Bat-Bogey Hexers

11

Ginny headed down into the Common Room with Vera Raymond next morning.

"Ron!" Said Ginny when she saw her brother in the Common Room, packing his bag for first class. "What happened why weren't you on the plat-"

But Ginny never got around to finishing. She'd suddenly noticed Harry was standing behind Ron. She blushed, stumbled, and knocked over a nearby vase. Harry quickly reached out and caught it, making Ginny blush even darker.

Ginny didn't know what it was about Harry. Shy wasn't a word people used to describe her. She was normally talkative, and friendly, but whenever Harry was there she become flustered and blushing. He was just so kind, smart and brave. Ginny'd liked him since she first saw him in the day him and Ron leave for Hogwarts. She just wished she could actually be around him without making a fool of herself.

Harry righted the base then smiled at Ginny. "Congratulations on getting into Gryffindor Ginny!" He said.

"Thanks," Ginny murmured, looking at her feet.

"Excuse me, but are you Harry Potter?" Vera asked with interest. She had obviously noticed his scar.

Ginny saw Harry's smile fade slightly.
"Oh, yeah," he said.

"It's an honor to meet you!" said Vera, shaking Harry's hand enthusiastically. Ginny didn't understand how the girl was so bold in front of him.

"Er, its nice to meet you to," added Harry politely. He didn't meet Vera's eyes and seemed slightly disconcerted by her obvious awe of him.

"Let's go get breakfast," Ginny murmured to Vera, all interest in finding out about her brother's adventure evaporated under her embarrassment.

The two girls left the room, both casting a backward look at Harry before leaving through the portrait hole.

"He's a very nice boy!" Said Vera."I'd have to say I think someone-" Vera elbowed Ginny hard making it very clear who someone was, "-fancies him!"

Ginny felt herself blushing.

"What? No! I-" Ginny stammered.

"Mhm," said Vera but thankfully that was all she said about the subject for the time being.

They continued down into the great hall where breakfast was already served. Ginny saw the girl Viola at the Slytherin table. Ginny waved as she sat down and Viola waved back eagerly.

"Do you know her?" asked a voice beside Ginny. Ginny looked over to see a round faced second year boy. "Sort of. We met on the train yesterday. Why?"

"N-no reason," said the boy rubbing his hands on his pants in a rather nervous manner. "I'm Neville by the way. Neville Longbottom,"

"Ginny Weasley," said Ginny with a smile as she shook his hand.

"Oh your Ron's sister!" said Neville.

Ginny nodded. "Unfortunately,"

The great hall began filling with students. Ginny noticed, as she chatted with Vera and the other students who had arrived, that Neville kept glancing over at Viola. Ginny began to think that Neville possibly fancied Viola Lestrange.

Ginny found her next words fading away as Ron and Harry Potter came to join Hermione at the table. Hermione seemed angry at them and gave a very stiff "Morning" while she read a copy of Voyages with Vampires. Ginny wasn't sure but she had a feeling this less than friendly greeting had something to do with however Ron and Harry Potter had arrived the night before.

"Oh my goodness!" squealed Wish in a carrying whisper. "It's Harry Potter!"

Hermione sent Wish a disdainful glance while Harry's eyes flickered at Wish and away.

"He looked at me!" Wish squeaked. Ginny felt bad for Harry, having people ogle at him all the time.

"Post's due any minute," said Neville conversationally. "- I think Gran's sending a few things I forgot."

The boy was right. Soon owls of all shapes and sizes were filling the air. Envelopes and packages came spiraling down. A big, lumpy package bounced off Neville's head and, a second later, something large and gray fell into Hermione's jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers. Wish and Pamela giggled.

"Errol!" said Ron, pulling the bedraggled owl out by the feet. Errol slumped, unconscious, onto the table, his legs in the air. Ginny's eyes widened when she saw the damp red envelope in her family owls beak.

"Oh, no-" Ron gasped.

Ginny knew they were both remembering the one Mum had sent Fred and George their second year when they "accidentally" caught fire to Professor McGonagall's robes.

"It's alright, he's still alive," said Hermione, prodding Errol gently with the tip of her finger.

"It's not that- it's that."

Ron pointed at the envelope. Both Harry and Hermione looked perplexed.

"What is so bad about that envelope?" Vera whispered to Ginny.

"It's a howler," Ginny whispered back grimly.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked Ron.

"She's sent me a howler," said Ron faintly.

"You'd better open it Ron," said Neville in a timid whisper. "It'll be worse if you don't. My gran sent me one once, and I ignored and it was horrible!"

"What's a howler?" asked Harry.

"That is what I would like to know!" said Vera.

No one replied. They all knew the two would find out soon.

"Open it!" Neville urged. "It'll all be over in a few minutes-"

Ron took the envelope with shaking hands. Ginny joined Neville in stuffing his fingers in his ears. A roar of sound filled the huge hall, shaking dust from the ceiling. Ginny blushed as her mothers voice came thundering out.

"- STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE-"

Ginny wanted to shrink under under the table and stay their until her mothers howler ended.

Thank you Mum, thought Ginny dryly, for starting off my first morning at Hogwarts in such brilliant way.