The Gryffindor first-year girls' dormitory was bathed in the soft, warm glow of the lamplight. Ginny sat cross-legged on her bed, her pink pyjamas soft against her skin. The old Ginny might have found them childish and embarrassing, but now, they felt comforting.
Her wand balanced lightly in her fingers as she admired her hands, marvelling at how delicate and graceful they looked.
She pointed her wand at her nails, whispering, "Colovaria," and watched as the pale pink colour shifted to a vivid teal. With a flick of her wand, she tried again. "Colovaria." This time, her nails turned pink. Ginny turned her hand this way and that, studying how the light caught the new shade.
"Gliscendo," she murmured, adding a glossy sheen that made her nails gleam as if dipped in molten glass. The shine made her fingers look even more delicate and she couldn't help but feel a swell of pride.
She experimented further. "Decorato," she whispered, watching in fascination as intricate cherry blossoms appeared on her nails, their petals delicate and white against the pink background. Her smile grew wider. They looked so beautiful. She twirled her wand and said, "Motifus," and the blossoms began to move, swaying as if in a gentle breeze.
Ginny clasped her hands together, almost giddy. Something as simple as painted nails shouldn't have been so satisfying, yet it was.
She was so absorbed in her experiment that she didn't notice the sound of the shower stopping or Emily's soft footsteps until a hand grabbed hers. "Ginny!" Emily's voice was full of awe. "Your nails! They're amazing!"
Ginny looked up, startled, her cheeks colouring. "Oh, it's nothing," she said quickly, trying to pull her hand back, but Emily held on.
"No way, don't downplay this! They're beautiful! How did you do this?" Emily's eyes were wide, her damp curls bouncing as she leaned closer.
Ginny felt a rush of pride, strangely enough. "Just a bit of magic," she said with a shrug, letting Emily admire her nails despite her feigned modesty.
Emily's excitement was almost contagious as she continued to admire the intricate cherry blossoms blooming across Ginny's nails. "You have to do mine next. And I want them red and gold - with moving lions!"
Ginny blinked, startled for a moment by the bold request. "That's… pretty specific," she said with a grin, but she waved Emily closer.
Before she could start, Mira's voice interrupted, her tone disapproving as she looked up from her book. "You know that's against the rules, right? Charms like that are considered frivolous magic and could cost Gryffindor points if a professor catches you."
Emily scoffed, throwing her hair over her shoulder. "Oh, please. It's not like we're summoning a dragon. Besides, Mira, don't be such a spoilsport."
Mira gave an exaggerated sigh, returning to her book with a mumbled "Don't come crying to me if you lose house points."
Ginny ignored the exchange, focusing instead on Emily's eager expression. She reached for Emily's hand and drew her wand. "Alright, let's start with the basics. Colovaria," A wave of red spread across Emily's nails, followed by a second quick "Colovaria," to add a bold golden stripe to the edges.
Emily was already thrilled, but Ginny wasn't done. She focused intently, flicking her wand and murmuring, "Decorato" and "Motifus". Tiny golden lions sprang to life, roaring silently as they prowled across Emily's nails. Emily gasped, delighted, wiggling her fingers to watch the miniature creatures in motion.
"Okay, I officially love you," Emily declared, laughing. "This is amazing."
Daisy, who had been sitting quietly brushing her hair, hesitated for a moment before setting the brush down and coming closer. "Could you… um, maybe do mine too?" she asked hesitantly. "Just like yours. I don't need anything different."
Ginny smiled warmly, genuinely touched. "Of course," she said, motioning for Daisy to sit beside her. She tapped her own nails with her wand for reference, recreating the soft pink background and animated cherry blossoms on Daisy's nails with a whispered "Colovaria", "Decorato" and "Motifus."
As she worked, Ginny felt an unfamiliar warmth spreading through her. This was… fun? She glanced down at the little movements of the lions on Emily's nails and the delicate blossoms swaying on Daisy's.
