Chapter 3

Chapter 9

When Ginny woke up, she was once again in the cold room. The only difference was that the room now had light and her body ached MUCH more then the last time she was in there. Also she noticed that her clothing had changed. Her emerald dress was gone and in its place there is now a divided black skirt and a (almost shameful) white tank top. Plus white shoes. Feeling her stiff muscles, she was guessing that she had lain on the floor for a couple an hours. A lump of bread and a bit of water were standing on a tray next to her. Ginny couldn't resist for she had not eaten in such a long time. After she finished she knew that there won't be anyone coming for a while so she began searching the dungeon off for an exit.

She began feeling the stones one by one hoping against hope to find some secret passage.

YESS! She found it. When her hand glided over a particular stone it disappeared and a corridor became visible.

Relief coursed trough her and she entered the corridor...just to be blown back! It wasn't real...only a cruel joke, making the prisoner believe they had found an escape.

Well HA HA! She thought

And once again footsteps. The same person dragging her out of the damp dungeon. The same corridor with the huge doors at the end. The same room...with the same people.

"Good morning, Ginerva"

"Tom Riddle..." Ginny said, knowing he hated the muggle name. Though he only smiled like no one could ruin his day.

"Today you have your first training. Follow me" Voldemort led them outside another door. When they stepped out Ginny saw that they were on a balcony. She stepped forward and saw something she'll never forget. Yesterday when she looked out the windows she had seen a huge grass field. Now it had been transformed to a huge maze!

Little paths as long as she could see. She turned to Voldemort with a questioning gaze. "Well Ginerva? This is your training room. I'll explain your schedule. Tomorrow you will be given books. Those books will contain spells and different useful information. Of course no information will be give on how to escape. You will learn as much as you can from those books. The following day you will go again in that maze. The maze will contain different (and very possibly) dangerous creatures each time. You will try to defeat them with the things you learn from the studying. Very likely you will get hurt...badly...but you won't die. This will make you stronger, which is our goal...for now"

Ginny tried to take all of this in. Every day? Almost no rest? Then she spoke the question she wanted to ask badly..

"For how long? How long will you keep me here? And why are you doing this?"

The reply scared Ginny

"For as long as I want to. Now today is a tryout. Your first time in the maze to see how strong you've become. When you will enter the maze a wand will magically appear in your pocket"

Ginny went to the edge of the balcony and looked over. It was like looking down a grand cliff.

"How am I going to get there?"

"Like this" Ginny felt a hand on her shoulder pushing her over the railing. Too late she realised it and could no longer grasp something solid. She made a dive to the maze and saw a little lake beneath her. She dived into the water.

It was cold. She began moving towards the surface. Almost out of breath she felt air gracing her longs again. Coughing hard she swam to the edge of the water and climbed out.

After a few seconds rest she noticed something hard poking at her side. She stuck her hand in her pocket and retrieved a wand. Not her own wand but a different one. The wood was darker then most and Ginny didn't feel very comfortable with it. But is was her only means of protection.

She stood up and looked at her surroundings. She only saw high hedges and small paths. Sighing she strutted on. Looking cautiously around every corner she saw still nothing. Then she did saw something. A Skrewt like the one Hagrid kept at Hogwarts for teaching Care of Magical Creatures. The stupid thing was that they had a HARD shell covering almost their entire body. Ugly little thing, really. The only place you could hit it was the stomach. But that won't be easy. The thing could burn you very nastily if you weren't careful. She stepped closer, but the thing saw her and burned her and stepped away defensively.

Rubbing the burned spot on her arm she raised her wand.

"Rictusempra!" she yelled...not a scratch, but another burn instead on her right leg. Having enough of it she did something the skrewt had not foreseen. She kicked it right in the head and it landed on his back, stomach exposed.

"Immobulus!"... One skrewt down. Ginny went on. She was running now. She hated being hunted upon...not like she wasn't already hating the fact that her friends betrayed her and was kidnapped by the most evil wizard know to wizard kind.

After a while she rounded a corner and bumped to something hard and fell on her bum. Looking up she saw a Sphinx blocking her way. O Oh! Ginny was bad at riddles. It saw Ginny and spoke.

3 riddles must be solved or I will eat you...simple as that. This is your first Riddle:

All about, but cannot be seen,
Can be captured, cannot be held,
No throat, but can be heard.

OH GOD! I don't know...what am I gonna do? Okay Gin stay calm...All about cannot be seen...so invisible...can be captured cannot be held...well everything that is solid can be held...so it isn't something solid. No throat but can be heard what the hell...

The sphinx grinned at her and licked his lips.

Oh fuck oh fuck...what am I gonna do?...THINK GIN THINK! ...wait...something invisible but not solid...fire? No I can see that...wind? Yess that's it!

"Wind!" Ginny shouted victoriously. She could see that she was right judging by the not so happy face. "Wind is correct" The next Riddle came.

What does man love more than life
Fear more than death or mortal strife
What the poor have, the rich require,
and what contented men desire,
What the miser spends and the spendthrift saves
And all men carry to their graves?

Nope...don't know this one either... minutes went by and Ginny came up with nothing! she could see the Sphinx looking at her grinning wider and wider each passing second. And Ginny began to panic! I ABLOSLUTELY, MOST SURELY, DEFINATLY KNOW NOTHING!

"NOTHING!" Ginny cried out in frustration and was surprised when the Sphinx looked disgruntled. "Nothing is the correct answer" It said. Ginny was surprised, but the next Riddle came and she listened carefully.

My life can be measured in hours,
I serve by being devoured.
Thin, I am quick
Fat, I am slow
Wind is my foe.

Surprisingly Ginny found this one easy.

"A candle"

The Sphinx moved and Ginny could see the path again. Now however she thought she should come up with a plan. Looking at the hedges she considered climbing on them...

Nah...that's not good. Just as she was about to go on a dementor neared. Ginny could feel the cold seeping trough her body. Every painful memory came to her again. Her first year with The sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle and more. But the one that hurt most was the one where she had discovered that Draco, Blaise and Pansy were betraying her, because the wound was still fresh.

Lying on the ground she could see the dementor being ordered away by Death Eaters and Ginny carried back to the room with books to study for the following day...