Ginny Weasley and the Heir of Slytherin

Prologue

Ginny Weasley stepped into King's Cross station with her mother and four of her older brothers. Being a witch, as Ginny was, it felt weird to be among Muggles, as non-magical people were called. She, her family and many others were part of the secret world of wizards — a world that none of the Muggles surrounding them knew even existed. However, it was from King's Cross station that a scarlet steam engine carried young witches and wizards off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Ginny was now ten years old — she had just turned ten, in fact — but it was at the age of eleven that you began attending Hogwarts. She had never so much as seen the castle, but she had heard quite a lot about it since she had six older brothers, two of which had already left Hogwarts. As the youngest and only girl in her family, Ginny was repeatedly told that she was "too young" to participate in whatever her brothers were doing. Now even Ron, the youngest after her, had turned eleven and this year he would be joining the ranks of Hogwarts students as well.

"Fred, George, don't stray!" Ginny's mother said strictly. "This place is packed with Muggles, of course — Ginny, take my hand." Knowing that arguing wouldn't have done her any good, Ginny reluctantly took her mother's hand.

She knew how the argument would have gone. First, she would have pointed out that they were surrounded by no one except Muggles. Her mother would then tell her that just because they couldn't use magic, Muggles could still harm her physically and that if she got lost she wouldn't be able to tell anyone who she was or where she was supposed to be. Ginny would then point out that no one would dare harm someone her age in public, that she could easily find the platform, having been there so many times, and that none of her brothers were ever forced to hold hands.

And then her mother would have dismissed it all with the words "Quiet, Ginny."

It was embarrassing how many people — even if they were all Muggles — could see her holding her mummy's hand like a little toddler. They must think she was a clingy little girl about seven or so. Well, she was ten and she was not clingy. She just had an overprotective mother determined to make sure she never grew up. It was what made her different from her brothers — she was "too young" and, no matter how old she got, it seemed she always would be.

"Now, what's the platform number?" Ginny's mother asked her sons to make sure they hadn't forgotten it, as though that were possible.

"Nine and three-quarters," Ginny chimed in, only to be immediately shushed. As Percy headed for the platform, Ginny found herself thinking angrily about how unfair the world was. This wasn't exactly something pleasant to think about and it soon made her feel a bit bitter.

"Fred, you next."

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," Fred said, his face perfectly deadpan. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?"

"Sorry, George, dear."

"Only joking," said Fred, as Ginny knew he would, "I am Fred." And with that the twins headed right into the platform one after the other. Ginny grinned to herself — her mother had just fallen for the old twin-switch prank and not for the first time. It was a rather cruel joke, but Ginny wasn't happy with her mother at the moment, so she found it more amusing than she did normally.

It was while she was grinning at this that Ginny heard the voice of someone who would change her life forever...

"Excuse me."

Ginny, her mother and Ron turned to see a boy standing completely alone behind a trolley loaded with Hogwarts school supplies and a cage containing a snowy owl. The boy was a little taller than Ginny, but not by too much, and rather skinny. He had messy black hair, clothes that seemed to be too large for him and taped-up round glasses. Whoever he was, Ginny thought he looked rather pitiful and couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him. Maybe he didn't have any family.