Oh? And why might that be?" Fred (?) asked. "Who else has killed a Basilisk and walked away to tell the tale?" Harry asked dryly, making the twins duck in embarrassment at neglecting to factor that in. "Well now brother mine, this puts us in a quandary." George (?) remarked. "Indeed it does." Fred (?) replied, "Our dear little sister has threatened to hex our bits off if we tell anyone where she's hiding-" "-yet this is, I believe, one case where we must take one for the greater good of the family." George (?) finished, "She's taken refuge behind a mirror on the fourth floor. Used to be a secret passage, but the tunnel caved in a little way from the entrance, so all it's good for is as a small hidey-hole now-" "-which is a real shame as it used to go straight into Hogsmeade." added Fred (?), "Perfect for picking up Butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks or new pranking supplies from Zonkos Joke Shop." "Right." Harry nodded, "How do you get to the passage? Is there a password or something?" "Tap the bottom left hand corner with your wand and say 'Hypethrum Speculo'." George (?) told him, "The mirror will split down the middle and part for thirty seconds, so hurry and get through it before it closes." "And to get out?" Harry asked. Two years in Hogwarts had honed Harry's paranoia to high levels when it came to secret passages, tunnels and stairways. "Bottom right corner and the same words." Fred (?) replied, "Easy as pie. If Ginny asks…" "I hexed you both into next week." Harry confirmed with a nod. It was odd that the Twins feared Ginny so much. Lockhart had been just as ineffective in the First Years' classes as he had been in the Second Years'. Harry supposed, as he parted company with the twins, that one of the other Weasley brothers had told her about a powerful spell of some sort that the two usually dauntless pranksters were wary of. Making his way to the Fourth Floor via the Grand Staircase, Harry sought out the mirror that the twins had described to him. It was a large one that spanned the wall it was hung on, the frame carved with winding serpents and ravens. After looking about furtively to confirm that the corridor was, in fact, deserted, Harry drew his wand and tapped the right hand corner, whispering, "Hypethrum Speculo," as he did. At once, the mirror's glass split in half and separated into an opening just large enough for a grown man to squeeze through, which was more than enough for the slightly built (and still small, damn it) Harry to slip through. As he zipped through the opening, he found the end of a wand thrust into his face, one that was unfamiliar to him. "Fred, George, I thought I said I don't want to see you prank Malfoy?" an annoyed female voice said. Ginny Weasley was sat on a chair, positively glaring into the rock and stone of the passage and had apparently drawn and pointed her wand on automatic. "They already have." Harry said dryly, "As well as half of Slytherin House." Ginny jumped in fright as he spoke, her head snapping around to see Harry grinning wryly at her and almost threw her wand to the ground in shock. "Ha…Harry?" she squeaked, her face paling in shock, "H…How'd you…" "I hexed Gred and Forge until they spilled where you were and how to get in here." Harry told her as he looked around the small space of what was once a tunnel. The cave in that had ended its use as a secret passage was about four meters away from the entrance. Evidently, the twins had been enterprising and had commandeered the space as their own, as there were chairs and desks that looked like they came from abandoned classrooms, as well as rugs and the odd parchment diagram here and there that outlines some of the Twins more elaborate pranks. "Looks like Gred and Forge have been busy." Harry remarked as he looked around the space, "Mind if I have a seat, Ginny?" "G-Go ahead." the redhead stuttered as she shakily stowed her wand back in her robe's pocket. Harry took the seat opposite her and continued examining the room that the twins had made of the old tunnel, deciding to pull a Dumbledore and wait for Ginny to speak first. She was glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes every so often and fidgeting uncomfortably. From what Harry could tell though, she hadn't been crying, as her eyes weren't red or swollen. "Umm…Harry?" Ginny said finally. Harry politely turned his attention to her as she spoke, "Why…did you go to the trouble of looking for me, and even hexing Fred and George?" "I was worried about you Ginny." Harry replied honestly, "I've seen guilt in your eyes ever since your parents left and I have decided to set you straight about a couple of things." Ginny's eyes narrowed at the mention of setting her straight and she sat up ramrod straight as she said, "About what exactly?"The diary, Tom Riddle and the Chamber." Harry said bluntly, ignoring her flinch at the mention of her tormentor, "I must ask that you keep what I am about to tell you a secret though. OK?" Curiosity made Ginny nod in acceptance. Harry nodded back and began. "I don't know how much you remember about…well, the Chamber or he conversation that took place in McGonagall's office." he began, "Can I assume you remember some of it?" "The…The Chamber is blurry and hazy." Ginny admitted, "And I was too upset to really listen to everyone afterwards."Understandable." Harry said gently, "First, let me show you something the memory of Tom Riddle showed me." Harry drew his wand, raised it and muttered, "Flagrate!" then swished the wand around as if he was writing in midair, leaving orange writing behind each swipe of his wand.
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