A/N: Hey Desperate readers, this is the Prologue I said I'd do, to give more background. I'll post the second chapter later; I'm getting more and more piled up with Band and other crap. Gotta memorize that music.
When Harry stepped into 12 Grimmauld Place, London, he was officially creeped out. In one long hallway, there were heads of what looked horrifyingly like House elf heads. He resisted the urge to vomit as their eyes followed him and the Aurors down the hall.
Mrs. Weasley quickly told Harry where he would be staying. A room with Ron, obviously. Harry was determined to chew out Ron and Hermione as much as possible. They had left him in the dark, not writing a lick to him all summer. Not even on his birthday. They had always written him on his birthday, and they couldn't even manage to write him then. What kind of friends were they if they couldn't do that?
As soon as he opened the door, he fleetingly saw a bush of brown hair, and he felt as if he had been tackled.
"Harry!" Hermione Granger wrapped her arms tightly around Harry neck, and even though he'd never admit it to anyone because he was supposed to be mad at her, he missed her a lot. Hermione was always a source of comfort for Harry.
"Hello, Hermione." He said, laughing. She more than likely worried her wits about him all summer.
"Harry." Ron shook his hand politely, and they heard Hermione mutter something about 'life threatening situations before and they can't even hug.'
"So?" Hermione asked.
"So what?" Harry said, that cold tone coming to his voice.
"How are you feeling?" Ron's voice seemed to tread, obviously trying not to get him angry. But sadly, it was too late for that, and Harry was yelling.
"HOW AM I FEELING?" Harry exclaimed in pure anger. "I'M GETTING EXPELLED AND YOU ASK ME HOW I'M FEELING? HOW ABOUT PUTTING THAT IN A LETTER INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL NOW?"
"Dumbledore made us promise not to write. He seemed to think it best." Hermione said calmly and soothingly, and Harry temper lessened.
"Dumbledore?" He asked calmer, yet the cold tone had not left yet.
"Yes, but we don't know why." She sat down on a bed and laid her head back. "I've looked it up, they simply can't expel you."
"How do reckon?" Harry asked, the tone slowly receding now.
"Well for one, it was self-defense." Hermione said in an obvious tone, "And second, the Dementors are controlled by the Ministry. You wouldn't have needed to use your Patronous had it not been for the Ministry. It's actually their fault." Hermione's tone matter-of-fact.
"I never thought about that." Harry said, surprised he'd thought all this time he should've been expelled.
"That's why I'm the smart one. I always- UGH!" Hermione's sentence was cut off by a loud, POP!
Fred and George Weasley had just apparated into Ron and Harry's room, now able to use magic freely.
"Don't bottle it all up, mate." Fred patted Harry on the back.
"It's not good for your health." George added.
"Just let it all out." Fred agrees with his redheaded twin.
"Always try to, guys." Harry laughed as small girl came in, one tiny red eyebrow cocked up.
"Damn, Harry." She said, smirking, "You need anger management. You're turning into Mum." Fred and George laughed, as did Ron. Hermione didn't find it amusing at all.
"Haha," Harry said in a mocking tone, matching her smirk without realizing it, "Very funny."
"Yes, I rather think it was." She grinned and turned to Fred and George. "It's a dead beat with the Extendable Ears."
"Damn Mum and her clever tricks." Fred cursed.
"Extendable Ears?" Harry asked, and George explained, but conveniently left out the part about the galleons Harry had given them. "Clever."
"It was until Mum Impertubed the door." George said glumly. "How'd you figure out she'd done it, Ginny?"
"Tonks told me. Said to throw anything at the door, and if it can't make contacted, it's been Impertubed. I've been flicking Dungbombs at it for an hour." Indeed she had, her hands were completely black.
"Bet you Snape told her to." Ron made a snide comment, and it caught Harry's attention.
"Snape?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Yep, old Snape is working on our side this time around. Said he's sorry about all the wrong he's done." Hermione even snorted, it sounded so unlikely.
"Ever had that one person you just really want to choke?" Fred asked, and Ron answered.
"Percy."
Everyone froze, not looking at one another.
"What?" Harry asked before Ginny huffed and swung the door open to exit. "What's wrong with Percy?" he asked Ginny's retreating form.
"While you're here, don't say anything about Percy." Ron explained as Fred and George left after Ginny, probably to go cheer her up. "Especially around Ginny."
"What happened?" Harry asked, and Ron explained what went down with Percy. "Wow…"
"Yeah, and Dad was upset, so you can imagine how Ginny reacted when he tried to bring her into it." Hermione said, sitting up now.
"How'd he try that?" Harry asked, thinking rather cruelly that she cried.
