Disclaimer: If I were the glorious J. K. Rowling, I would own all the characters except Maria. But I'm not, so it's the other way around.

Chapter 7: The Worst Place

Maria had looked at every other possibility, just to be sure. Malfoy had to have the diary, during Potions was the last time she had seen it and he had the motive. It couldn't hurt to take a peak in his dorm room and check. If he did have it, would he believe what he read? Who would he tell?

Maria sneaked past the other girls and stepped downstairs. She barely had time to duck behind an armchair before Malfoy turned around.

"I don't believe this! The nerve he had, taking Riddle's dumb diary. Ugh, concentrate... I've got to get back at him somehow". Malfoy collapsed in the armchair Maria was crouched behind, and began muttering. Maria swore silently. It was just like him, he did take her diary but then he let someone else take it! Now she had no idea who had her diary.

She waited for Malfoy to mention who took it from him, but he simply walked up to the boy's dorm. Maria would have to figure it out on her own. She walked out of the common room. Who would take the diary? Obviously not another Slytherin, they all worshipped Malfoy. Hufflepuff wouldn't, they didn't have the guts to steal from a Slytherin. That left Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.

And Gryffindor had Potter in it.

She couldn't believe Malfoy had lost her diary.

She left the dungeons, wondering what she expected to find at this time of night. Maybe there'd be a lost-and-found notice, from someone who didn't read other peoples diaries. But the chances were pretty slim that someone would steal a diary and not read it, with Malfoy as a shining example. But she had to do something immediately, even if 'something' was wandering pointlessly or getting detention. If she didn't find her diary, she could at least release some of her anxiety and frustration.

She heard something around the corner, and hid the best she could behind a suit of armor. The footsteps came right in front of her, but she couldn't see a thing. Maybe it was just one of the ghosts... but ghosts didn't make the sound of footsteps.

Harry and Ron slipped into view, pulling of their Invisibility Cloak.

"Ron, I thought I heard something over here. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Only as good an idea as coming out here in the first place. C'mon Harry, there isn't anyone here. Besides, it'll be easier to walk now that we have that stinkin' cloak of."

Harry simply sighed, as if unsure. Maria was just happy he hadn't decided to look around; she would have surely been seen. Still, perhaps she should find out what Potter was doing out at this time of night.

They went around a corner, and she took another way to that hall. She walked casually past the another corner, and pretemded to jump when she heard Ron and Harry do so.

"Huh. Fancy seeing you here Potter." She pause a moment. "Weasly." She could almost here their thoughts: what was she doing here this time of night? She was tempted to 'tell' them, but instead waited for them to ask. If they thought she had expected this, she would be in trouble.

Harry almost growled. "What are you doing here? Seen anything unusual?" Maria knew that he suspected she knew about the cloak, despite the lack of proof. He was absolutely right; he had good instincts.

"Me? I'm taking a walk, and if you mean anything interesting I doubt there's anything I can do for you. Speaking of which, what are you doing here?"

Harry glanced at Ron. Obviously, thought Maria, it's something they don't want anyone to know about; why else would they choose to become invisible? Still, she would just have to accept their answer, even if it was obviously not true.

"We're looking for the owner of a diary" said Harry cautiously, and Ron gave him an angry look. Maria almost let her surprise show, that was the last thing she expected. A diary was exactly what she was looking for. Instead, she just laughed.

"I don't think you'll find him at this time of night, unless you're aware of some nocturnal tendencies?" If she had people close to her, she'd say that 'those who knew her well' knew that she buried herself in fancy vocabulary when she was nervous. Of course, this only made Harry think that she had a large vocabulary.

"No, we just... don't know who it is. We were hoping we could find out." Maria knew she would have to get him to say why he would do that night... which meant closing him in further than she had already.

"Why not just ask around when everyone's awake? Asking 'is this your diary' works pretty well." Harry seemed nervous.

"Well... we don't want the person to know we have it."

"Harry!" Ron looked very upset.

Maria smiled. "An anonymous post then. 'Found: Lost Diary. Leave a note for its return.'" She had him nearly cornered. He'd either have to tell her, or fine some lame lie. Either one would tell her something about the situation.

"How will we know it's really the person it belongs too?"

"If you really care that much, then don't be so nervous about them knowing who you are."

"I... kind of read the diary. A little." Here it was. Be ready, Maria thought.

"Oh really? Anything good? I haven't had any good gossip in a while."

"Uh... There's not anything interesting in it."

"What? Of course there is! A crush, an interesting event, some self description?"

"No. There isn't."

"Huh. Oh well. Bye." Maria strode casually off. She found it, she was almost certain. And it was in the worst place it could possibly be. She heard Ron and Harry arguing, probably about what Harry had told her. The one thing she heard distinctively was "She's a Slytherin!"

Maria had to get that diary back, more than ever. Things had become dangerous.

What will Maria do to retrieve her diary? Will she accidentally reveal her ownership of it? And happened before Maria came across Harry and Ron?

A/N Hmm, hope you didn't mind all the dialogue. Still, this should be interesting...