She did not raise her voice. She simply spoke slowly, in a matter-of-fact tone devoid of emotion.
"You're such an idiot, Ron."
Ron whipped his head around as though a scorpion had stung him.
"What are you here for now? Are you taking her side too?"
"I'm not taking anyone's side."
Ginny did not stop walking. She headed straight toward him, each step carrying an invisible pressure.
"I'm just stating a fact."
"Children should stay out of grown-up business!" Ron sprang from his chair, his face flushed red.
"Grown-ups?" Ginny scoffed, planting her hands on her hips, fire burning in her brown eyes.
She stopped before Ron and looked up at him.
"What grown-up attacks his own friend because he doesn't have the guts to ask out the girl he likes?"
"You don't care about Hogwarts' honor at all. You're just jealous."
"You're jealous that Krum is an international sports star, jealous that he's famous, jealous that he dared to ask Hermione."
"And you don't even have the courage to ask someone to be your partner."
Layer by layer, Ginny's words stripped away the false shell Ron had woven from anger and house honor.
"The way you imitated Hermione was utterly stupid."
"I didn't!" Ron roared, but his voice sounded weak, all bluster and no substance.
"You did."
Ginny's gaze was as cold as ice.
"You're jealous that she's smarter than you, braver than you, and even more popular than you."
"So when she finally gets some of the attention she deserves, you attack her with these pathetic, despicable excuses."
"That's the real betrayal, Ron. You've betrayed your friend, and you've betrayed Gryffindor."
Everyone in the Common Room held their breath.
They had never seen Ginny Weasley like this.
She was no longer the shy little girl who followed behind