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The day after the attack on Mrs Norris the school was talking anything but what had happened, accusations were flying between people if Harry had done it or maybe even Lina. By the fourth day of the rumours and whispers, Lina completely hated any mention of the topic and she wasn't the only one, every time she had seen Ginny she looked on the verge of tears, but before Lina had the chance to speak to her Ginny would either run off or go into her class.
Finally though on the way to lunch one afternoon Lina quite literally bumped into Ginny. "Ginny, are you alright?" Lina asked examining her face, her eyes were red and puffy. Ginny shook her head "come on" Lina said "I know what will cheer you up" she took Ginny's hand and lead her to the outside of the Hufflepuff common room, she ran inside straight to her dorm and picked up a sleeping Demeter who meowed loudly at the disturbance and rushed back down to Ginny.
"Follow me" Lina despite the cold took Ginny outside to her spot by the lake. "Demeter is great for making anyone feel better" the pair sat down Lina gave Demeter to Ginny, the cat immediately bumped heads with the girl and meowed. "Ginny you know you can tell me anything right?"
"I know" she replied stroking Demeter's white fur "I just keep thinking about what happened to Mrs Norris and, and those words on the wall I-"
"She'll be alright Ginny, Mrs Norris will be unpetrified in a couple of weeks and as for that message on the wall it was probably a Halloween prank."
"Do you think?"
"Yeah, someone thought they were being funny."
"Do, do you think everyone else thinks that."
"Probably, but the thing about the other students is that they love to talk about things they don't know anything about, they'll spread rumours for the fun of it or just to upset someone. It's hard but you have to try and block them out." Ginny was still very upset with tears still rolling down her cheeks, Lina wrapped an arm around her "Ginny, if anything else is the matter you know you can tell me, I'll always listen ."
"Thank you, Lina. You know you're like the sister I've always wanted."
Lina smiled down at Ginny "It's a good job I see you as my little sister then" up at the castle the bell for next lesson sounded "are you going to be alright?"
"I think so" Ginny replied, "and thanks for letting me pet Demeter" she had stopped crying and was even smiling down at Demeter, which Lina took both as a good sign.
The pair started to head back up to the castle "any time you want to see her just as ask."
"I will."
When they got back to the castle Ginny went one way to her lesson and Lina went down to her common room to put Demeter back before going to Arithmancy.
