AN: I 22, and the prompt is: "How did you get here?"
This time, it's a CoS missing moment.
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Glad to have finally escaped Snape and Filch's lamentation about the fate of his cat, Mrs Norris, Harry hurried after his friends Ron and Hermione, with the only goal to finally go to bed.
A low whimper made him stop. While his friends disappeared around the next corner, Harry stepped a few meters in the direction of the low noice, an alcove with armour in it.
In the dim light, he saw a girl with long red hair sitting there, hunched over, shivering, her head propped on her knees.
"Ginny!" Harry exclaimed when he recognised the girl. "How did you get here?"
Startled, Ginny looked up at Harry. She was pale as a sheet and had deep shadows under her eyes. She had been pale quite often lately, it occurred to Harry, but it had never been this bad.
"It's okay. I'm fine," Ginny said in a barely audible voice. "You can go on. Ron and Hermione are sure back in the common room by now."
"Why don't you come with me?" Harry replied. "What happened to you? You look very pale."
"I ... probably stomach upset," Ginny said without looking at Harry. "Tomorrow, it will be better again for sure."
"I'd better take you to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey should check on you," Harry said, worried Ginny might be sick.
"No, no," Ginny called, struggling to get up. "I'll come with you. If I'm not feeling better tomorrow, I'll go to Madam Pomfrey's."
"Do you promise me that?" Harry asked worriedly, putting his arm around her waist to support her.
Ginny nodded and gave Harry a shy smile that looked a bit ghostly on her pale face.
A little reassured, Harry accompanied Ginny back to the common room. Maybe he should make Ginny's siblings aware of her condition, he thought. Or keep an eye on her himself ... if there weren't so many other things going on right now...
