Ginny uncorked the stopper of the vial she held in her left hand and tapped her wand to the tip. Shimmery gold paint -- Dean's special mixture, guaranteed no-chip and Vanishing spell resistant -- followed the tip of Ginny's wand in a thin tendril. She faced the blank wall of the empty sixth floor corridor in which she stood, took a deep breath, and directed the paint at the wall.
Words started to form, following her wand in looping shapes. Ginny looked nervously over her shoulder. In the dusty corridor, nobody moved except her. But if the Carrows or their Slytherin cronies turned the corner a hundred paces down the hall, she'd be dragon food for sure.
Not as if it'd be your first detention this year, Ginny thought wryly. The tender bruises around her left eye and across her abdomen were still a plenty painful reminder of the consequences of last week's Dumbledore's Army activities.
Like that would stop us! Ginny's chest swelled with fierce pride as she confidently looped an e. Hogwarts definitely felt a more hostile place this year, but thanks to Neville, Luna, and the rest of the D.A., far less lonely. With Harry, Ron, and Hermione gone, their dogged little resistance was just about the only thing that gave Ginny purpose or drive any more. No matter the danger, they were going to show Voldemort who Hogwarts really belonged to.
Ginny stepped back to admire her handiwork. Glimmering golden letters spelled "Dumbledore's Army, Still Recruiting."
"Verdimillious!" she added with an extra flourish of her wand, so that the gold paint emanated lively green sparks.
"Can't miss that," Ginny muttered under her breath, smirking happily. She immediately regretted it; the old split from her previous detention broke open and began to freshly bleed. She brought her finger to her lips, and at the very same moment she did so --
A stony, distant echo broke the silence of the deserted corridor. Ginny froze, waiting - her ears pricked for the sound of footsteps drawing nearer echoed around the bend.
Silence. But the hairs on the back of Ginny's neck stood on end.
"Who's there?" she called, wand at the ready.
Words started to form, following her wand in looping shapes. Ginny looked nervously over her shoulder. In the dusty corridor, nobody moved except her. But if the Carrows or their Slytherin cronies turned the corner a hundred paces down the hall, she'd be dragon food for sure.
Not as if it'd be your first detention this year, Ginny thought wryly. The tender bruises around her left eye and across her abdomen were still a plenty painful reminder of the consequences of last week's Dumbledore's Army activities.
Like that would stop us! Ginny's chest swelled with fierce pride as she confidently looped an e. Hogwarts definitely felt a more hostile place this year, but thanks to Neville, Luna, and the rest of the D.A., far less lonely. With Harry, Ron, and Hermione gone, their dogged little resistance was just about the only thing that gave Ginny purpose or drive any more. No matter the danger, they were going to show Voldemort who Hogwarts really belonged to.
Ginny stepped back to admire her handiwork. Glimmering golden letters spelled "Dumbledore's Army, Still Recruiting."
"Verdimillious!" she added with an extra flourish of her wand, so that the gold paint emanated lively green sparks.
"Can't miss that," Ginny muttered under her breath, smirking happily. She immediately regretted it; the old split from her previous detention broke open and began to freshly bleed. She brought her finger to her lips, and at the very same moment she did so --
A stony, distant echo broke the silence of the deserted corridor. Ginny froze, waiting - her ears pricked for the sound of footsteps drawing nearer echoed around the bend.
Silence. But the hairs on the back of Ginny's neck stood on end.
"Who's there?" she called, wand at the ready.
