New Beginnings

Chapter 9

Harry had made a dramatic exit and had left her pale shaky form. As a pureblood she'd know exactly how devastating it was. People were even warned about it as children.

Luckily Harry now knew about it, he shuddered to think what could've happened if he'd found out only later. Or never.

"Harry?" Ginny sidled up next to him. "Theres a hogsmeade trip and I wanted to ask if you'd go." She'd broken him out of his thoughts successfully.

"Sure, I haven't gotten to talk to my little sister for ages." Harry grinned, knowing that family zoning would anger her.

"What did you just call me?" Thinly veiled fury lacing her voice.

"Little sister? Is there a problem?" He asked innocently, playing up the naivete.

"It's just, I don't really see you as a brother though." Ginny mumbled - sliding closer - licking her lips as she stared at his.

"Dont worry I'm sure you'll find the one." Harry turned away from her, hearing the almost inaudible hiss she let out. He focused more on Draco than anything.

The only class where they kind of talked was potions and that had so far been one class. It wasn't even the end of first week.

Harry was going to pause his plans, not wanting to rush through them no matter how tantalizing the thought of ripping them open was, (he needed to draw this out), make Dumbledore and the order of fried chicken look as useless as possible.

Obviously, Umbridge couldn't stay but she was a necessary evil for now. A ministry worker in Hogwarts who reported back to Fudge on how much of a failure the school was, would be very useful to Harry. 

So far his thoughts had extended to Dumbledore, the Weasleys and Hermione but he started wandering how many of the rest knew. Sirius and Remus for instance.

Surely the proclaimed best friends of his adoptive parents would've known. Did the rest of them? Was that why they had to keep reminding him of how much he resembled Lily and James Potter? His head swam with possibilities.

He could only hope that Sirius and Remus hadn't.

"Harry?" Ginny asked, her face tinged with red. "You're not going to hogsmeade?"

"Nope." He popped the p and kept facing away from her. He started to get up, but found she followed him instantly. "Sorry gin but I need to go."

"I thought you wanted to talk to me."

"I'm busy now." Was all she got.

"You bastard!"

Harry had been sitting in front of Ron for ages, listening to the redhead curse him while he thrashed.

Ron's hands were tied behind his back, connected to the snake head, same for his feet. While Ron was immobilized, Harry put some food in a bowl and left it by him.

"Why are you doing this?!" He screeched. "Why am I down here?!"

"Why did you steal from me?" 

Ron froze, horror dawning in his eyes, "how do you know?" He'd never been particularly good at hiding things - probably why Harry had had so many spells on him.