A/N: Read this to yourself in a boring, monotone voice and my duty will be done: "Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to the author of this story. In fact, the plot is probably something half remembered from another story or movie or book. All of the proper nouns hereafter mentioned belong to someone else -- mostly, if not totally, by J.K. Rowling." The disclaimer will apply to all six chapters. This story is NON-HBP COMPLIANT. I hope that you enjoy the story.
Ginny walked the halls of the Hogwarts Castle, confident that no one would bother her. Some worshiped her, some feared her, and some were simply apathetic. She was a well-respected Gryffindor, friend and sister of the Golden Trio. That was enough to keep seventy-five percent of the school at bay. The Slytherins were helpfully mindful – cautious – of her connection to their Dark Lord. It was late, but she continued towards the North Tower, sure of some solitude.
It was too late to wander about safely. Filch would start roaming the halls in a matter of minutes. There must be a secret passageway somewhere in this hallway. There were passageways everywhere, and as the little sister of Fred and George Weasley, it was almost her duty to know as many of them that she could.
She vaguely remembered Hermione telling her about a passage that went directly between her two favorite spots in the castle. Now, the question was, where was it? And what was the password? No, she decided that there wasn't a word. She just had to tap the correct section of the wall with her wand.
And the wall was... Now she remembered. There was supposed to be a small drawing of an arrow inscribed in the wall. She began pulling at the tapestries to look behind them.
Behind the second panel there was a carving of a black dragon (at eye level for her, although significantly below eye level for most people). Ginny, always the curious one, put her hand over the miniature carving. It pulsed like a heartbeat and warmed her hand.
Footsteps manifested behind her. "Hurry, hurry, hurry," she chanted... at the wall... not looking insane at all... hoping that it was in fact a passage and not just a random carving on the wall. It was her lucky night. Right before Filch could turn the corner, the door slid open soundlessly. She stepped inside quickly (eager to avoid a detention), and the wall closed, erasing all clues of her presence.
It was of course curious that she hadn't found the correct marking, but it was like the old saying went: any port in a storm. Or, in this case, any secret passageway to avoid a detention from Filch.
Filch and his rather unusual cat, Mrs. Norris, walked through the hall. He looked suspiciously around every corner, hoping to catch an unruly student that he could slip through the cracks of Dumbledore's "no torture" policy. Mrs. Norris also turned her red eyes as though to see everything at once. They both felt that there was a student nearby. Mrs. Norris meowed and arched her back next to the wall that Ginny had just gone through. Filch could see nothing unusual, so they simply agreed to move on but come back at a later time. Ginny remained undiscovered, and Filch never found that passage.