#harry is equally offended and unsurprised

[tommarvoloriddlesdiary]

Tom: Harry, we already tried things your way.

Harry: What? No, we didn’t - when?

Tom: Well, we tried it in my head.

Tom: And it didn’t work.

[swiftkick404]

Check it out - I’m writing again! 

The Second Splinter is my attempt to write Harry Potter fanfiction, centering around Ginny. It’s a ‘what if?’ take on her sixth year at Hogwarts, and I’m taking some liberties in making it a proper bit of hell for her :)

For starters - the Death Eaters and Snape have made it mandatory for the students to keep in predetermined groups -to better monitor possible insubordination, of course.

And! Remember how Ginny’s whole experience with the diary horcrux is like never mentioned except for that two line bit in OotP? Well, this story might delve into some of that relationship. :)

Story summary: As she fights against the Death Eaters occupying Hogwarts during her sixth year, Ginny makes an unlikely ally. [substantial canon divergence]

Here’s an excerpt from Chapter One, Fear in Fours

-o-

There was no more room for argument, though her father attempted to protest. Ginny was forced into giving him a quick embrace and goodbye lest she was kept from boarding altogether.

"I'll write!" she promised before being directed further into the cars.

"You'd better not!" her father warned, clearly overcome with apprehension. Ginny felt the desperate smile she had conjured for his sake disappear just as she was pushed out of his sight.

A man who was almost familiar to her was in charge of leading Ginny to her approved car. He was tall and lean, and fairly young. His manner was very restrained. He snapped at her when she waved to Neville, grouching at her "brainless dawdling," and hushed her silent when she tried to deny his order for her to change into her robes so early on the trip. The train had yet to even leave the station.

"You're not to wear anything other than Ministry approved clothing when outside of your dormitory," was the official mandate he gave her. He stuck his hand out, offering a shrunken parcel of what she guessed were the new uniforms. "Now change and get into your group."

The man left her and turned down the car to bark at a group of bewildered Ravenclaws.

Ginny kept her expression carefully blank as she considered her required attire. Around her, other students had already changed into the new robes. There wasn't much of a distinction from the old Hogwarts' uniform, other than lining and trims that matched house colours. Absently, she ran her hand down the solid red thread outlining the close of her robe.

"You've got to be joking me. Weasley?"

Ginny, who had found her compartment some time later, looked up from her seat to see the person who had just joined her. Her stomach fell at Pansy Parkinson's pug-nosed face gaping at her from the door. Like most everyone, she was paler and thinner than Ginny remembered, but the older girl still had the same permanently cross expression framed by the warm blond locks for which she was known.

"Which one? The girl?" A male voice asked. Ginny knew immediately it belonged to Blaise Zabini, even before he nudged his friend into the small compartment. The boy was mostly much the same as he had been at all the Slug Club meetings she had been obliged to attend; coolly stylish and effortlessly arrogant.

"The pleasure is yours," Ginny said in a bored voice before turning to the window to wait for the train to depart from the station. No familiar people remained. She hid her frown, both at her father's hasty retreat and her apparent 'group members.' These two were Slytherins and likely connected to Death Eaters, but they were more an annoyance than any threat. The one time Ron had been right about Malfoy's mastermind scheming, none of the other Slytherins had even been involved.

"How is our fine Potter, little Weasley?" Pansy had situated herself on the seat opposite, and was currently training a curl around her wand. She smiled sweetly as Ginny regarded her. "Unfortunately not dead yet, we can assume. You're still coming to school even though he, evidently, is not."

Despite her lack of physical intimidation, Ginny still had to be careful about any information that could be gleaned from her reaction to Pansy's taunts. Luckily, the long summer had already dulled Ginny's infamous Weasley reactions.

"Harry dumped me," she said flippantly, unleashing all the shallow teenage girl she could. "Why should it bother me what he's been up to?"

Pansy's sneer fell for an instant, an unidentifiable reaction flickering over her features.

Blaise was quick to fill the silence. He leaned forward in his seat, smoothing a crisp white sleeve cuff with a casual air, and took a long moment to find her eyes.

"Feeling bitter at all?" he asked, channelling his mother's charm.

"Only from present company."

"You should think about your position, Ginny. It appears your pack has sent you off on your own. You wouldn't want to spend your time at school feeling lonely." A set of perfect teeth flashed from behind a well practised, enticing smile. "Or hurting."

So this was the Ministry's plan: surround subversive people, like herself, with crafty Slytherins. For them to get information out of her, watch her movements, and potentially sway her allegiance. She refused to acknowledge Blaise's warning, and instead noted his continued attention to his sleeve.

"Something the matter with your forearm, Zabini? Got an itch?"

Had he been branded with the Dark Mark?

His hazel eyes found a spot of the floor. "Like I would mar my skin with such –"

"Blaise," Pansy snapped, finding her voice suddenly.

Ginny couldn't help her eyebrows as they inched upward, surprised. As careful as Zabinis were with vows, Ginny wondered what it meant that Blaise had neglected this one in particular.

Pansy recovered, glancing carefully at Ginny, "your tie is crooked."

"That's not the only thing that's crooked," Ginny supplied, earning a huff from the other girl.

Pansy gave her a flat stare. "Your humour is one toned and exhausting, Weasley. At least try harder."

Ginny would have laughed had it been an observation belonging to anyone else. Instead she felt a touch indignant and a little reprimanded and there was a smart urge to stick her tongue out. She changed the subject. "How many people in these groups, anyhow?"

"Four, maybe five," Zabini shifted a shoulder as a dignified sort of shrug. It was an answer they would all know soon enough, so he must have thought it harmless to respond.

"That'd be nearly a hundred groups." She wondered over the actual usefulness of so many cells.

"Not quite." The compartment door was blocked again. It had been left open and Ginny hadn't paid much mind to the occasional person passing it. Currently, Zacharias Smith was leaning on its frame. His robe was trimmed in an undisturbed line of bronze, but Ginny had never known a person with less Hufflepuff qualities. Pansy and Ginny shared a disappointed groan at Zacharias' arrival ("uuugh" and a skywards,"you're the worst!"), only to then glare at one another, each offended by the sudden commonality.

"Oh bugger off you lot," Zacharias grouched as he dropped onto the cushion next to Ginny. His nose lifted into the air as he looked over Blaise, probably imagining some sort of male competition in the equally posh boy.

"As I was saying," he continued, "I counted just about fifty or so groups. Half the school has opted out of returning this term."

"You can't be serious," Ginny demanded, although she was the only one. The Slytherins looked unsurprised. Even a little triumphant on Pansy's behalf.

"And there're few new Hogwarts Professors, as well. Apparently there's a new D.A. Professor."

Ginny shook her head. "You mean D.A.D.A.?"

"No, D.A." Zacharias actually gave a somewhat significant look to Ginny while reiterating this. Like Dumbledore's Army, she wondered. He clarified without her having to ask. "As in the Dark Arts."

"Well, that will be entertaining at the very least," Zabini offered with a snide upturn of his lips.

-o-

I love Slytherins. I love Ginny. I love torturing my characters :) And I love unexpected interactions and relationships - and this story has a lot, a lot of that....