Ginny was walking down the hall to double Defense Against the Dark Arts with Slytherin when she heard a stifled crying noise. Ginny stopped in her tracks, one hand moving to where her wand was tucked into the waist of her skirt. She looked around, trying to find the source of the distressed noise.
It was the day after her arrival back to Hogwarts from school holiday. She had been about to head to class with her friends after breakfast, but then Grady McLaggen got in her way of doing that, literally. The others had left Ginny to listen to Grady tell her how much he had missed her. She'd listened for about three minutes before leaving with the excuse that she really needed to use the bathroom. She'd headed to the girl's room, and was currently on a detour towards class by herself.
Ginny crept cautiously around the corner, and was surprised by what she saw. Bertha Bulstrode was sitting against the wall, her head in her knees, and if Ginny was not mistaken, the wretched crying noises filling the air were coming from her.
Standing beside Bertha was a very disgruntled looking Morgana, who had her arms crossed over her chest and was tapping her foot irritably.
Ginny cautiously approached. She didn't know these Slytherin girls very well, but what she did know about them was very true to the Slytherin stereotypes her brothers had always described. The very first thing Ginny had ever seen them do was try and push Viola into the black lake just after arriving to Hogwarts. They both seemed rather mean and spiteful.
But Ginny couldn't ignore the fact that Bertha was obviously upset, or that Morgana didn't seem to care about it.
"Is everything alright?" Ginny asked.
Morgana looked around sharply, while The Bertha lifted her large, tear-stained face out of her lap.
"No one asked you, you little blood traitor!" sneered Morgana.
"No, your right. I'm the one who asked," said Ginny coldly. She turned to Bertha, "Are you okay?"
"Oh, she's just being a baby," snapped Morgana, "She had a bad dream!"
"It wasn't a bad dream," choked Bertha, she looked at Ginny directly, "It was a boggart!"
"A boggart?" said Ginny. She felt her stomach sink as she remembered Ava crying and saying the very same thing.
"It ch-chased me!" sobbed Bertha, "Out of the c-common room!"
"How do you know it was a boggart?" asked Ginny.
"It t-took the sh-shape of a-a g-giant c-cockroach, which is what I'm most a-afraid of!" said Bertha, "What else could it be?"
"Your imagination running away with you?" said Morgana, "Honestly, you need to grow up Bertha!"
Ginny turned on Morgana angrily.
"You do realize your friend is upset, don't you?"
"Yes," said Morgana, "And its for a stupid reason-"
"It's for a perfectly good reason! She just saw her worst fear chasing after her!" said Ginny, "Are you saying you wouldn't be afraid?"
"Yes," said Morgana with a toss of her ponytail.
"Well if I were you and I was oh-so-brave, I would be making sure my friend was okay! I mean a bit of compassion would be nice!" said Ginny.
"Well, fine," said Morgana, with another toss of her ponytail, "I guess I'll just go then. Who needs me when they need the comforting, understanding, compassionate Ginny Weasley?"
With a scoff, Morgana turned and stalked off.
Ginny turned back to the Bertha, and knelt beside the sobbing girl.
"Come on," Ginny said, patted Bertha's shoulder comfortingly, "We should hurry to class, or we'll be late!"
"I can't! I'm t-too scared!" said Bertha, burying her face in her knees again.
"But-" suddenly an idea popped into Ginny's head and she immediately spoke it, "But we could tell Lupin about it! I'm sure he'd know how to get rid of the boggart!"
Bertha looked up at Ginny with watery, red eyes. "Y-you think?"
Ginny nodded. "Most definitely! He even taught the third years how to do it! Come on!"
Ginny helped Bertha to her feet and the two girls headed to D.A.D.A together.
By the time they reached the classroom, Bertha has seised crying, but was still wore a visibly distraught expression. When Morgana saw them enter the room, she rolled her eyes then looked in the other direction. Ginny's friends from Gryffindor sent her confused looks, as did Viola. They were clearly all wondering what Ginny was doing in the company of Bertha Bulstrode.
"Sorry we're late Professor," said Ginny to Professor Lupin as she and Bertha took the remaining desk.
"It's quite all right," said Lupin, who looked very tired, even more so than usual.
And so the class continued, with Bertha letting out a loud sniff every now and then, which made everyone turn around to look at her.
