Story: The Titans of Secrets
Chapter Three: Where Bravery and Chivalry Dwell

Upon reaching Hogwarts, Gilligan parted from their gang to be sorted in the Headmaster's office along with his brother. The four friends sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"I wish Gilligan would be a Gryffindor too," Ron said, when the feast had started after the sorting of the new first years. The rest of them nodded. They were devouring the delicious food when someone flopped into the seat beside Ginny, startling her for a second.

"Gilligan! You startled me there! Oh, which house are you in?" Ginny asked. The boy in question grinned at her.

"Gryffindor, where bravery and chivalry dwells in the heart!"

"That's brilliant! Congratulations!" she replied, hugging him. The others echoed her and the grin never left his face.

"How about Harry?" Ron asked timidly after the round of excitement died down a little bit.

Gilligan's expression turned a little sour, Ginny noticed. "He's Gryffindor too. He is probably in the dormitory. Doesn't want to meet anyone apparently."

"Is he always like that?" Neville asked. The raven haired boy nodded lowly.

"Yes."

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The dawn broke out fairly quick. The sun's first rays of the day woke Ginny gently. She mumbled and stretched before pushing the curtains open to see Hermione sitting on her bed and reading a book. The redhead had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

"What do you even read early in the morning on the first day of the term?!" Ginny asked rather loudly. Hermione looked up from her book.

"Good morning to you too. I'm just leafing through the syllabus. Go and get ready, we must take our timetables from Professor McGonagall and help Gilligan and Harry too."

"You are right," Ginny said and walked to the washroom but stopped short before entering. "Hermione. . . What do you think of Gilligan?"

"Mhm? He seems courteous to me. I have no other words about him yet. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing. Just. . . curious." With that Ginny left the bushy haired witch to her reading.

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Professor McGonagall distributed the timetables during the breakfast and all the Gryffindor seventh years were ecstatic for the first period whilst Slytherin seventh years groaned. It was double Defense Against the Dark Arts and their teacher was plain brilliant, according to Ginny.

It seemed that even the Potters knew about the Defense teacher but unfortunately for Gilligan, he did not have Defense until after lunch. As Neville had left early, Ginny, Ron and Hermione practically skipped to the class leaving behind a dreamy looking Luna and a sullen looking Gilligan.

When Ginny entered the Defense classroom, she was terrified for a moment to see Harry Potter hexing her bench.

"Oi!" Ron shouted from behind her as she strode to the second desk.

"What do you think you are doing?!" Ginny shouted. Harry looked up.

"I-I am trying to counter the hex –"

"Counter the hex on my bench?" she paused and looked at the laughing Malfoy and his croonies. "Now I see. Great job you four. Very funny! Come on Hermione, let's take the third desk," Ginny retorted, pulling the startled brunette with her to the next desk. She noticed Neville shooting Harry apologetic looks as the latter sat down beside him.

"Ginny, you shouldn't have shouted at him like that. He's a Quidditch star and a young model!" Hermione whisper-shouted at her. Ginny snorted lightly.

"He was indirectly trying to hex whoever sat there! Judging by the grins the Slytherins are giving him, Malfoy was probably the one who told him to do that," she reasoned. "Not all Potters are good, it seems. He's probably a spoilt prat. Money makes you corrupt."

Hermione sighed. Harry's behavior did not seem really appealing to anyone. Heck, his own brother did not find it appropriate. Having found no evidence to state otherwise, the bushy haired witch kept her silence.

The door opened and a familiar, scarred face walked in, wearing a pleasant smile.

"Good morning students!"

"Good morning Professor Lupin!" the Gryffindor students echoed their greetings enthusiastically. The Slytherins kept quiet.

"Welcome to another term of Defense Against the Dark Arts. I do hope you don't think what this old man is blabbering." There was a hearty laughter from the Gryffindor side but several Slytherins were non-verbally agreeing to the Professor's joke.

"Great. Now. I see that there are two new students to my class although I know of one as your junior," Lupin said, winking lightly at Ginny who smiled. "Come on here!"

Ginny walked up to the mini podium and introduced herself. Whilst returning back to her seat, she saw Harry shoot her a smile but she ignored him. When it was his time to introduce though, she found it quite arrogant.

"I'm Harry Potter and well. . . I guess that's it."

Some girls even thought it was attractive as they started clapping and giggling. All Ginny, and Ron for that matter, found in his 'introduction' was that it was quite cringe.

Although Professor Lupin made the class fun by starting with complex defense charms, the giggles from behind Ginny, Hermione and Ron were quite disturbing.

So when the class finally dispersed after two hours, the trio shot out of the room towards the dungeons for yet another boring lesson. When they passed, Ginny saw, out of the corner of her eye, Neville consoling a sad looking Harry. It angered her more that her friend, the guy she considered as her seventh brother, was taking his, the one who almost hexed her bench's, side.

It wasn't until later that Neville caught up with them.

"Hey – guys! Wait – for – me!" he panted when he reached them. "What's – the – hurry?"

"Well, since you have found a new friend, we thought we could get to Potions without getting scolded," Ron retorted. "Are you still my potions partner or not?"

"Harry isn't bad –"

"Don't tell me you have been starstruck," Ginny replied.

"No! It's not my part to tell his problem but I think I have to stick with him for this potions class. Snape might abuse him or else. What with the potions knowledge he is bound to have."

Ron sighed. "I should go looking for a new partner now."

"I can be your partner but. . ." Hermione hesitated, looking reluctantly at Ginny.

"Yeah, you can be his partner. I'll do fine with some other. . . Ravenclaw I suppose." Ginny replied as they entered the dungeons.

The dark, gloomy place did nothing to improve the redhead's mood combined with the fact that she was partnered with Michael Corner, her annoying ex-boyfriend. On top of that, Snape's surprised looks directed towards Harry was not what she wanted to see.

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After a long week of tiring classes and diligent avoiding of Harry Potter, Ginny was all in for the first Hogsmeade weekend. But there arose the problem.

Who would she go with?

Ron, Hermione and Neville, Luna were going on a double date which meant she had to go on her own.

Annoyed by the fact that this year seemed much more worser than what it would have been if she were to be in her sixth year, she half wished to sit at Hogwarts. But when Gilligan came to ask her if she would go with him, she agreed without a second thought to go with the youngest Potter as friends.

Who knew it would lead to something else?

There ends the third chapter. Now, I want to clarify that this is not an OC x Ginny Weasley story lol.

Also, I probably will be updating TToS every alternate day.

Your thoughts on this chapter? Comment!

Thank you for reading!

Miyoko x