14 Chapter 14: A Great Christmas (U)

A/N 1: The U in the brackets stands for unedited. I will come back and some point and edit it properly. Till then just bear with errors.

A/N 2: People have been asking about Romance. My answer was: I dunno. I'm inclined to have no romance at all. And even if there IS romance, I'm slightly more inclined to yuri. Although, I don't mind normal either. It's just that, I haven't really read too many books from a female perspective - the last one was The Mortal Instruments, I think (this was ages ago) - so I'm not confident in making the romance feel realistic and not cringey. And I've always stayed away from gender bender stories that have romance and no yuri tag on it. In fact, I'm not confident in making yuri feel non-cringey... so yeah... I dunno.

A/N 3: Her ability regenerates 1/year. But She can only use 7 per decade without paying a heavy price.

***

After a particularly unpleasant Potions class, the last class of the year had ended with her losing a whole 20 points.

On their way back to the Common Room, Gwen gave Ginny a strange look, "What did you do to Prof. Snape this time?"

"Nothing! The old bat is probably unhappy that pairing me up with the older Greengrass backfired." She was already planning to find a way to piss Snape off.

'Hmm. Perhaps I should send him a bottle of shampoo for Christmas. One that is good for greasy hair? Wouldn't he like that? Too bad I won't be there to see his reaction. I'm sure his face would be priceless.' she thought viciously, 'It would be even better to send it when everyone's in the Great Hall.'

In the Common Room, after sending off Aileen and Gwen to do their homework for the week - which she'd finished off in History of Magic and free double Herbology thanks to the horrendous blizzard - she found an irate Harry explaining to Ron and Hermione about how he'd overheard Macmillan preaching to other Hufflepuffs about how he was a Dark Lord in the making.

'Some things don't change, huh?' she pondered idly, 'Perhaps there really is something like fate? That would be rather interesting.'

She plopped down next to Hermione to discuss stuff about the subjects. In fact, she'd made this a routine. This was a part of establishing her image as a prodigious witch. By demonstrating in front of Ron her 'brilliance' in magic, awing the twins with prank ideas, earning a lot of disapproval from Percy by earning points but also squandering them just as fast, discussing with Hermione about subjects, pranking Snape - though that was more of a hobby, that it helped in her goals was merely the cherry on top - she was dropping hints to the world that, she Ginevra Molly Weasley was something different. She was conditioning them so that when she actually did what she wanted to, the world would react more positively to it.

It was subtle manipulation, one she did not feel good about doing to her close ones; but it was necessary.

"Harry, you don't have to pay heed to those idiots. These people," she said earnestly, "they change their tunes faster than chameleons change colour! The moment you do something that does not fit their expectations, they will denounce you. The moment you do something awesome, they will praise you to the high heavens. These people are just fodder that aren't worth anything in your life. So just learn to ignore them. Your friends are the ones that truly matter.

"Besides, Parseltongue doesn't even have anything to do with the Dark Arts! It is mainly vilified by the British Wizarding Community because Slytherin could speak it. In some places - like India - Parselmouths are very respected." she explained to them. "They are, in fact, seen as Protectors!-"

"But, but, they speak to snakes!" Ron spluttered out.

"And what's so bad about snakes?"

"They, they, bite people, and are slimy! They're poisonous! And sinister!"

"Yes and so do lions: they bite people, and eat them too! Objectively speaking, lions are worse.

"And also, was Slytherin really that bad?"

"Wasn't he? He did not want muggle-borns like me attending Hogwarts. He believed only pure-bloods should be allowed to learn magic." Hermione chipped in.

"That's just what history says. How do we know that his situation wasn't like Harry's? Where some misguided people whose depth of thought was that of a puddle vilified him? We already know an opposite case: Lockhart. The fool doesn't know that 'D' of Defence Against the Dark Arts! Yet he was nominated for the Order of Merlin for his defeat of many Dark Creatures! He became an Honorary member of the Dark Force Defence League!"

