The morning after her detention, Ginny walked into the Great Hall, and took her place at the Gryffindor table. The enchanted ceiling was a dismal gray replica of the weather outside. By the time she and Snape had finished last night, it had been too late to meet Malfoy in the library. She looked over at the Slytherin table and flashed Draco what she hoped was a regretful smile. Conversation swelled up around her, but Ginny was virtually ignored by everybody. With a sigh, she picked up her fork and began to eat. Hermione gave Ginny a compassionate glance, but Ginny just glared at her and shook her head ever so slightly.
The school owls began to filter into the hall, with the daily mail for the students. A small, fluffy gray owl swooped down towards Ginny and dropped a scarlet envelope in her lap before heading back to its perch in the Owlery. Ginny looked at the scarlet envelope in shock and amazement. Somebody had sent her a Howler. She stood up, prepared to make a run for it, but it was late. The Howler exploded, and her mother's voice filled the Great Hall. "HOW COULD YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, DO SUCH A THING, AND TO ONE OF YOUR BEST FRIENDS? YOU HAD BETTER PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, YOUNG LADY, AND START ACTING LIKE A WEASLEY, OR I'LL GIVE YOU WHAT FOR!"
Ginny's face was flushed with anger and shame as she turned to her brother. "And how did Mum find out?" she asked.
"I told her, of course. I'm not going to be having my little sister getting mixed up with the likes of that lot over there," said Ron, pointing to the Slytherin table.
"Who I am friends with is not any of your business, or Mum's for that matter! Just because you chose to have a Mudblood for a girlfriend doesn't mean I have to like it."
Ginny grabbed her books and stormed out of the Great Hall, for the third time in as many days, but not before she glanced over in the direction of Draco Malfoy. He raised a sardonic eyebrow, got up from the table and followed Ginny out of the hall.
***
Over at the Gryffindor table there was a heated argument going on between Ron and Hermione.
"I can't believe you owled home about Ginny!" yelled Hermione. "She's not bothering me, and you shouldn't let it bother you, Ron."
"Look, Hermione, I'm not going to have her saying such terrible things about you. I don't know what's come over Ginny, but she needs to snap out of it, and bloody fast before she gets herself into some real trouble."
"Ron, you really should just stay out of it. Ginny's probably just going through some sort of phase, trying to be her own person. I'm sure it will all blow over in a few days," Hermione said as she rubbed his arm.
"Harry, what do you think?" asked Ron. "Harry? Earth to Harry?"
"Er, um, I guess maybe Hermione's right," said Harry, looking up from the eggs he had been stirring around on his plate. "The Dursleys are always saying that Dudley's going through a phase, to explain away his behavior and bad grades. Maybe Ginny really is just sort of going through something." Looking as though the whole conversation had drained him of all his strength, Harry went back to pushing the eggs around on his plate.
Hermione looked at Harry in shock. I can't believe he is acting like this, she thought to herself. Ginny is right, he has got to shake this depression or whatever it is, or he is going to get killed! I hate Ginny's plan, she is putting herself in so much danger, but I can see why she feels she has to do it. Let me see what I can do to help her.
"You know," she said offhandedly. "If Ginny keeps storming out of meals this way, she's going to waste away to nothing." She causally glanced around the Great Hall in the direction of the Slytherin table. She was rewarded by Harry's sharp look of interest when she asked, "Hmmm, I wonder where Malfoy has wandered off to?"
