Bat-Bogey Hexers

14

"Oi! What're yeh doin'?"

Ginny blinked. She was standing outside, judging by the smells and crisp autumn air around her. The only thing was...she couldn't remember going outside.

Her hands were outstretched before her as if she were reaching for the scrawny rooster strutting about the Hogwarts grounds.

Ginny looked around at the loud voice. Hagrid was storming toward her from his cabin. She was in his yard. Right by the huge pumpkins he was growing, now that she looked around. Hagrid stopped when he was near enough to identify her.

"Oh its jus' you," he said. "Yer Ron's sister innit yeh?"

Ginny nodded.

"Yeah, sorry if I gave you a scare. Thought yeh was one a yer twin brothers. Cummin'a cause trouble. What're yeh doin' down 'ere? Shouldn' yeh be in class?"said Hagrid.

Ginny blinked.

"I, er..." Ginny paused. Was she supposed to be in class? Yes. It was Friday and last she could remember she was in the great hall eating breakfast with Collin and Vera. How had she got down here? "I was just...just looking around the grounds,"

Ginny blushed at her lie. She didn't like the knowing way in which Hagrid spoke next. "Ahh. And what yeh think of 'em?"

Ginny looked around at the Hogwarts grounds, still green this early in September but the grass was beginning to dry and brown a bit. Not far off Ginny could see the willow tree where Harry Potter and Ron had crashed. Ginny had finally heard the story of their arrival from a very disapproving Hermione. It was also all over school. Colin must've repeated the story ten times in a single class.

"They're very nice," Ginny told Hagrid. Her eyes fell on the orange pumpkins growing near by. "You've done a good job on your pumpkins,"

"Thank yeh," said Hagrid. He scratched his shaggy head. "Now I don't want to be a spoil sport or nuthin but...unless you gotta break or summit yeh better get back ter school. Shouldn' yeh?"

"Yeah," said Ginny. She thought hard. Where was she heading after breakfast...potions. Ginny gasped. "Oh no! I'm going to be late for potions!"

She took off without even saying goodbye. She sprinted across the Hogwarts grounds, up to the castle, through the great doors, down multiple corridors and stairs and finally she burst into the dungeon class room.

"Sorry I'm...late," Ginny swallowed as Professor Snape's lip curled.

"Five points from Gryffindor Ms Weasley. Now take your seat."

Ginny quickly sat beside Vera.

"Now as I was saying before we were interrupted-" he dragged out the word interrupted and gave Ginny a withering look. "- we will now cut up the caterpillars and add them to our potion,"

"What happened?" Vera whispered. "You were right behind me and Collin after breakfast!"

"I know I...I just got lost." Ginny said. It was a very believable lie in this place.

"Five points from both of you for disturbing class. Again." Snape called.

Ginny groaned. That meant fifteen points in just her first three days of school. Despite this loss in points, Ginny had enjoyed her days at school. She liked her classes and her classmates, some of her teachers and not having her brothers as her only companions.

Later that night Ginny sat in the Common room,thinking hard and oblivious to the ruckus of Friday evenings going on around her.