AN- So I really should be doing something productive…. oh well. I guess I am, the washing machine's on, so hah. Anyways, wanted to write since I receive some beautiful reviews…. thanks so much!!

Chapter Three

The two boys…men…whatever they were, were completely opposite. Ginny didn't know how they put up with one another, or rather how Blaise tolerated Draco's attitude. All week since the "incident", as she had been referring to it in her head, Draco would glare at her any chance he got, and Blaise would wink or blow her a kiss… She really didn't understand some guys.

"Men are pointless, Ginny. Don't waste valuable time wondering why they're so strange." Luna Lovegood had been a best friend to Ginny since their 4th year and Ginny had gotten used to her ability to know what others were thinking.

"Tell me about it." Both girls were sitting at the Ravenclaw table for lunch. "Just tell me this to settle my mind, is the Ferret still glaring at me?" Luna looked at the girl and rolled her eyes.

"For a High Priestess, you sure act like a teenager sometimes…and yes, he is and he's currently thinking of ways to keep you from telling everyone about them, but he's kind of scared of you. Must have been that Bat Bogey curse." Ginny laughed, her famous Bat Bogey curse again. She would go back to those days anytime… things just seemed so complicated this year. "Are you ready for your first circle tonight? I heard almost half the school is coming, not to mention all of the purebloods."

"Yeah, I'm ready, nervous, but ready." Ginny nodded, staring down into her plate and pushing her food around, suddenly feeling nauseous about the coming night. "I guess I'm gonna go, you know, finish getting things ready. I'll see ya back here at seven."

"Sure see ya later Gin, and don't worry, everything will go just fine." Ginny nodded, then escaped as quickly as she could from the table to her rooms. She was just planning to do a simple circle tonight, knowing many of the students wouldn't be used to the magic rising inside of them and might experience some side effects of the magic. She threw her stuff down then collapsed on her bed. Just as Ginny was about to drift off to sleep, she shot up. "Shit…both of them will be there... Glares and sex all around! As if I didn't have enough to worry about already!"

"I think I need a calming drought before I go through with this." Ginny groaned, as she scrambled about her rooms, preparing things for the ritual that night.

"How about a butterbeer? That will calm you down." Luna asked from her lounging position on Ginny's bed.

"Make it firewhiskey and you've got yourself a deal." Ginny threw herself on the bed beside Luna.

"Do you remember the last time you had firewhiskey? I'd Crucio myself before giving you anymore of that stuff. Not only did I have to keep you from jumping every guy in the room, I had to carry you upstairs after you passed out. I still owe your brothers for that one." Ginny laughed, remembering the night her parents had gone out and Fred and George had thrown a party. It hadn't been her fault that they had spiked all the butterbeer with firewhiskey and invited several hot guys, which simply became hotter after she was drunk.

"God, it was fun though. Maybe they'll throw another one soon…" Ginny looked up at her clock and groaned, she had less than half an hour to get down to the Great Hall and set up.

"Don't worry, Gin, you're going to do great. No one will care that you don't have a high priest yet. You're still in training, they'll be impressed you're already as powerful as you are."

"It just feels strange. All the rituals I've learned are meant for two people to perform, with just me it feels slow and clumsy. Maybe after tonight, I'll see if one of the pureblood guys wants to perform the ritual with me, it won't be my high priest, but it will be better than feeling so clumsy."

"I thinks that's a great idea, now let's go! You've still got to set everything up!"

Ginny looked around the circle. She had been extremely surprised that this many students had shown up. Of course, all the purebloods wanted to see how powerful she was, how she matched up against the high priestesses of their circles at home, but she hadn't expected so many half-bloods and muggleborns to show up. She guessed they were curious about what all took place at these rituals, that few practices anymore but the old pureblood families. She took a deep breath, becoming much more than Ginny Weasley, more powerful, more confident. From her place in the middle of the circle, she began.

"Everyone join hands and repeat after me." Together they called each element, each direction into their circle. Water washed at their feet, wind blew through their hair, fire licked at their skin, and all around hem smelled of rich earth. "Goddess, we ask you to join this circle, join those faithful to you and those who are just beginning to know you." Suddenly Ginny felt complete, she felt the presence of the Goddess beside her and began to speak.

"Tonight we welcome the Goddess and the Goddess welcomes you, whether she has known you before or not. We celebrate in her presence, in the magic she gives us, the magic that flows through our veins with the blood that keeps us alive. Close your eyes and feel the magic flowing through you. Let it flow through you, from your toes, to your lungs, to your heart, to your hands, to your lips." She smiled as she saw others begin to feel the magic inside of them, purebloods, half-bloods, even a few muggleborns, and then more and more until she was sure they all could feel the magic in their blood. "We have been through hard times, and they will continue, so tonight we will cleanse ourselves, cleanse the magic within us. You can feel it now, now feel its aura. Your hands release magic, so release the dark magic, the angry magic from within yourself. Reach your hands to the sky and take the bright magic of the stars." She reached her hands up to the sky, swaying and chanting to herself until she felt the magic, then she brought her hands tonight and pushed them to her chest. The others followed.

Smiling, she thanked each element and closed the circle. Then looked around the circle. "This magic can make you feel drained or even too powerful. For those who feel sick with power, please ground yourself, sit down and place your hands and forehead on the floor. For anyone who feels drained, the professors have provided snacks with lots of sugar, that should make you feel better. Everyone is free to talk, ask questions, and just enjoy themselves for the next hour."

"I feel strange," Draco said as he grabbed a chocolate truffle from the table of sweets, "not drained but…I don't know. The circle was different, more powerful than those we go to back at home."

"I know, but now…I don't know…I feel…" Blaise said, as he grabbed a piece of cheesecake.

"Incomplete, like a part of my magic is missing." Blaise nodded. Soon, both boys headed to bed, writing off the strange feeling as something to do with a new kind of circle and a new, more powerful high priestess.