For once, Ginny let herself relax. She wasn't manipulating anyone or spinning a web of lies. She was simply here, enjoying a quiet moment being a normal teenage girl. It felt strange. Nice, but strange.
The rest of the evening passed in a cozy whirl of laughter and experimentation with increasingly creative nail designs.
'This is exactly what I always imagined a girls' night to be like,' Ginny thought, her heart unexpectedly light.
Mira eventually put down her book, exasperated but intrigued by the fun the others were having. "If you're going to insist on making so much noise," she said primly, "at least show me what all the fuss is about." Her mild interest soon turned into grudging amusement when Ginny painted her nails in neat emerald green with tiny gold Gobstones rolling around.
When they tired of nails, Emily fetched her Gobstone set from her trunk and the four of them settled on the floor for a raucous game. Mira, it turned out, was ruthless, winning most rounds and leaving the others sputtering as they were squirted with foul-smelling Gobstone fluid. Even Daisy, who was usually quiet and shy, couldn't help but giggle uncontrollably every time Emily dramatically protested her losses.
As the night wore on, their laughter turned softer, and yawns began to interrupt their conversation. "We'll have to undo the nails tomorrow morning," Ginny reminded them reluctantly. "Professor McGonagall will definitely notice if we keep them."
Emily pouted, wiggling her fingers adorned with Gryffindor red and gold stripes. "A tragedy, really. These are a masterpiece."
Ginny smirked and reached for her wand. "Let me handle it," she said, flicking her wrist and murmuring, "Finite Incantatem." The colors and patterns vanished one by one, leaving plain nails in their wake.
Emily tilted her head with a mock frown. "How do you know so many spells already, you swotter? We haven't learned any of them in class yet!"
"Maybe I'm just naturally brilliant," Ginny quipped with a grin as she flicked her wand again, undoing the last enchantment.
Emily rolled her eyes with a laugh. "You're going to make the rest of us look bad, you know."
Ginny smirked, tilting her head. "Someone has to keep the standard high."
Mira chuckled softly from her bed. "At least she doesn't gloat about it. Much."
Ginny gave an exaggerated bow from her seat, making Emily giggle before they all began tidying up. As the light-hearted exchange faded, the cozy warmth of the moment lingered and Ginny felt an unfamiliar sense of contentment. For tonight, at least, she could just be a girl among friends.
The morning dawned crisp and bright, with golden sunlight filtering through the frosted windows of the first-year girls' dormitory. Ginny stirred to the familiar sound of Emily's excited chatter as she rummaged through her trunk, pulling out a Gryffindor scarf with a triumphant grin.
"Found it!" Emily declared, her enthusiasm breaking the dormitory's sleepy quiet. Daisy groaned softly, stretching under her blanket before reluctantly reaching for her slippers. Mira, already dressed and impeccably neat, arched an eyebrow at the noise but didn't comment, her focus returning to the book balanced on her knee.
"Do you think Harry's ready for the match?" Emily asked, tugging on her robes, her voice bubbling with both excitement and concern. "I mean, with everything that's happened…"
"Don't," Mira interrupted, her tone unusually firm, a shadow of seriousness crossing her face. "Let's just… focus on today, alright?"
Ginny sat on the edge of her bed, lacing up her boots with deliberate care, while her thoughts drifted toward her plans for the day. The Gryffindor versus Slytherin match, so long postponed after Hermione's death and the scare with the Acromantula colony, was finally set to take place. But she knew how much more was at stake than just the outcome of the game. She needed to prevent the meeting between Harry and Dobby.
As they descended to the common room, she found Harry seated by the fire, his broomstick resting across his knees. His expression was tense, his gaze distant.
"Harry," she greeted softly, sitting beside him.
He glanced at her, his face clouded. "It feels wrong," he admitted after a moment. "Playing Quidditch. Laughing and cheering... like everyone's forgotten her."
