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[ video ]

... is this—oh, alright, it is.

[The voice may be familiar to many, and the face in essence too, but as Ginny Weasley leans back from the camera to address the network, it might be clear to those who know her that she's different today. For one, she's wearing her Gryffindor uniform, all robes and tie and cardigan. For another, she's younger and thinner—almost drawn, and though her eyes are as quick and bright as ever, they carry a wariness and weariness that haven't been present in years. Her hair is still long, though shorter than she's been wearing it in the City, and there's no mistaking the still-healing split lip or faded bruising along her cheekbone and eye.

None of this seems to bother the witch at the moment, though. There are more important matters to attend to.]

Hullo. I seem to have taken a wrong turn at school—not unusual, really, the stairs like to play tricks—but I was on my way to a classroom and ended up in this, er, charming place. And while I'm terribly fond of London, I know this isn't it; and honestly, I'm running late as it is.

[There's a hardness in her jaw and in her tone that the City softened long ago, but she isn't demanding answers like she had the moment she 'arrived.' She has her bearings, now. To an extent. She pauses, then smiles, shaking off the very real irritation for a more charming façade; come, now, help the innocent school girl find her way home.]

Hardly back a month from holidays and I've already got loads of things to do! I'm not usually late, you know. I don't mind missing a few minutes of Professor Carrows' class, for example— [She chuckles, shrugging.] —but I'm sort of in charge of this meeting and they're all fairly useless without me. I've read a guide, of course, but I don't exactly trust everything I read nowadays.

Thank you for your time.

[OOC; ginny's been hit with Feels Like the First Time! she's back to being 16 years old and for her, it's february of 1998, so she's still at hogwarts and helping neville lead the DA and causing general havoc with the student's rebellion.

she won't remember any CR she's made in the city for the duration of the curse because to her, this is her first time arriving here. it will all come back to her tomorrow, of course. enjoy!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Matter-of-factly,]

Besides, if I walked into the Ministry right now, they'd probably throw me in Azkaban.

[He opens his mouth.

Closes it.

Takes a sip of his tea.

In all likelihood, she wouldn't have even made it to Azkaban.]

I don't think you were their favorite person, no.

Mission accomplished, then.

[But it's a bitter little reply. She takes a long drink of her tea, then adds in a low voice,]

Merlin, I'm sorry, Percy. I know I keep coming back to it. I don't mean to, it's just—I can't stop thinking about it.

It must be weighing heavily on your mind. Of course you're thinking about it. But you're ...

[He hesitates.]

- well, the Ministry doesn't have authority here. So you're safe from that.

[Sort of.]

Good.

And you? Are you alright in the Ministry?

[If the Death Eaters had decided they wanted to kill a Weasley, it would have been him. It's a grim thought, and one he hasn't had to consider in some time, but it still has power over him. The knowledge that if he didn't do what he was told and keep his head down, today could be his last day. He feels the frisson go up his spine, and he fiddles with his cup.]

Yeah. I'm fine.

But it's - better in my time, than it was in yours.

Is it?

[She leans forward on the table, curious despite herself.]

What's it like? The new Ministry?

It's ... rough, still. Very rough. We've got a big job ahead of us. But Minister Shacklebolt has some really good ideas.

And you're... working with him, right?

[She likes to think her brother saw sense and she knows he is a Gryffindor and a Weasley for a reason.]

Of course I am. He was - kind enough to keep me on as his assistant, even after working with Thicknesse.

It's Kingsley. He's one of the best wizards I know.

[A good man. She'd been so relieved to hear he got away from the Snatchers, to hear his voice on the wireless.]

And you didn't... [She pauses.] You didn't have a choice. Working for Thicknesse, I mean. You had to work for whoever the Prime Minister was.

[Not if he'd wanted to live.]

I know. But some in the Ministry took to their roles ... rather enthusiastically.

How d'you mean?

Dolores Umbridge, for instance? Very enthusiastic about a pure-blood-only society.

[Ginny makes a face (and sound) rather like an angry cat at the mention of Umbridge.]

Of course she is. She's awful. Just throw her back into the Forest with the centaurs—for all they say this isn't their war, I know they'd be happy to take care of her for us.

She's in Azkaban now, where she belongs.

Good.

Normally I try not to speak ill of Ministry employees, past or present, but in her case, I will make an exception.

Well, you know as well as I do what she did up at the school. You're allowed to call her a toad-faced hag, too.

I remember quite well. I also remember how much she enjoyed it.

Everyone enjoys it when they have that sort of power over the school.

Some people take it too far.

You don't need to tell me that.

I know.

[He looks down at his tea, absently fiddling with it.]

So you'll be glad to know she gets her comeuppance. They all do.

078.

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