Author's note: I hope you readers haven't all wandered off.
Disclaimer: It still doesn't belong to me.
................................
The Polyjuice potion began to wear off as he herded them up the dark staircase. Harry's features melted away, to reveal Professor Snape.
Snape flung Ginny into a closet, shoving her so hard that she hit the back wall, bruising her shoulder. She slid to the floor as Ron and Hermione likewise entered the closet.
The dim light disappeared as Snape slammed the door shut, and the lock clicked.
"And that's a thousand points from Gryffindor for ruining my night!" Snape yelled through the door.
Hermione began to cry. Ginny couldn't see her, but it sounded like Ron put his arms around her.
Someone touched Ginny's hand. "It's good to have some company." They whispered.
She gave a little shriek. "Who is that?" she demanded.
"Its me." The voice answered.
"That's really helpful," she said.
"Wait." Hermione said suddenly. "I've got a light."
Something jangled, and a thin beam of light pierced the darkness. It shone in Ginny's eyes, blinding her, then illuminated the face of the unidentified person next to her.
"Harry?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
"That's me." He replied.
"How can we be sure it's you?" Ron asked.
"Ron, I'm locked in a cupboard. What possible reason would anyone have to pretend to be Harry Potter locked in a cupboard?" Harry asked.
"Good point." Ron admitted. He reached for the source of the light. "What are these things?"
"It's a key chain." Hermione answered.
Ron shook them. They jangled. "What do they do?"
"They unlock doors. See, this is the key to my bedroom, this is my front door key, this one unlocks my diary-"
"You keep a diary?" Ron asked. "Am I in there?"
Hermione sighed. "Of course you're in there Ron."
"Anything bad?"
Harry interrupted them by stealing the keys. He inspected the key ring, which appeared to be a small torch. "How does this work in Hogwarts?"
"Its magical. It doesn't require batteries." Hermione explained.
"What's a battery?" Ron asked.
"So, what do you think is going on?" Ron asked. It seemed like hours had passed, but it could have only been minutes.
"Well, its obvious. Snape has finally snapped." Harry replied.
"I think there's more to it than that." Ginny said.
"I'm inclined to agree with Ginny." Hermione said. "Maybe she's not crazy."
"Gee, thanks." Ginny muttered.
Ron walked over to the door and shook the handle. "Hello!" he shouted. "Help!"
"No one can hear us," Ginny said.
"Well, aren't you just little miss sunshine?" Ron snapped. "Isn't there supposed to be invisible guards patrolling the halls?"
"Tell me, are we anywhere near the hospital wing?" Ginny asked.
"Right next to it." Harry answered.
"There are no guards in the hospital wing. For the patients' privacy." Hermione said.
"Great. Just great." Ron said. "So, what do we do?"
"We wait." Harry whispered. "We just keep waiting."
Disclaimer: It still doesn't belong to me.
................................
The Polyjuice potion began to wear off as he herded them up the dark staircase. Harry's features melted away, to reveal Professor Snape.
Snape flung Ginny into a closet, shoving her so hard that she hit the back wall, bruising her shoulder. She slid to the floor as Ron and Hermione likewise entered the closet.
The dim light disappeared as Snape slammed the door shut, and the lock clicked.
"And that's a thousand points from Gryffindor for ruining my night!" Snape yelled through the door.
Hermione began to cry. Ginny couldn't see her, but it sounded like Ron put his arms around her.
Someone touched Ginny's hand. "It's good to have some company." They whispered.
She gave a little shriek. "Who is that?" she demanded.
"Its me." The voice answered.
"That's really helpful," she said.
"Wait." Hermione said suddenly. "I've got a light."
Something jangled, and a thin beam of light pierced the darkness. It shone in Ginny's eyes, blinding her, then illuminated the face of the unidentified person next to her.
"Harry?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
"That's me." He replied.
"How can we be sure it's you?" Ron asked.
"Ron, I'm locked in a cupboard. What possible reason would anyone have to pretend to be Harry Potter locked in a cupboard?" Harry asked.
"Good point." Ron admitted. He reached for the source of the light. "What are these things?"
"It's a key chain." Hermione answered.
Ron shook them. They jangled. "What do they do?"
"They unlock doors. See, this is the key to my bedroom, this is my front door key, this one unlocks my diary-"
"You keep a diary?" Ron asked. "Am I in there?"
Hermione sighed. "Of course you're in there Ron."
"Anything bad?"
Harry interrupted them by stealing the keys. He inspected the key ring, which appeared to be a small torch. "How does this work in Hogwarts?"
"Its magical. It doesn't require batteries." Hermione explained.
"What's a battery?" Ron asked.
"So, what do you think is going on?" Ron asked. It seemed like hours had passed, but it could have only been minutes.
"Well, its obvious. Snape has finally snapped." Harry replied.
"I think there's more to it than that." Ginny said.
"I'm inclined to agree with Ginny." Hermione said. "Maybe she's not crazy."
"Gee, thanks." Ginny muttered.
Ron walked over to the door and shook the handle. "Hello!" he shouted. "Help!"
"No one can hear us," Ginny said.
"Well, aren't you just little miss sunshine?" Ron snapped. "Isn't there supposed to be invisible guards patrolling the halls?"
"Tell me, are we anywhere near the hospital wing?" Ginny asked.
"Right next to it." Harry answered.
"There are no guards in the hospital wing. For the patients' privacy." Hermione said.
"Great. Just great." Ron said. "So, what do we do?"
"We wait." Harry whispered. "We just keep waiting."