Ginny hesitated, then placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "No one's forgotten her," she said firmly. "But it's okay to live, Harry. It's what Hermione would want." She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "And trust me, I'll make sure no one forgets her today."
He looked at her, searching her face, before nodding reluctantly. Ginny gave him a quick hug before standing. "Come on," she said lightly, trying to shift the mood. "You've got a game to win."
Ginny gave Harry's shoulder a final reassuring squeeze, her words lingering between them. "You'll do great. Just trust yourself," she said softly, stepping back. His nod was subdued but resolute and as he turned toward his teammates, Ginny slipped into the crowd with her roommates. She chatted idly as they moved toward the Quidditch pitch, her demeanour casual, masking the churn of her thoughts.
At the castle entrance, Ginny stopped, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I'll catch up in a bit," she said airily, giving no room for questions. "Forgot something in the Common Room." Emily raised an eyebrow but shrugged and the trio carried on without her.
The moment they disappeared around the corner, Ginny slipped into the shadows. With practiced precision, she withdrew her wand, focusing her intent. A silent Disillusionment Charm washed over her, the magic settling coolly across her skin as her body melted into the backdrop of the castle. Cloaked in invisibility, she walked across the school grounds in the frosty December air.
The distant cheers from the pitch faded as she approached the Quidditch equipment storage shed. Her breath curled in misty tendrils, the cold biting at her cheeks, but she paid it no mind. She wasn't here for the game - she was here to intercept a certain event.
Her past life's memories still gave Ginny an undeniable edge – even in the changed timeline. She recalled reading about how, during the Quidditch match, Dobby had hexed a Bludger to relentlessly pursue Harry and later visited him in the hospital wing. Ginny planned to exploit this knowledge - not only to ensure Harry's suspicions remained fixed on Lockhart, her best shield against deeper probing, but also to sever any potential connection to Hermione's murder.
The House-elf's involvement could tie her to Lucius Malfoy and through him indirectly to everything strange that had happened at Hogwarts - including Hermione's death. But she had a plan. She would put Dobby under the Imperius Curse, prevent him from meeting Harry and extract every exploitable detail about Lucius Malfoy.
The notion of weaponizing the elf to poison Malfoy Sr. lingered tantalizingly in her mind, though she knew it carried immense risks.
She couldn't be certain if Dobby would act as he had in the original timeline but it was better to take precautions than to risk being caught off guard.
Minutes passed in tense silence before a soft pop broke the stillness. Ginny's eyes darted to the shed's entrance as Dobby appeared, his bat-like ears twitching nervously, his wide eyes darting about as though expecting someone to catch him. His hands trembled as he reached for the enchanted trunk holding the Quidditch balls, muttering softly under his breath. Ginny acted without hesitation.
"Imperio," she whispered, her voice low but firm.
The curse struck Dobby, freezing him mid-motion. His erratic energy drained away, replaced by a blank, obedient calm.
"Stop what you're doing," she ordered. "You will stay invisible and follow me."
Dobby nodded once, mechanically. Ginny cast another Disillusionment Charm, this time enveloping the elf in invisibility. She led him quickly through the castle, slipping unnoticed into an empty classroom. Once inside, she locked the door with a flick of her wand, the faint clicking echoing ominously in the quiet.
Standing before the entranced house-elf, Ginny considered her options. With the right instructions, he could become a weapon against Lucius Malfoy. But first, she needed to know what he knew.
"Are there any other hidden rooms with dark artifacts or incriminating evidence besides the chamber under the drawing-room floor?" she asked.
Dobby hesitated, his wide eyes flickering with a brief struggle against the spell, before answering, "The secret vault with incriminating evidence is behind the third bookshelf from the entrance of the Malfoy library…"
Before he could elaborate further, a sinister black flame erupted from his small frame, engulfing him entirely. Dobby let out a heart-wrenching scream, his voice sharp with agony as the magical backlash shattered her control. The Imperius Curse broke and he collapsed, writhing for a moment before disintegrating into ashes that scattered on the cold stone floor.
