A/N: Hey, guys! Check out my new fic! It's about Snape and the Marauders. Click on my profile mc-swirl-girl, and it will be under there!

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Chapter 26

"They have to be here somewhere!" Ginny exclaimed, rummaging through many drawers and crevices in her room. "Why can I never find my stuff?"

"Did you check your knapsack?" Hermione asked. The two were searching for the Transpectacles and Extendable Ears: Deluxe Edition.

"Yes!" Ginny replied and kicked a box over after she didn't find what she was looking for in it.

"Well, it's not a big deal. I just wanted to see if Ron was going to look over old History of Magic notes like I told him to," said Hermione.

Ginny felt like laughing at that statement, but she was still too anxious over the 'spying' equipment. "Harry was acting a little different tonight. I want to know what he says about me."

"Ginny, he was probably tired from working all day," Hermione said earnestly.

"Maybe he's not! Just help me find the things!" Ginny yelled. She felt selfish and immature, but she couldn't figure out why she was so eager to hear what Harry and Ron were conversing about. She let that thought go as she hunted through her old school bag.

"You might have left them in the attic last time we were up there," Hermione stated.

Ginny stopped rummaging and looked up. "That's right! Let's go now!"

The two girls made their way towards the attic. Crookshanks was outside Ron's door, mildly growling, but he was ignored by Hermione and Ginny.

Ginny looked around the attic and couldn't find the newer Extendable Ears and Transpectacles. Hermione could tell they weren't there as well.

"They're not in here," she said, picking up a few objects from the ground that could have been blocking the wanted items.

"But they have to be!" Ginny replied. She was then worried about what the twins would think about her losing their prototypes.

"Unless someone stole them," Hermione said with a suspicious look on her face.

"The ghoul!" Ginny exclaimed with anger.

"Is the ghoul still in here?" Hermione asked.

"I don't think so," Ginny replied with concern. It occurred to her that she hadn't heard any noise from the ghoul the last time she'd been in there. For some reason, it worried her that the ghoul wasn't responding to anything they were saying.

"We're not going to find anything in here," Hermione stated, "but I brought these incase." She held up a pair of flesh-colored strings, but they had no funnel attached to them.

"Those won't work," said Ginny. "Mum jinxed all the old ones. It's hopeless."

"I don't know what to tell you, Gin, but maybe this means you shouldn't spy on Harry and Ron anymore," Hermione advised.

Ginny heaved a downcast sigh. It was no help to debate with Hermione, and it was time to take a deep breath and calm down. "You're right. Let's just go. Maybe we can hang out with Ron and Harry in their room."

The two girls made their way down the staircase and through the door. Ginny knocked on the door next to it. There was no answer, but she knocked again. "Hey! It's me and Hermione!" Again, they heard no one answer. "Are in in your underwear or something?"

The door opened and stood a red-faced Ron glaring at the two girls sternly. "What do you want?"

"We just wanted to mix with you guys. Don't give me that attitude. Holy Cripes," Ginny replied and let herself in through the doorway. She saw Harry sitting on a chair, but he looked as if he had his attention focused on a Quidditch magazine he was reading.

"Aren't you one to have an attitude?" said Ron.

"Um, Ron, so how are you going with the studying?" Hermione asked with an obvious attempt to make peace.

"I haven't started," he simply replied. "So are you going to be here for long because it seems to me that you might want to continue looking for something."

Hermione and Ginny exchanged nervous glances. Ginny wasn't sure what he meant since it wouldn't have occurred to her that Ron would know anything about snooping in the attic.

"I beg your pardon?" said Ginny.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. Look!" He picked some items off his bed and they turned out to be the Transpectacles and Extendable Ears: Deluxe Edition.

Ginny's jaw dropped. She glanced at Harry as he put the magazine down. He didn't say anything, but he looked very disappointed. "Where-Where did you get those?!" she demanded.

"It doesn't matter where I got them!" Ron yelled. "So is that what you've been doing in the attic? Spying on Harry and I? I can't believe you got into this!"

"Ron, calm down," Hermione said softly. She was on the verge of crying.

"You too! I can't believe that Ginny would put you up to spying on your friends! You think you're Miss Perfect with her Prefect responsibilities! You've really denied yourself this time, Hermione!" he shouted.

Tears started to come down Hermione's face. "I really didn't think it would do much harm, Ron," she cried weakly, and left the room.

Ginny started to hurt for her. "Ron, that was very unnecessary!" she said. "Okay! I admit it! I spied on you! It was my fault for getting into this mess! Please don't take it out on Hermione. She was against it all before I convinced her that it was okay!"

"Don't start pointing your finger at me until you've figured out that you aren't so great yourself!" he replied. "Now, just go. I don't want to talk to you or see you anymore!"

Ginny didn't say anything, but she left the room anyway. She was so angry at Ron for accusing her and Hermione for what they've done even if it was the truth. She then began to worry about how he found out about everything. He must of found the Extendable Ears and Transpectacles in the attic, and then used them while Ginny and Hermione were in there looking for them. Harry and Ron must have heard everything they said. But what is so wrong about me spying on them when they were planning to snoop around themselves and find out what Fred, George and I were up to? Ron and Harry would have done the same thing we did if they could get their hands on the right equipment, she thought.

Ginny made it to her bedroom and found Hermione weeping in there. Ginny was rather angry than sad about the turn-out of what happened, but she felt a great deal of remorse for her friend. "I'm really sorry," was all that could escape her lips.

"D-Don't be."

"It really is my fault. Ron shouldn't have bitten your head off like that. He didn't know what he was saying."

"Ginny, I-I don't r-regret anything. I do like to st-stick to the rules, b-but like everyone, I'm not--" she started to bawl even more, "Puh-Perfect."

"Please, don't be so sad about it! Let's just go to sleep early. You'll feel better in the morning, and we can talk to Ron," Ginny suggested.

"What about Harry?" she asked.

Ginny chose not to respond to that as hearing Harry's name worried her. Instead, she said, "How about you just sleep in my bed tonight instead of the hard floor. It's very comfortable and you'll feel better!"