"Dear H,

It's been a while since we've spoken. We miss you around here. It's been awfully quiet since you left. I won't say anything of consequence since I don't know if this letter will reach you, but something strange happened last week. Everything was common, just like any other day, but then Dennis got caught on an entrance we hadn't seen before. There was something strange about it, H. Whenever I saw it, it made me think the time we saw that dog first year. You know, the one with three… personalities? It's probably nothing, I know. This couldn't possibly be related, could it?

"I sincerely hope you know what I'm talking about, because Merlin knows I sure don't.

Your Friend,

N. L."

Neville set his quill down on the desk and glanced up to a nearby window in his Charms class. As a few light, delicate snowflakes fell from the sky and down out of his view, he wondered if his absent friend would be able to calm his fears about the trapdoor.

It hadn't shown up again after that evening. Dennis had checked for it every single evening after everyone had gone to bed and every morning he met Ginny and Neville at the breakfast table, disappointed and growingly frustrated. He had even pulled a Hermione and spent both Saturday and Sunday researching in the library, hoping to find the answers that eluded him in one of the ancient tomes.

Neville simply didn't understand. The door had definitely been there, that was certain. They had all seen it. He had tried to assuage his fears of the trapdoor by coming up with a different explanation than the one in the back of his mind. If he thought about it, why shouldn't a trapdoor randomly appear in their Common Room? He had heard of stranger things happening at Hogwarts. If the Room of Requirement could become anything you wanted it to be, maybe it worked the same way with the trapdoor, simply showing up whenever the urge struck it. But every time Neville thought of the trapdoor his mind was instantly and inexplicably drawn to the third floor corridor and the trapdoor he had discovered on an extremely adventurous night near the beginning of his first year. Of course, these two incidents were most likely completely unrelated. He knew he wasn't very smart, and had never trusted his own logic. But try as he might, he just couldn't get rid of a niggling fear that there was something more to the trapdoor than met the eye.

"Mr. Longbottom?"

Neville was yanked out of his reverie by the sound of Professor Flitwick's reproving tone. He immediately flipped his Charms book open and pretended to be searching for a page.

"Y-Yes sir?"

"During my class I expect my Advanced Level students especially to be paying close attention to what I say, not to what is outside my window. Understood?" Flitwick smiled.

"Now, Miss… Patil. Can you show the class the wand movements for an Obliteration Charm?"

Neville sank down in his chair, red-faced, all thoughts of the mysterious trapdoor leaving his mind.

x

Ginny sat on the floor in front of the fire in the Common Room later that evening wondering about Harry's safety, just like she had so many other nights. She always came here when she was worried. The warm fire and comfy couches in the Common Room always made her feel secure even thought without Dumbledore Hogwarts was no longer invulnerable. Her worries were many this evening. From the bottom of her heart she hoped Harry was all right, wherever he was. She was furious for not having been allowed to go with him to find the Horcruxes, though when it came down to it, she was mostly glad Ron and Hermione had decided to go with him. With Hermione's smarts and Ron's loyalty, Ginny felt he couldn't be in safer hands. Even still, she couldn't just ignore that fact that she was fuming mad. She exhaled loudly and punched a pillow in frustration.

Oh, how she wished she were with him. If he only knew what she was feeling right then! She hugged the pillow close to her and curled up in a little ball on the floor. Her nearly increasingly uncontrollable emotions felt as if they were destroying her from the inside. Her heart felt as if it were about to burst, knowing he could be in danger. Then there was her anger at being left behind, which had entirely too much power over her, and her fear for him was strangling her. She really thought she would go crazy if she didn't hear from him soon. Resisting an urge to throw the pillow across the room, she lifted the pillow up to her face and was about to scream when Neville stomped through the door.

Because Ginny looked so wild and flustered, Neville questioned her cautiously.

"Gin, would you mind if I borrowed Pig?" Ginny's eyes zoomed in on the letter in his left hand. Neville elaborated.

"I just thought I would write Harry. It's been quiet here without him, and I thought maybe he would be interested in the door we saw in the floor last week."

Her eyes flashing with excitement, Ginny replied, "Of course you can, Neville, but would you mind holding on for a second? Just let me find my stationery…"

x

"Dear H.- (Ginny scribbled out the rest of his name at Neville's cautioning.)

"I am quite literally dying without you. Could you please find time to jot down a few words about what's going on, or whether or not you're safe? For my sake, at least? (Ginny rolled her eyes and added,) I promise not to tell Mum anything, if that's what you're worried about. But really, be more considerate, will you? (Ginny took Neville's advice and added once more,) I miss you dreadfully. I- love you. If that means anything.

Fretfully Yours,

G.W."