Ginny staggered back, her heart racing. Someone - most likely Lucius Malfoy - had placed a deadly failsafe on the elf, ensuring that no secrets could be exposed. For a moment, silence reigned, save for the faint hiss of the still lingering flames, but Ginny quickly steeled herself.
"Well," she murmured, brushing off her robes as though to dismiss the unease. "One less variable to worry about."
She dusted her hands and pocketed her wand, her mind already moving to her next task. She stepped out into the corridor, her pace brisk but controlled as she made her way through the castle. The sound of her footsteps was muffled by the thick stone walls as she approached the entrance to the Slytherin changing rooms. Her heart beat steadily as she slipped inside.
Ginny took a deep breath, her wand held firmly in her hand. The rack of brooms stood neatly against the far wall, their polished handles gleaming faintly in the low light. She approached them with quick, efficient steps, muttering incantations under her breath as she worked. With a deliberate flick of her wand, each broom was enchanted.
Satisfied with her work, she took one last glance around the room before slipping out as silently as she had entered. Her path back to the Gryffindor viewing stands was smooth and uninterrupted, her expression carefully composed. By the time she reached the tower, the roar of the crowd and the sight of her roommates waving her over helped her settle into her role.
"There you are!" Emily exclaimed. "We thought you'd miss it!"
Ginny smiled brightly, sliding into the seat between Mira and Daisy. "Of course not. Wouldn't miss this for anything."
The Slytherin team strode onto the field. The moment the players mounted their brooms, her enchantment activated. Streams of golden confetti burst forth from the Slytherin's brooms, swirling into the air and forming a glowing image of Hermione Granger's smiling face. The crowd gasped in unison, murmurs rippling through the stands as the tribute hung in the air, radiant and undeniable.
"What on earth…?" Mira muttered.
Daisy's eyes sparkled with awe. "That's beautiful!"
Ginny kept her expression neutral, her tone light. "It's a lovely tribute. Hermione would have loved it."
Her gaze flicked to Harry, who was transfixed by the glowing tribute in the air. His face shifted, surprise melting into emotion as he stared at Hermione's radiant image. Ginny allowed herself a small, private smile.
The tribute was calculated but effective. If Dumbledore ever uncovered her involvement, it would portray her as a grieving friend, honouring Hermione's memory in a way that aligned with his belief in goodness and hope. For Harry, it struck a deeper emotional chord, threading her actions into his sense of justice and shared loss. And Fred and George would no doubt like the prank nature of it.
Ginny cringed slightly at the irony. Here she was, honouring Hermione, when she was the one responsible for her death. Her gratitude to Hermione was sincere, but tinged with hypocrisy. Without Hermione's sacrifice, the soul energy that now anchored Ginny's soul to her body and magic wouldn't exist. In a twisted way, a small part of Hermione lingered within her, a constant reminder of the life that had been taken to secure her new existence.
After the Quidditch match, Ginny carefully composed a letter to Arthur Weasley, including a tip about the Malfoy Manor's hidden secrets. She claimed to have overheard Draco Malfoy boasting about a 'chamber under the drawing-room floor' filled with dark artifacts and a 'secret vault' hidden behind the third bookshelf in the Malfoy library, which supposedly held incriminating evidence.
To make the story convincing, she tied it to a recent prank she had pulled on the Slytherin Quidditch team, suggesting she overheard Draco while enchanting their brooms. The detail wasn't just believable but served a dual purpose: If Arthur blabbered about her involvement, she could face detention for her mischief, reinforcing her supposed naivety in asking him to keep the tip confidential.
While an anonymous tip was an option, Ginny reasoned that Arthur would trust information from his daughter more than from a stranger. Besides, Draco had bragged about the chamber in canon events, making the scenario believable enough to pass scrutiny.