After class was over, Ginny pushed to the front of the classroom.
"Excuse me Professor, could Bertha and I speak to you?"
Lupin looked up from the models of grindelows he was putting away. He smiled at her. "Yes, just let me put these away."
Ginny nodded and turned around. When she did she found herself alarmingly close to the face of Grady McLaggen. He grinned at her.
"Hey," he said.
Ginny took a step back and asked, "Do you need something?"
"Actually I was wondering if you needed something," said Grady "Is that Slytherin girl bothering you?"
He jerked a thumb back in Bertha's direction.
"Nope," said Ginny, "but thanks for the concern."
She pushed past the boy and went back to join Bertha, who had never left their desk.
Both Grady McLaggen and Morgana Rosier left the room with irritable expressions upon their faces.
Lupin disappeared from the classroom to put away his grindelow model, then he returned and headed straight for the only two students remaining in his classroom.
"What can I do for you?" he asked.
"Well," said Ginny, slowly, "Bertha saw a boggart."
A look of surprise crossed Lupin's tired and scarred face. "Is that so?" He looked to Bertha, who nodded. "Where did you see it?"
"J-Just in the corridor," sniffled Bertha. Ginny could tell she was starting to cry again.
"And you're sure it was a boggart?" asked Lupin.
"Yes," said Bertha, nodding fervently, "It turned into a giant cockroach!"
"Ah," said Lupin, "you certainly don't see those running around Hogwarts everyday."
"This isn't the first time a boggart's chased someone, sir," said Ginny, "Ava Scarlett also ran into one under her bed a month or so ago. It was in the Slytherin common room."
"Another Slytherin?" said Lupin, with a slight frown, "Well, that's rather odd."
"What is, sir?" asked Ginny confused.
"That both the people who've seen this wandering boggart have been Slytherins . . . Boggart's don't usually attack unless provoked, so it's odd for one to just have come out of no where in a corridor . . ."
"Do . . . do you think someone let it loose?" asked Ginny, swallowing hard. She didn't like this. She didn't like it at all. It reminded her of last year.
"Possibly . . ." said Lupin thoughtfully.
"S-Sirius B-Black?" said Bertha, her eyes widening in fear at the idea.
A shadow passed over Lupin's face. "Oh, no. I doubt it. More likely just a student playing a joke, or getting revenge or something of the like. I'll have a look around for the boggart. Maybe I should bring one into class . . . It might be a good idea to give you some practice."
Ginny and Bertha bid Lupin goodbye, then headed off to there next classes. Ginny's next class was transfiguration, but she found it impossible to concentrate. She kept thinking about the boggart, and how Lupin thought someone might be in control of it. What if it was her? What if she'd been possessed again?
No, you couldn't have been, Ginny told herself firmly, Tom is gone! Gone! Harry destroyed him! Besides, you can remember every where I haven't had any memory lapses like last year.
If it was someone playing a joke, then they had a rather sick sense of humor. Ginny had grownup with the twins. She knew what a joke was. They were supposed to be funny. Setting a boggart loose on someone, wasn't that.
Very possibly it was someone who was trying to get revenge on someone. Maybe revenge for beating them in class, or their Quidditch team winning or . . . or . . . or messing up their potion in potions class . . .
Viola! thought Ginny, maybe it was Viola who set the boggart on Ava and Bertha!
After all the girl had been incredibly mean to Luna Lovegood last year. It seemed like she had changed this year, but what if she hadn't? Ginny hated to think it of the girl . . . and after all why would she attack Ava? As far as Ginny could tell, Ava was Viola's best friend after Hugo. But Bertha made sense. It was very clear that Viola despised Morgana and Bertha, and she them.
Ginny hoped she was wrong, but it was an idea and she was determined to find out if she was right or not.
After Transfiguration came History of Magic, the lunch.
"Ginny are you alright?" asked Vera, peering at the girl, "You keep staring at the Slytherin table."
Ginny looked away from where Viola was sitting with Ava and Hugo, laughing happily. A little ways down Bertha was sitting alone, while Morgana was sitting with some boys from their year, obviously cold-shouldering Bertha.
"I'm fine," Ginny said to Vera, but that was about all she said throughout the whole meal.
As soon as she saw Viola, Ava and Hugo leaving their table, Ginny jupmed to her feet.She approached them just before they exited the great hall.
