The First Year

Through a Glass Darkly

If at all possible, the pub had gotten even more crowded in the few hours they had been upstairs. 'How are we going to get through all that?' Ron wondered.

Hermione peered around Ron's shoulder, gazing over the Leaky Cauldron. 'We're closer to the Diagon Alley entrance,' she pointed out. 'We could go the shop until things clear up a bit,' she suggested.

'I think there's some butterbeers in the kitchen of the flat,' Ginny added. 'At least there were when Percy and I came to pack up the twins' things that were still there.'

'George keeps biscuits and tea in the backroom,' Ron said.

'And we've hardly touched what's in the handbag,' Hermione reminded them.

'Brilliant,' Harry breathed. 'Let's go.'

Clasping each other's hands, they wormed through the crowd to the back door, and Harry tapped the bricks with his wand. They burst through the opening in the wall, each of them sighing with relief. It was almost just as crowded in the street, making Apparition dangerous. A slim, dark woman flung her arms around Harry, kissing him full on the mouth. His eyes widened with surprise, and his hands wrapped around her upper arms and Harry forcibly pushed the woman away from him. 'Ah, come on, then, Harry... Why don't we bring in the new year together?'

Harry spat repeatedly on the ground, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. 'Geroff,' he grunted, staring at none other than Pansy Parkinson. 'You!' he blurted. 'You tried to sell me out to Voldemort! What are you playing at?'

Pansy swayed drunkenly, reaching out to grab Harry's sleeve to steady herself. 'Let's let bygones by bygones, shall we...?' She took another step toward Harry, but the tip of a wand at the base of her throat arrested her movements.

'Touch him again, and you'll wish you hadn't,' Ginny said calmly.

'Ginny...' Ron started to tug her arm down, but she shook him off.

'Bugger off, Ron,' Ginny said quietly.

Pansy chuckled tipsily. 'And what do you think you're going to do, little girl?'

Ginny smiled widely, and without saying a word, slashed her wand through the air. Boils erupted all over Pansy's face. 'Thought I'd do that,' she said in satisfaction. 'Of course, I could also do this.' The wand jabbed toward Pansy's nose and giant, sticky, flapping bogies attached themselves to Pansy's face. 'Happy new year,' she said with sickening sweetness. Ginny flounced off in the direction of the shop.

'Did you have to hex her twice?' Ron said incredulously.

Ginny spun around. 'How would you feel if other blokes kept putting their hands all over Hermione, then one of them had the gall to try and snog her – in front of you!?'

'Oh, well, yeah...'

'And it was Pansy! Merlin's bollocks, Ron! She was only the biggest slag at school! If Malfoy thought he was the only one shagging her, he was wrong. Ought to start checking that his willy doesn't fall off because she's given him some nasty disease.'

'That was brilliant!' Harry said delightedly, slinging an arm around Ginny's waist. He bent to kiss Ginny, but she held up a hand between their faces.

'Not until you've brushed your teeth...'

'Right.'

'Let's get inside. It's cold out here,' Ron complained. He opened the door of the shop and held it open. The other three trooped inside, shaking snow from their cloaks and hair.

'When do you think you're going to try moving in here?' Hermione asked.

'You're moving?' Harry blurted, feeling more than a bit hurt.