Hermione wanted to retort that Lockhart was not what Ginny painted him to be, but could not come up with a valid argument so she just sulked.

Harry felt slightly better, but was still indignant that he was likened to the Dark Lord that orphaned him.

-x-x-x-

A day passed and it was time for Ginny to go back home.

She sat with Aileen, Gwen and Luna in the same compartment on the way to King's Cross. She made sure to tease them plenty as she would not meet them for the next two weeks. Well, she teased Gwen and Aileen; Luna did not give a sh*t. She was starting to believe it was impossible to tease Luna.

All too soon, the train reached King's Cross and they had to bid each other farewell.

Right after they stepped out the train, she walked towards Arthur and Molly. She'd spotted them as soon as they entered the platform. That unmistakable blazing red hair along with her visual acuity, it was impossible for her to not immediately spot them.

Happily jogging up to them she gave them each a tight hug - well by tight by normal human standards, she just gave them a normal hug. Despite not being their actual daughter, she actually felt like she was. The original Ginny had left behind her feelings for them and the new one, having been a lonely person, jumped at the chance to have such a massive family and loving family.

"Did you enjoy your time at Hogwarts, dear?" Molly queried.

She nodded vigorously. She explained her time at Hogwarts briefly as they waited for Harry and Ron as they invited Harry to spend Christmas with them.

Arthur decided that he wanted to tease his daughter so he asked mischievously, "Are you excited?"

"Excited about what?" her confusion was apparent.

"You know Harry's spending Christmas with us! Aren't you excited?" Arthur asked incredulously. The original being a super-fan of Harry Potter would not stop talking about him. The other Weasleys almost had welts in their ears from her jabbering. So, Arthur was right in his shock that she did not seem to care at all.

"So?" Of course, she knew what was going on. It was just that she decided that acting confused was the way to go. Hopefully, they would think it was a phase and forget about it sooner or later.

Molly and Arthur exchanged glances. Even though they felt that this was probably just the passing of a phase, the incident still loomed over their heads. There was definitely something she wasn't telling them. Fred had written to them, mentioning how barely a week into school and she'd already gotten over Harry. Part of the reason for them inviting Harry to spend Christmas with them was to find out exactly how her feelings toward Harry had changed.

Of course, even if that wasn't the case they would still have invited Harry, he was a nice boy, a great friend to Ron, and was practically a part of their family.

Ginny, unknowing of her parents' thoughts, happily looked forward to spending time with her family.

-x-x-x-

"Blimey, Ginny! You never told me you were going to skip a year!" Ron exclaimed.

"She never told us either -"

"And we were supposed to be partners in crime -"

""Oh Ginny! you wound us so -""

The twins did a melodramatic swoon, perfectly mirroring each other. She admired how well they coordinated.

"What is this I hear about being partners in crime?! Have you been dragging your sister into your ridiculous antics?" Mrs. Weasley's angry voice progressively got nearer, drawing looks of fear from them. "It's not like that mum -" Shutting down the twins with a glare, she turned to Ginny, "Well?"

Ginny, who currently held the twins' lives in her hands, gazed toward the two who were shooting her pitiful looks; she remembered the original's encounters with these two, she gave them a bright smile.

"Oh, it's nothing, Mum." she told Molly, much to the twins' relief. Ginny smiled even more brightly and continued, "They just taught me how to aim dungbombs, asked me to help sell their Ton-Tongue Toffees to other first-years…" she rattled off as if reading from a list.

She joyfully watched their faces turn paler and paler. 'Take that! Revenge is served!'

Although she herself had managed to avoid all pranks aimed at her, the original was not so lucky. She had more than once been driven to tears by their antics. Ginny derived great satisfaction in seeing their pale faces.

While the twins' were dragged away by their ears, screaming about betrayal and whatnot, Ron curiously turned to look at Ginny, "So you'll be studying with us, then? In the same classroom?"