"You see, Ginny and Percy used to be really close, the biggest outcasts in the family." Ron sighed, "Ginny used to always agree with him, whether he was right or wrong. When Percy said, 'I bet my little sister agrees.' she laughed. She said, 'Your little sister certainly doesn't agree with her smart ass brother. And he might want to get out before she gets expelled from school for using her perfected Bat-Bogey hex on him.'"
Harry mouth dropped. Where had the quiet and calm Ginny gone? Fallen of a cliff, had she?
"Yeah, I know. I swear, had she had a hold of her wand, she'd have done it." Ron shook his head, "She's never acted like that before. She's never had her own back bone to say things like that."
"In front of anyone, that is." Hermione retorted.
"What do you mean?" Ron asked.
"She's always been that way, fierce and fiery. Just not around other people." Heroine looked at him as if it was obvious. "Though I rather think she'll be that way now that she stood up to Percy."
"Maybe you're right." Harry said.
"Always am." Hermione stood. "Dinner should be done soon, we need to get going." Ron agreed enthusiastically as he followed her out, Harry right behind him. On the landing, Harry peered up at the room he knew Hermione and Ginny were staying in. He felt bad he had asked, even though he knew it wasn't really his fault. He rather wanted to apologize.
When they had retreated downstairs, Mrs. Weasley gave him his chance.
"Harry, dear, could you go get my daughter, please." Harry nodded and walked up carefully to the girls room and knocked.
"Who is it?" Ginny's voice was not wavering, it was furious, but Harry's. Harry's was terrified for some reason.
"It's Harry." Why in Merlin's beard am I scared? He asked himself. It's only Ginny.
Harry question was answered as Ginny threw open the door.
"What?" her voice was cold and hard and it frightened him.
"I'm sorry about what I said back there." Harry apologized, "I had no idea-"
"Stop apologizing, you noble git." She laughed, the edge gone in her voice. "You didn't know."
"And it makes me feel even worse it was about me-"
"It wasn't just about you, Harry." She reassured him. "I was angry at my brother because he will believe anything if it edges him farther to his dream. And it pissed me off even further that when his own family needed him, he left."
"I still feel bad." He said frowning a little.
"I know. You always will." She smiled warmly, and Harry's stomach suddenly flipped and he got butterflies. "It's just who you are." She peered down the stairs. "I guess my mother sent you up here to tell me dinner's ready?" Harry nodded and she smiled again and just brushed by him, making the sudden butterflies worse. "Thanks, Harry." She said to him, "It's nice to know someone cares in the world, you know?" Harry watched as her mane of red hair floated down the stairs, and the war began in his head.
What was that? Do I like her? No, no, no. I can't. She's Ginny Weasley, little sister of my best mate. She is off limits. And anyway, aren't I supposed to have a crush on Cho Chang? Do I even still have one after what just happened? Probably not.
"Earth to Harry!" Ginny yelled up the stairs, but Harry didn't notice, for he was still battling himself over his current feelings for the redhead under him. "Harry!" She yelled again, but alas, no response. Fed up with him not answering, she climbed the stairs.
"Not answering?" Fred asked snickering.
"Nope." Ginny said, and Fred peered up from the bottom of the stairs, watching inventively as she stood in front of him and snapped her fingers in his face. No response, even though Harry was staring her straight in the face.
Sighing, Ginny only found one solution to the problem.
She slapped him.
"Blimey!" Harry held his reddened cheek, finally released from his blinding trance. Fred howled with laughter. Ginny just turned on her heel and high fived Fred when she reached the base of the stairs.
Fred laughed at Harry as the two of them entered the dining room just as Ginny took a seat next to Tonks. Harry stared incredulously at the redhead.
"What?" She asked innocently.
"You slapped me." He said, not able to conceal his shock.
"You slapped him?" Sirius asked, grinning at Ginny.
"He was in some crazy vodo trance thing." Ginny said simply. "Ask Fred. He was lost."
Fred nodded, and everyone laughed expect Hermione who was caught between shock and amusement.
"Ginny, after dinner you will personally put ice on his cheek." Mrs. Weasley said sternly, but only after she wiped up the coffee she had released by laughing so hard.
Ginny nodded and muttered something about 'being completely worth it', and the outburst of laughter started up again, and even Moody and Hermione laughed.
"Arthur, you're girl's got spunk." Sirius laughed, and Ginny beamed at Harry as if to say, 'Even you're godfather is turned against you.' He just stuck his tongue out at her childishly and shook his head.
Yep. It's official. I like her. This is sure to be an interesting year…
A/N: How'd you like it? I know it's much longer than the 1st chapter, but there's good info in there, and a lot of explaining.
I promise to make the 2nd chapter at least as long as this.
Any suggestions to the story line are always accepted. (: And reviews are appreciated. (: