If there's anyone out there who's been following my post-epilogue Harry Potter series...this is nothing to do with that. I will be continuing that eventually but in the meantime, I'm trying something else.

That series hasn't been very kind to Ginny so I thought I'd try and redress the balance. Hence, this. Which is going to be big. One of the biggest things I've ever written. The sort of thing any sane person would split up, but in a fit of ignorance, I'm going to try and do it in one. Which will take a long time, and there might be long gaps between updates, but please bear with me. I haven't failed to finish a story yet and I don't intend this to be the first.

CHAPTER ONE

Ginny Weasley woke up in her bedroom with an odd feeling that something was different. Slowly, she looked around. Everything seemed to be in its usual place. She herself didn't look any different. As an extra check, she ran to the window and looked out, seeing Muggle London sprawled out below their flat. Then her eyes fell on the calendar on the wall, with every day of August ticked off, and she smiled as she realised and chided herself for taking so long to remember.

It was her first day at Hogwarts.

Ginny had dreamed of the day since she was a little girl. She'd seen her four brothers go off to Hogwarts, longing of joining them. When the owl had arrived with her invitation, when she'd been allowed to go to Mr Olivander's shop in Diagon Alley and pick out her wand, when she'd first got to try on her Hogwarts robes… She didn't think it was possible to have a day happier than that one but now today had arrived and proved her wrong.

But still the doubts persisted. She'd been kept away from the wizarding world all her life. Those few glimpses of the Hogwarts Express and Diagon Alley, and the few times Bill and Percy had used magic at home after getting their licenses, were all she'd seen. She'd been too scared to try magic herself, despite Fred and George encouraging her. Would she be any good at it? And how would people react to her?

Ginny did her best to push the fears away. She dressed as quickly as she could and went downstairs, feeling the butterflies in her stomach. Percy, Fred and George were all at the table, dressed to go to school, Percy proudly wearing his prefect badge.

"I think there must be a mistake, George,"Fred remarked casually.

"A very big mistake, Fred,"George agreed.

"Why is little baby Ginny dressed in Hogwarts uniform?"

"It's as if she thinks she's going to school with us."

"Well, that'd never happen. They'd never let her in."

Ginny rolled her eyes, as experience had taught her to. Percy looked her up and down. "Straighten your collar,"he said at last.

"Ignore them, Ginny,"said a warm female voice behind her. "You look very nice."

Ginny turned to the short rotund woman who had spoken and smiled. "I learnt to do that a long time ago, Aunt Mel."

A tall, thin man, in stark contrast to his wife, held out an envelope to her. "You've got a good luck letter from your brother Bill. I think he's finally worked out how many stamps to use."

Ginny took it from him. "Thanks, Uncle Keith."

"Now, take a seat,"Aunt Mel told her. "And we'll see if we can get you a special breakfast."

Platform 9¾. Ginny had seen her four brothers going there many times to take the trip to Hogwarts but she'd never actually sat foot on it herself. She'd always been told that she'd attract too much attention. Today though, the rules had changed. Today she was going onto it as a student.

"Are you all right there, Ginny?"Percy asked as she hesitated too long on the threshold of the barrier. She wasn't sure if he was showing concern or if he was just impatient.

"Er, yes,"she managed.

"Well off you go then."

Ginny took a deep breath and stepped through. And suddenly, all around her, there was people and activity and the Hogwarts Express and she knew very well that this was her world, the one she'd been kept away from for so long.

"Try and keep your mouth closed, Ginny,"Fred warned her.

George nodded in agreement. "You don't know what sort of exotic fly might be about."

In one of the coaches, three second years made their way down the passage to an empty carriage: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom. They slid into their seats. "Did everyone manage their homework over the summer?"Neville asked.

"Of course,"Hermione replied. "I did it in the first week. I've been practising wand movements since then. Without the wand, obviously. Didn't want to risk underage magic. It wasn't difficult."

"Maybe not for the brightest person in the class,"Harry commented. "I had to ask my parents for help with mine."

Neville nodded in relief. "Me too."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I don't know how you two will cope in school with no-one to parent you."

"Isn't that what you do?"Harry returned.

Not wanting to talk to them at that moment, Hermione looked out the window, but her annoyance was quickly forgotten as her eyes alighted on a red-haired girl standing on the platform in the uniform of a first year. "Harry, Neville, have a look at this."

The two boys joined her at the window. "Is that who I think it is?"Neville asked.

"Ginny Weasley,"Harry replied. "The Girl Who Lived."

Unaware of the attention she was attracting already, Ginny brushed a clump of hair away from her forehead, revealing a lightning-shaped scar.