said. “I’m just being stupid.”
“Well, you’re being normal,” said Harry. “I know I’d be annoyed, but you normally stand up for yourself rather than letting people talk about you behind your back.”
“You know what?” said Ginny. “I think you’re right. This isn’t like me at all, and I’m going to end it right now.” And she got up and marched over to where the girls were sitting.
“Oh no,” muttered Ron. “They’re in for it now.”
“I know you’re talking about me, and I just came to say that I don’t care one bit,” said Ginny to the girls, her voice twice as loud as it had been a second ago. “Your stupid toad deserved what it got for being so God damn ugly, and as far as I’m concerned, it would be more useful if you hollowed it out and used it as a tea cosy, so you can stop talking about me, and go and find some other insignificant person who actually cares.”
By the end of this little rant, almost half the hall was watching, but Ginny just collected herself, called to Harry: “I’ll meet you guys back in the Common Room,” and left the Hall as they all stared in awe.
“Well, I guess that told them,” uttered Hermione.
* * *
A few hours later, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were sitting on the Hogwarts Express talking about the events of the morning.
“Let it be a lesson to us all,” said Ron. “Never get on the wrong side of Ginevra Weasley, or there’ll be hell to pay.”
They spent most of the journey playing games of Chess and Exploding Snap, finishing it all off with a rousing rendition of ‘God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs’ in Sirius’ honour. By the time the train pulled into Kings Cross Station, they were all very much in the Christmas Spirit, and full of mince pies from the witch with the food trolley. Harry spotted Mrs Weasley straight away; she was standing by the archway on the platform with four other members of the Order, looking extremely happy and waving enthusiastically.
“Hello!” she cried, pulling them all into rib-cracking hugs.
“Mum! Please!” said Ginny, pushing her mother away embarrassedly. “People are watching!”
Kingsley Shacklebolt, Lupin, Moody and Tonks were also there, and Harry greeted them all cheerfully, as did his three friends.
“We’ve got a Ministry car,” Lupin told them. “Come on, let’s get through the barrier.”
They emerged between Platforms Nine and Ten and went to the large green vehicle which was parked outside the station. Harry noticed that a lot of the other Hogwarts children also had official-looking people with them, and he asked Lupin why this was.
“You can never be too careful these days, Harry,” he answered. “The Ministry have sent employees to escort the wizarding families home from the station, just like we’re doing.”
The drive to The Burrow took a while, but eventually they arrived and could get out of the car into the fresh air.
“Well,” said Tonks, “our job here is done. Goodbye, everyone.”
They all said their goodbyes to the members of the Order, then gathered their things and went inside.
“Wow “ I think Mum might’ve cleaned,” said Ginny, looking around in wonderment at the shining kitchen. The house was looking more perfect than Harry had ever seen it, and that was saying something.
“Right, Ron and Ginny set the table, Harry and Hermione go ahead and take your things upstairs,” said Mrs Weasley, who had just come inside, and was now bustling about with pots and pans by the stove.
Harry and Hermione took their trunks and started to drag them up the stairs. Harry took the other end of Hermione’s as well as his own, as she seemed to be having some difficulty lifting it. After five minutes, they were back downstairs with the others, who were now sitting at the table looking eager for their food, and when it finally arrived, nobody hesitated to tuck in.
The whole evening was a welcome occasion for all of them. Unfortunately, Mr Weasley and Ron’s brothers were out working for the Order, and never came home, but Harry had his three favourite friends there all the same, and they all enjoyed themselves immensely.
A/N: next chapter - really sweet little chapter about decorating!