Disclaimer: Do you actually think I own the Harry Potter characters? If you did, I'm flattered, but they are J K Rowling's. Sorry to anyone who wanted them to be their's and didn't get the memo that they're JKR's. jk y'all but they're J K Rowlings genius.

Chapter 5

Of Riddles and Boxes

August 9th
Too excited…
So I am skipping this part…

You're probably wondering what in the whole entire bloody universe could make me this excited, if a diary could wonder that is. I can barely keep from screaming for joy. Does happy dance

Flashback

"Ginny, wake up, dear. It's time for breakfast." Said my mum shaking me.

"Five more minutes please." I groaned rolling over.

"No, Ginny. If you want any waffles, you'll have to wake up now."

"Okay, fine. I'm up." I rubbed my eyes and got out of bed.

Stumbling into the bathroom to get changed, I notice that the handle of a bag was sticking out from underneath Hermione's bed. The handle looked suspiciously like one I had seen from QualityQuidditch Supplies.

Hmmm… I wonder what that has in it? Oh bugger! Hermione's up. I'll have to wait.. I thought grinning to myself shutting the door.

"Hurry up, Ginny. I need to get downstairs within this hour." Said Hermione pounding on the door.

"Okay, okay. Hold your horses." I said opening the door.

"Where did you get that shirt?" asked Hermione.

"At Jenny's Wardrobe of course." I said. I was wearing a white shirt with green writing that says 'La La La I can't hear you!' witha pictureof a frog with it's hands over its ears.

"I like it!" said Hermione grinning as she shut the door to the bathroom.

I walked over to my dresser and started to pick out a pair of earrings. Not seeing the earrings I wanted to wear, I went to my wardrobe to get my box of jewelry that I had inherited from one of my mom's aunts.

"Crap! That hurt!" I said as I hit my head on the side of the wardrobe. Just then I saw the box I was looking for on top of a shiny gold box.

Hmmm never seen this box before...I tried sliding the top to the right and left. It has to somehow.

"Ginny, are you coming to breakfast or not?" asked Hermione finally out of the bathroom.

"Yea, I'm coming." I sighed and put the box back hoping that it wouldn't disappear before I had the chance to see what was in it or explore it better.

As I walked downstairs to the kitchen I forgot all about getting a pair of earrings to wear. Instead, all my thoughts were on that mysterious box. Sitting down at the table I spooned some eggs onto my plate and grabbed a piece of toast.

Okay, the top doesn't slide to the right or left. What about up or down? Does it pull off? Darn that box. I am not going to be able to concentrate on anything until I can open it.

Suddenly, something pushed my shoulder causing me to fall into Harry. Looking over, I saw that Ron had pushed me.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"That was for Hermione. She's been trying to get your attention for almost five minutes now." He answered. As he said this I noticed that Hermione andHarry both seemed to be trying not to laugh.

"Oh, so what were you needing my attention for, Hermione?" I asked a bit agitated that she would be laughing at me.

"I was wondering if you could hurry up and finish your breakfast so I can ask you something."

"Fine, I'm done anyway." I stood up and followed Hermione out of the kitchen and into the library which mum had placed a silencing charm on so that anyone who needed to study could study in peace, but Hermione and I used the room for talking about stuff that we couldn't talk about in front of the others. Mainly, Ron and Harry.

"What's wrong?" asked Hermione as soon as she shut the door.

I sighed. Hermione might be able to help me with the box so I decided to tell her the reason why I was so spaced out today.

"Let's go see if we can open it. This is weird. I just hope it isn't full of dark stuff." She said opening the door. We ran up the stairs into our room, shutting the door, and getting a few odd looks from Ron and Harry.

"What was that all about?" saidHarry to Ron as we ran by.

Ron shrugged as they went off to their room.

As soon as Hermione had shut the door, I walked over to my wardrobe and got out the box.

"I was afraid it might have had a charm on it so that it would disappear as soon as anyone found it." I explained to Hermione when she gave me an odd look.

"No, I wasn't looking at you strange because you sighed, but because you reached into the wardrobe and pulled out nothing."

It was my turn to look at her funny.

"You can't see it?" I asked incredulous. Seeing her shake her head, I explained what it looked like.

"Flip it over and see if it says a name on the bottom of it." She said though she still looked skeptical.

I flipped it over and gasped. (A/N: perfect time for a cliffie. Lucky you guys I don't want to)

"What? Does it say anything on the bottom?" asked a very excited looking Hermione.

" 'A box of gold,

A riddle to unfold,

Appearing when my owner's gone,

To the one serious won,

Or the one with a spirit,

To match her hair,

Whose curiosity isn't that fair,

A match for a friend's wit,

Pushing and pulling does no good,

The key lies in letters,

Read over and over,

On the third time, a charm,

No need to fear,

This box is harmless,

I am serious,

In this Black house,

I'm the one you can trust,

Though prankster,

I may be.

Remember,

Third times a charm,

No harm,

Will come to the one,

Who unlocks the secrets,

Of the box of gold.'" I read.

Great a riddle.

"It's a riddle."

"Hello, Captain Obvious." Hermione had taught me some mugglephrases. This one was one of my favorites.

