The Gathering: The New Order of Merlin Book 1

31. Can't get a break

       Ginny woke up in a girl's lavatory again with no recollection of how she got there. This time, she was startled awake by the shrill lamenting of a crying girl, whose voice echoed off the moldy walls. It became clear why that lavatory was always empty. The ghost called Moaning Myrtle haunted it regularly and had no respect for the privacy of the living.

Ginny ran out of there and made her way through the castle. It was getting dark already. As Autumn moved in, it brought in short days and a constant chill in the corridors, which seeped into her bones and accompanied her all day long.

On her way to the Gryffindor tower, she saw Mrs. Norris, the cat of the Caretaker, Mr. Filch, sitting on top of a windowsill, chattering at the birds outside. It was the cutest sound. Everyone always said nasty things about the old cat, but Ginny didn't think it was right to dislike her just because her human was unpleasant.

Ginny approached her and cautiously let Mrs. Norris sniff her hand. The old cat gave it a good whiff and rubbed against her finger. Ginny scratched her behind the ear and was rewarded with a loud purr. Mrs. Norris was an affectionate cat. Her dust-colored fluffy coat looked disheveled but was in fact very soft. Ginny felt an urge to cuddle up with her.

"Get away from my cat!" Filch yelled from the end of the hallway, making Ginny jump.

A damp handkerchief dangled in his hand as he hobbled over. His nose was purple and drippy, completing a picture of someone who didn't look well enough to be out of bed. Mrs. Norris, still purring, looked in his direction and blinked affectionately. She loved him as much as he loved her.

"Take care of him, Mrs. Norris," Ginny said. "He looks rather sick," and she scurried away from the scary caretaker before he could yell at her some more.

It seemed as if she had climbed a thousand stairs by the time she reached the Gryffindor common room. Why couldn't it be on the ground floor? She made her way in and collapsed into an armchair. While she rested, she had a good view of her fellow Gryffindors and observed them with a detached interest of an outsider.

Harry was playing a game of chess with Ron. She couldn't see from her spot who was winning and was too tired to get up, but he seemed to be in a good mood. She smiled to herself. She liked seeing him happy. "Good job, Ron," she said to herself.

Merlin was sitting on a sofa close to the fireplace, next to Hermione who was explaining something to him with passion, unaware of his yawning.

There was a hushed commotion on the other side of the room. Unsurprisingly, Ginny's brothers were at the center of it. She peeked from her seat to see what they were doing.

"Where did you get a salamander from?" an older student asked.

"We were studying them in Care of Magical Creatures class, and this one looked like it wanted to be liberated," Fred said. "They eat fire, you know. I wonder if they can eat Filibuster Fireworks."

"There's one way to find out," George said.

They held the salamander firmly and stuffed a firework in its mouth. The little lizard swallowed and everyone watched in silent anticipation. Ginny worried that the poor animal would be hurt by this. Then, the firework must have ignited because the salamander launched into the air and flew across the room. It zoomed around for a while, leaving behind tangerine stars to everyone's delight, and finally landed near the fireplace. The twins ran to catch it, but the lizard was faster and jumped into the fire to hide.

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. At least it was alive.

"What is happening here?" Percy yelled from the top of the stairs.

"What is happening here?" Fred imitated his voice, and George snickered.

"I am a Prefect. Show some respect!" Percy said with his nose raised high.

"Oh, sorry. We haven't noticed we're in the presence of a Prefect," Fred said and got back to poking at the fire to watch the salamander jump around.

Percy looked down at her. "Ginny, are you alright?"

Ugh, Percy. Why did he have to find her now? She hoped he didn't notice that her robes were still a little damp from the wet bathroom floor. She did not need a lecture from him.

Percy put a hand on her forehead, and she swatted it away.

"I don't have a fever."

"You're too pale. Did you catch anything? There's a nasty cold going around."

"I'm not sick, Percy. Go away."

She didn't feel sick, maybe tired. Thanks to him, she was tired and grumpy.

"You obviously are. Madam Pomfrey entrusted me with Pepperup Potion," he showed her a small brown vial, "to distribute to anyone displaying the symptoms. We need to stop this virus before everyone gets infected."

Ginny crossed her arms and glared at him. She hated how bossy he was acting now that he had a title to go with his ego. "I'm not drinking that stupid potion."

"If you don't drink it, I will write to mum."

"You wouldn't!"

"Test me," he said, dangling the vial in front of her nose.

Faced with the emotional blackmail of worrying their mum, she finally agreed.

The liquid felt warm on the tongue, but once it reached her stomach, it heated her like a spicy dinner. Within a minute, heat spread through her body, and just when she thought she would explode—she did. Steam shot out of her ears as if she was a kettle. All she needed was a ruddy whistle to complete the picture. She guessed that her face was red enough to blend in with her hair. It was time to hide. She tried to discreetly make her way out of the common room and ran into Harry on the way.

Ginny cursed her rotten luck. There was literal steam coming out of her ears. Of all the people she could have run into when looking so ridiculous, it had to be Harry. He smiled at her awkwardly, and she guessed that he was suppressing a laugh. She ran up to her dorm without a word and hid under a blanket.

Once the initial shock was over, she poked her head out just enough to properly breathe. This wasn't a good day. She needed Tom.

Tom reassured her that it was going to be okay. He had an explanation for everything. She worried about why she lost track of time again and woke up in a lavatory, but he suggested that maybe she was sleepwalking. That made sense. It would even explain why she felt so tired all the time. She complained about Harry seeing her in such a comical state, and Tom suggested that it was a good thing.

It's good to show people our vulnerable side, like when we're sick. It gives them a reason to feel protective of us and to care about our wellbeing.

Tom was so smart. He found an opportunity in every problem. She hoped that he was right, and Harry was now thinking tender thoughts about her.