"No, Ron, they'll build me a separate castle and pander to me like royalty there!" she rolled her eyes. "Of course, I will learn with you guys!"

"Hey, I was just asking! You don't have to be so rude about it!"

"Exactly! So was I when…"

A round of bickering ensued which Arthur watched fondly.

-x-x-x-

Just like that Ginny spent the happiest week in probably both of her lives, until Christmas.

After waking up and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, she tore into her presents. Molly and Arthur had given her a rather expensive book on Duelling - she had mentioned many times in her letters home that she found duelling very interesting. Bill had sent her a book on Egyptian Queen Cleopatra - who was one of the most powerful Magicals of her time, Charlie had sent her a pair of dragon-hide gloves which were specially treated to be soft, Percy had sent her a book on discipline.

"Hehe, and here I actually gave him such a nice book." she sneered. "Just you wait, I'll teach you discipline."

Tossing the book aside, she continued.

From the twins she received a whole bunch of Zonko's prank props. She herself wrote down and compiled all sorts of prank ideas she had thanks to her previous life as her present to them.

Ron gave her a bag of chocolate. She just rolled her eyes. Presents really weren't Ron's thing. She had given him a book about the Chudley Cannons.

From Harry she got a Luxury Quill that actually worked better than the ballpoint pens she initially wanted to buy. To Harry, she gave a huge list of all the good things that could be done with Parseltongue. From Healing to powerful protective magic. She actually already had a lot of expertise thanks to Riddle and her own research into it - there was no way she would not exploit the ability she had gained!

Hermione's gift was very… Hermione-esque: she had gifted Ginny a notebook containing all the notes for the second year's syllabus, with a note saying that she will update it as they progress through the year. Having learnt from Ron that she'd be allowed to skip a year she decided on this present.

Hermione herself received a compilation of study tips (hoorah to the internet of her previous life) and a compilation of tricks when casting some rather difficult spells - both first and second year.

Luna had decided that Ginny knew too little about the more wacky creature like Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. So she gave her a hand-written and personally illustrated copy of 'Fantastic Creatures You Can't Find'.

Ginny: "???"

She could only express her confusion.

Luna received a book about occlumency and a pair of high-quality spectrespecs.

From Aileen she got a rather nice book about Duelling. Ginny had been very tempted to send her a copy of 'How to beat your mates in a Snowball fight' but decided against it. Aileen might really end their friendship then and there. So she gave her a muffler enchanted with the Warming Charm, which would last her a few years.

Gwen also gave her a book on Duelling. Ginny had gotten to know that Gwen was an absolute foodie. Not the kind of foodie who loved to eat a lot. But someone who loved trying new things. So she gifted her a pack of premium Choco-Chip Cookies. What she had learnt during her few months of living in the Wizarding World was absolutely appalling: They did not have Choco-Chip products at all! What Blasphemy!

She'd also remembered to send her professor some presents. She couldn't just send Snape shampoo without sending other professors something!

So McGonagall got an enchanted cup that said: "Best Transfiguration Professor!" in different fonts. The words were actually a sort of fine glittering sand between two layers of the cup that used transfiguration to change into different shapes. This was rather complex, so she could not let it last longer than a half a year. She could totally enchant it to last for decades if she wanted to, but that would be too eye-catching.

Flitwick also received an enchanted cup that said "Best Charms Professor!" that was enchanted with the self refilling Charm which was an O.W.L. level spell. So that also could not last long.

Sprout also received a similar cup but this one with intricately drawn plants that withered if one didn't use it for a while.

Lockhart received an animated card of him standing over a defeated Snape. When opened it would loudly congratulate him over his victory. Though she made sure to make it look absolutely normal from the outside, no different from his other fanmail. She also made sure it reached exactly when all the staff and students were present: Dinner.

Finally, and most importantly Snape received a large pack of Premium grade Muggle Shampoo for greasy hair. Also at Dinner.

She really wished there was a way to see their reaction! Her Christmas would've been absolutely perfect!