"Hold on. I'll get some parchment and aquill out of my trunk. Then I'll need you to read it again."

"Line for line? Any spelling changes?"

"You got it!" said Hermione walking over to her trunk and getting out paper and a pen. "Why do you only get to see it?"

"Who knows? Are you ready?"

"Yup!"

" 'A box of gold." I paused as Hermione's quill scratched against the paper.

"a riddle to unfold."

"Appearing when my owner's gone." Another pause, and more scratching.

"To the one serious won." To this I added, "Serious, spelt s-e-r-I-o-u-s."

"Or the one with a spirit,"

"To match her hair."

"Whose curiosity isn't that fair."

"A match for a friend's wit."

"Pushing and pulling does no good."

"The key lies in letters."

"Read over and over." I paused again to wait for Hermione's nod to signal that she had it all down so far.

"On the third time, a charm." I paused before adding, "All one line."

Five minutes later, Hermione had the whole riddle copied down correctly. I checked it and it matched exactly word for word, letter for letter.

"Okay, the first two lines' meanings are obvious. The box of gold has a riddle for us to solve."

"Duh, Hermione! Only someone as thick as Crabbe and Goyle would have trouble figuring that one out." Ifrowned then added. "This might take a bit to figure out. I mean, bits of it aren't that hard to figure out, but some are."

"It wouldn't be a riddle if it were easy."

"You're right." I sighed.

Hermionesmiled, " At least we have all day to figure it out."

"I thought we were going to Diagon Alley today." I said puzzled.

"Nope, your mum decided to wait till tomorrow."

"Well, then, lets go to the library so no one can overhear us." I grabbed the box as I stood up.

"Aren't you worried that someone else will see that?" asked Hermione pointing to the box. Or rather the space where the box should be to her, since she couldn't see it.

"Not really. You can't see it, so why would anyone else be able to see it?"

"True, and this will help us figure out who all can see it." Hermione said thoughtfully.

Smiling I headed towards the door, but stopped, unable to open the door due to a box in my hands. The box wasn't really heavy, I just wasn't sure if it was breakable and I didn't want to test its breakablity. Hermione noticed my predicament and laughed. She opened the door and we both walked down to the library.

"Hey Ginny, Hermione. Do you want to playquidditchwithHarry and I?" Ron asked walking up the stairs as we came down. "Why are you holding your arms like that, Ginny? Its not like you've got a breakable phoenix statue in your hands."

"No reason, Ron. I just felt like it."

"Ok…" said Ron looking at me like i'm crazy or something. "So do you girls want to play with us?"

"Not right now, Ron. Maybe later. Thanks, though." Said Hermione giving him a peck on the lips.

"Euuuww! Gross! Please don't do that again while I am in the room!" I said.

Hemione laughed as Ron blushed. "Fine. I'll just have to tease you whenever I find you kissing someone."

At this Ron's ears perked up. "Ginny kissing someone? When?"

"Ron, she didn't say I had kissed someone. She just said that if I was to kiss someone, then she'd have to tease me about it." I frowned. Why do my brothers have to be so overprotective? Its not like I can't take care of myself.

"Oh." Said Ron turning to go.

The rest of the journey to the library was uneventful with no one else asking why I was 'holding air'. I looked quickly around the library to ensure that we were alone before shutting and locking the door. Hermione walked over to the couch by the fireplace and sat down putting her copy of the riddle on the coffee table, while I put the box on the table and sat down in the recliner with a sigh.

"why does it have to be in a riddle? Why not just say in plain english, who its from and how to open it?" I said.

"But that would take all the fun out of riddles!" Hermione protested. I made a face to which Hermione laughed.

A box of gold,
A riddle to unfold.
Already went through this. The box has a riddle for us to unfold.

"Helen, could I borrow some parchment and a quill"

Helen didn't say anything but handed me some parchment and aquill.

This'll be useful if I ever think of what the riddle might mean…

Appearing when my owner's gone – when the box's real owner is gone, perhaps dead or believed dead maybe even in another country. I thought scribbling furiously on the parchment. Looking up I saw that Helen was also writing quickly.

Ugghh… she's probably already figured this part out.

To the one serious won – the box will appear to the one seriousness won over or won the love of maybe.
Or the one with a spirit,
To match her hair – Me?Explains why I can see the box and Mione can't.
Whose curiousity isn't that fair,

A match for a friend's wit – Hermione? My curioustiy isn't a match for her wit.
Pushing…

As soon as I had started to read the next line, there was a knock at the door. I groaned when Hermione called out for who it was and the answer came back. I got up and went to the door with Helen close behind.

"What do you want Ron?" I asked opening the door.

"Mum just sent me to tell you girls that lunch is ready. Gosh, don't get your knickers in a knot." He said walking off.

Hermione and I ran the box and pieces of parchment up to our room, not that it would be any safer from prying eyes, but that it wouldn't be out in the open. This way if someone did find the parchments or could see the box, we'd know that they had been in our room. Talk about Slytherin qualities.

"Ginny, after lunch, I'll tell you what I figured out."

I know I'm 'evil' but the next chapter should be up as soon as i get back from my dad's if all goes well...

Please review!