"Viola, could I talk to you for a moment?" asked Ginny. She glanced at the other two. "Alone?"
Viola looked confused, but said "Er, sure!"
She followed Ginny out of the great hall. Once they were in the secluded corner of a two corridors, Ginny turned to Viola.
"Bertha was attacked by a boggart," Ginny said, deciding to cut straight to the point. She watched Viola carefully for any sort of recognition in her pale face. All Ginny found was surprise.
"Really?" said Viola, her brown eyes wide, "Just like Ava?"
Ginny nodded.
"That's very dodgy," said Viola, "I mean two boggart appearances in a couple of months? They're normally pretty docile creatures-"
"Did you do it?" Ginny blurted.
Viola stared at her. "What?"
"Did you do it," said Ginny, "Did you set the boggart on Ava and Bertha?"
Viola looked taken aback.
"Of course not! Why would you think that?"
"Well," said Ginny, rather awkwardly, "Last year you hid Luna's stuff because she annoyed you in potions, so I thought maybe you were annoyed by Bertha and Ava so . . ."
"So I set a boggart on them?" said Viola anger rising in her voice, "You're always going to hold that one wrong against me, aren't you?"
"What? No! I just thought it was a possibility!" said Ginny, taking a step back in alarm at Viola's anger.
"Well you thought wrong," snapped Viola, "And while we're talking about last year, let's take a moment to remember who was setting a basilisk on students!"
Ginny blanched and she stared at Viola in horror. She had thought only she, her family, Harry, Hermione and Dumbledore knew about that.
"How do you know that?" Ginny whispered.
"I guessed," said Viola, "And Dumbledore confirmed it. So maybe you shouldn't be accusing me, maybe you should be accusing yourself! Your the one who has a history of attacking people after all!"
Ginny felt a sick feeling rising in her stomach. Why would Viola do this? Why would she bring up the horrors of last year?
"I- I'm sorry," stammered Ginny.
"Well, sorry doesn't really cut it," snapped Viola angrily, "Ever since coming to Hogwarts all you've done is ruin everything in my life!"
"I-I didn't mean to," said Ginny, her eyes welling with tears.
"Sure you didn't," snapped Viola, "Well I'll tell you one thing, I thought we were friends, but I was very, very wrong."
With that Viola turned on her heel and ran away, leaving a guilty, hurt Ginny behind.
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"Viola! Viola! What happened?"
Viola didn't look back as she stormed out the front doors and into the Hogwarts grounds. Hugo and Ava were running after her.
"Viola! Can't you slow down?" called Ava, panting.
January snow crunched beneath Viola's boots. It was an angry sound. Or maybe it was just echoing Viola's feelings.
"Viola! Stop right now! Tell us what happened!" said Hugo.
Viola spun around so suddenly Hugo ran into her and her cape hit him in the face.
"I hate her," spat Viola.
Hugo and Ava glanced at each other, they had never seen Viola do angry before.
"Er . . . who?" asked Hugo.
"Ginny Weasley," said Viola.
"Why?" asked Ava and Hugo together.
"Because!" said Viola, "A boggart was chasing after Bertha Bulstrode, and she thinks I did it!"
"Another boggart?" said Hugo.
"She thinks you did it?" said Ava, with a look of deep concern upon her face, "Why would she think that?"
"Because she can't put anything in the past!" said Viola, "And she's determined to ruin my happiness!"
"Er, where'd you get that one from?" asked Hugo.
"She is!" said Viola, thoroughly convinced, "Whenever I'm happy for a second she comes along and ruins it! I mean, she has everything doesn't she? She's pretty, popular, smart- I mean could she be any more perfect? And what do I have? Nothing! She's constantly in my way of getting anything! This year at school has been going so well but now- now- now-" Viola broke off with a choked sob.
Ava patted her on the back in a comforting manner. "There, there. I'm sure it's just a little misunderstanding."
"No, it's not," said Viola, pushing away. "I understand perfectly!"
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A/N: sorry it I didn't post yesterday! Also, so you know, this'll probably be the last chapter until after the Easter Holidays. So I hope those of you who celabrate Easter have a nice day!
Also, 50th chapter, and at 2K views, one award, and almost 70,000 words! I'm pretty excited! Thanks so much for reading and/or voting and commenting! You guys are great!