𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐓𝐎𝐌

4

The train ride had finished, and Ginny still had no news on her brother and crush's whereabouts. At one point, both she and her new friend, Tamyra, visited Fred and George (this was the type of thing you did not tell Percy about, unless you wanted a freakout on your hands), but they hadn't seen either of the second-years, either. Usually, Ginny would have pulled out Tom, but she didn't want to seem like a weirdo in front of her first friend in literal years. Also, she left him with the rest of her luggage the moment she got off the train, but that was irrelevant.

Now, however, she had other things to worry about.

Ginny, Tamyra, and their two new acquaintances — Millie Fields and Eleanor Garcia — along with the rest of the first years, were standing in a line, waiting for Professor McGonagall to lead them into the Great Hall. Millie and Eleanor were the two girls that joined them in their boat when crossing the Black Lake to get to Hogwarts.

"How do you think we get Sorted?" whispered Millie urgently, her eyes wide with panic.

"You don't suppose we're tested?" questioned Eleanor, her Spanish accent barely showing, even in her frantic state.

"Oh, I hope not," said Tamyra, "I still know nearly nothing about magic, besides a bit of wizarding culture — I thought that's what school was for!"

"My brother, Fred, was going on about fighting a troll when he was Sorted," Ginny mused. "He's a bit of a prankster though, so it's probably not true. Percy said it wasn't true, anyway, and he never lies."

"Oh, Ginny, why did you have to go and say that..." Eleanor groaned.

Ginny's smile morphed into a playful smirk, "Well, I thought I'd go and tell you what it isn't!"

"Any other time I'd appreciate that, but now I'm too nervous," Millie sighed. The poor girl did seem one push away from a freakout that could rival Percy's, but that wasn't enough for Ginny to feel too bad.

Ron, despite not talking to her much during the summer, did tell her what exactly when on during the Sorting Ceremony, not wanting her to feel the nerves he did. He was nice like that.

She definitely didn't guilt him into telling her when he forgot to make her a birthday present. Mhm. She didn't.

"It can't be too hard," a voice behind them said dreamily. "No one's ever failed at the Sorting Ceremony."

Ginny turned around and saw Luna, the sight of her causing guilt to pool in her stomach.

"Hey, Luna!" she smiled, shoving down the guilt she felt for abandoning her friend multiple times. "This is Tamyra, Millie, and Eleanor. Everyone, this is my neighbour, Luna Lovegood."

"Hello, Ginny. You have a terrible Wrackspurt infestation, did you know?"

"No, I didn't," she responded tersely.

"A what?!" asked Eleanor.

"A Wrackspurt infestation," Luna repeated in that bright tone of hers. "You and Millie have small infestations, too."

"What are Wrackspurts?" Tamyra asked curiously. "And why don't I have 'em?

Ginny sighed. It figured that the first friend she met was interested in Luna's make-believe creatures.

"Wrackspurts are creates that befuddle your brain and make you distracted," Ginny said. "I think. That could also be a Nargie."

"Ginny's right!" Luna smiled, "She's never remembered a creature of mine before! Did you mean Nargles, or are Nargies creatures too?"