Chapter Three – A Tiny Cell

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were transported along with the deatheaters to Voldemort's castle. The four were taken down many steps and corridors before they reached their final destination, the dungeons. They all were reluctantly pushed into a small cell 20 feet by 20 feet. The bars that closed and locked behind them were rusted and old, the floor covered in a thick layer of dirt, and the tiny light that hung from the ceiling flickered when shining dim light on the people below.

Harry massaged his wrists and ankles as the ropes uncoiled and disappeared. Taking in the grim surroundings Harry noticed Ginny who was slumped over in a corner crying, her tiny hands muffling her sobs. He took a moment too look at his friends.

Ginny was a thin girl for her age and was short, unlike the rest of her family that was tall and lanky with the exception of her short, plump mom. Her long red hair ran down her back and stopped midway, her soft brown eyes shown brightly behind the tears that fell from them. For a moment Harry thought Ginny resembled her twin brothers Fred and George but dismissed it as the bad lighting.

He then looked at the unconscious boy on the floor next to him. His red hair look exactly like his younger and only sister's except it was much shorter. His long nose and face was covered with tiny freckles that made him look younger then he was. Ron was very tall and gangly but still had large hands and feet for his body. Harry had always admired his friend who had a laidback attitude and a fun personality.

Finally looking at the last person in the room, Harry looked at his sleeping friend Hermione. Behind her closed eyelids rested brown eyes that became steely when she was arguing. Her large front teeth were also hidden behind her closed lips, but her brown bushy hair could never be hidden. It surrounded her face and partially covered her arms. Even though Hermione was the brightest witch of their age, she couldn't tame her unruly hair, which was saying something since she had tried every spell and potion known.

During the time Harry had been observing his friends Ginny had stopped crying and had crawled over to her brother, shaking him. He woke with a start and slapped Ginny.

"Ginny, I'm so sorry. You startled me…it was just a reaction." He said, apologizing profusely.

Ginny glared at Ron but accepted his reason and then proceeded to Hermione who was still comfortably asleep. She bent down next to Hermione's ear and whispered something that the two boys couldn't hear. Whatever it had been alerted Hermione who bolted up into a sitting position.

"Time for class, why didn't you wake me up earlier?" Hermione said panicking. It was then that she noticed she wasn't in her dorm room, but in a dungeon.

"Where are we?" She asked the others.

"We are all in a dungeon, probably Voldemort's." Harry replied.

"What! How did we get here?"

"You slept throughout the whole thing." Ginny stated. "I don't know how you did it when people were yelling curses all around you. Some deatheater even picked you up without you noticing."

"I took a sleeping potion. It lasts a full eight hours."

"Is that dream recurring?" Ginny asked her friend.

Blushing Hermione shook her head no and looked at her feet, suddenly interested in the dirty floor.

"What dream?" Harry and Ron asked in unison.

With a quick look at Ginny Hermione muttered, "Its nothing." The two guys looked at each other and then at Ginny who shrugged her shoulders and tried to look innocent.

"What dream?" Ron persisted.

"Ron," Ginny cautioned. "Leave it alone."

"No. Hermione and I don't keep any secrets. Come on Hermione, cant you trust me?"

"Of course I can, but this dream is really personal."

Rubbing his hands together Ron said, "So it's a juicy secret then."

Rolling her eyes, the bushy haired teen tried to distract her freckled friend by mentioning, "I think I hear footsteps."

Not taking her hints Ron became more annoying in his pursuit.

"Please…" He begged.

"If it will shut you up!" She angrily said. "Fine, I've been having dreams about a certain someone." When Ron perked up at the topic she quickly continued to say, "But I'm not telling whom!"

Not thinking anything of the conversation that was happening around him Harry looked around their cell for anything that would help them escape. He too had heard footsteps come down the stairs but noticed they stopped, and then got quieter as the person walked away.

Getting on his hands and knees Harry moved around on all fours searching the ground for trap doors or something sharp enough to pick a lock with. He caught tiny bits and pieces of Ron and Hermione's conversation while searching.

"Give it up Ron, it's none of your business."

Next Harry searched the walls with help from Ginny who had also decided the conversation wasn't worth her time.

"Hermione. I'm just looking out for you. What if the guy has a background? A dark background?"

Ginny snorted at his comment. "Like Hermione would go for the dangerous type." She said aloud to herself.

"I heard that." He said to his sister who sarcastically replied, "Oh darn, I was hoping you wouldn't."

After some bickering Ron gave up and helped his sister and his best friends look for a way out of their tiny enclosure. They were all so into their search that the loud footsteps that echoed off the long hallway went def on their ears.

All four teens were obviously started when a cold voice said, "Its time for you interrogation."

Ginny shrunk when she saw Theodore Nott standing close to the bars of their cell. She latched onto her brother who puffed out his chest, trying to look imposing to the older man. Hermione's eyes darted back and forth as the cell door opened and ropes tied up their hands. Harry on the other hand glared at Nott and was forcefully taken from the cell, protesting silently by pulling backwards while the frustrated Nott pulled him forward.

The Gryffindors marched down the cold hallways to their impending doom, not knowing what was in store.

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I would like to take the time to thank everyone who has review.

Dirtydancer: Thanks for the offer of being a beta. If I ever have a chapter that I need help editing I will be glad to ask you for help. I'm also glad you like the story and yes, I will continue on.

XThisXBeautifulXDisasterX: I'm happy you find this story to be interesting.

Me: You are right; no one can die yet since the story has just started. You can all breath easy for a while since I haven't planned to kill anyone yet.

Koolio: I try my best to describe the scenes and people in the story.

Jessica: Ginny and Draco are my favorite too. You might also like Switching Species which is about both of them hooking up over time. And I love your little saying, it knocks my socks off!