The Gathering: The New Order of Merlin Book 1

Many surprises

The gentle snowstorm had turned into a vicious blizzard which had not eased up in two days. The highlands were famous for their quickly-changing weather but this was ridiculous, bordering on magical.

Since the weather outside made it impossible to enjoy a stroll in the fresh air, Ginny went for a walk through the castle halls. Yes, it was stupid. There was a Chamber monster lurking about but as she was a pureblood witch, she thought the risk was minimal and she had to get out.

Her roommates all left for the holidays which left her completely alone and she was so visibly spooked by her empty room, Hermione invited her to sleep in her dorm. Ginny took her up on the offer and slept better than she had in months.

Was it the prospect of no classes, or something else, but she woke up refreshed, energized and ready for the day. She felt disappointed that Jack's idea of indoor Quidditch didn't work out, spoiled by Ron's irrational need to protect her from all boys. Seriously. Brothers could be so annoying sometimes.

Her legs took her to the dungeons and her steps echoed through the gloomy hallway. She shivered and wrapped her sweater tighter around herself. She sped up, thinking to get out of the underground and find a warmer place for a stroll.

She heard a squeal and stopped in her tracks. It came from behind a closed door. She'd never been in this part of the dungeons before but she assumed that this was a classroom which should have been empty right now.

The sound repeated. It was a high pitched yelp. Was it a yelp for help or a happy one? Just to be sure, she decided to check it out.

She quietly opened the door and peeked inside. As she guessed, it was a classroom and two teenagers were at the front of it. The girl sat on the teacher's desk with her back to Ginny, her long hair draped behind her like a veil while the boy was pressed up very close to her and his hands were on her hips.

Oh, boy, were they snogging? This was a funny thing to walk in on and she stifled a snort when the girl squealed and giggled. What could the boy be doing to cause that?

Then, the boy lifted his head and Ginny's eyes bulged. It was her brother Percy!

She quickly got out of there. Walking wasn't quick enough so she started running. She raced out of the dungeons, listening closely if she was followed, wondering if Percy saw her.

She ran into the library and hid behind a bookcase. She was short of breath and could feel how hot her face was. Images flashed before her eyes as she remembered what she just witnessed. She shouldn't have looked.

Then she burst out in a laugh too loud for a library and tried to stifle it with her hand. She caught her brother snogging. Oh, Percy. This was the secret he had been guarding. The twins kept mentioning that he'd been acting odd. They had no idea. He even gave a half-baked excuse as to why he stayed for the holiday "To help the teachers." Yeah, right.

Of all the secrets her pompous brother could be hiding, she never would have imagined that he was hiding a girlfriend.

Should she tell him that she knew? Nah. It was funnier that he thought it was still a secret.

Once back in the common room, she saw Fred and George plot something by the fire, their heads close by, whispering.

She sat by them and tried to restrain her smile. She knew something they didn't.

"What are you two up to?"

They looked around the room to confirm no one else was there. Then, Fred pulled something out of his pocket to show her.

"I stole Percy's Prefect badge, " he whispered.

"We need to rename it," George offered.

Ginny stared at them in disbelief. If Percy found out they messed with his most precious possession, he'd flip out.