Draco immediately lowered himself to his knees and tilted his head down wards.
"My Lord," he said.
"Stand, fool," Tom's voice again rang through the Chamber, "We haven't much time."
"Tom," Ginny whispered. It had been so long since she had heard his voice.
He ignored her acknowledgement of him, "Ginevra, Draco, hurry and go to the end of the Chamber where Slytherin's face is. Climb into the hole that the Basilisk came from. Be quick, before someone finds the Chamber open."
They ran to Slytherin's giant statue without another word. Ginny scrambled up into the giant stone mouth first and Malfoy followed her. They emerged in a large circular room embellished with emerald green, velvet hangings around the walls. In the center of the room there was a small wooden box.
"Take the box and go." Tom said. They obeyed.
§§§
This is too odd. We are no closer to finding out who impersonated Ginny with that diary. I checked in the morning, there was nothing but ashes. The book burned.
But now I'm scared for her. Someone's out to get her. I'm so worried that someone will just sneak up to her in the night and take her away. I can't sleep like this. I wonder if Hermione's awake.
§§§
When Harry walked down to the Common Room that night, Hermione sat awake. She was finishing triple checking the grammar on her Ancient Runes essay.
"What are you doing awake?" she asked as he came down dressed in his pajamas.
"I can't sleep." he said.
She could see something was bothering him. "What's wrong?" she asked nervously.
"Nothing, I just can't sleep." he said, staring determinedly into the fireplace.
"Harry you know you can't lie to me. I can see something's wrong. Are you having nightmares again?" she sat down her book and took a seat next to him on the maroon sofa.
"No."
"Then what is it. You can't hide this from me for long and you know it."
"It's just..." and he told her everything.
"Someone's impersonating Ginny?" she asked when he finished.
"Well, yes." he said, the feeling of tiredness suddenly flooding back to him.
"Harry we've got to take this to Dumbledore!" she said urgently.
"No!" he sat up quickly, "He can't help us. He never can."
"Harry," she said
"No!" he looked right into her brown eyes, "Promise me you won't tell anyone? Promise?"
She couldn't betray him if she tried, she would never tell him that, but it was the truth. She could hardly stand to see him in pain.
"I promise." she said in nearly a whisper. She hugged him and turned around as she heard the portrait door swing open, who was out this late. Being a prefect she'd have to give them detention.
Unless, of course, they were another prefect. Ginny.