"Hannah, I am worried," Matilda whimpered ever so slightly.
"Come on, you know you want to see it. We have been planning this for months." Hannah respond, confidently.
The two third year Ravenclaws were marching down to the black lake. To one of those unofficial Hogwarts secrets, this one was known though, and frowned upon. Not like the Chamber of Secrets at all, an interesting and misleading name to be sure, even though, those events only happened four years ago. They continued to run down to the black lake, toward an ancient tomb that was barried there. It had been barried since before the time of Columbus. Since about the year 1461. A place of dark magic, it was said. But for the more brave students of each year. Sort of a right of passage. A let you know, as to whether you were ready for your fourth year and beyond or not. Seldom visited in this day and age and mostly by Slytherine students. And never visited by those Gryfindors, whom she was convinced that they had forgotten about it. Silly Gryfindors.
They reached the secret gate. A skull was on it with a slight snake protruding from the mouth, a hallmark of He- Who- Must Not Be Named, and the Dark Mark of a later era.
She turned it, and began to enter the room. A gust of wind flew out ruffling both of their hair. Matilda whimpered over so slightly.
"Do not worry, according to the Slytherine students I talked to, it does that all the time."
"Even more reason to whimper." Matilda said with obvious sarcasm.
"You sure you want to do this?" Hannah asked. Despite them being the same age, she had started to view her fellow student with motherly feelings, because the other seemed to be so naive, it was not even funny.
They climbed down for nearly half an hour. And entered the dank, dark, main chamber. It was wet down here, the Black Lake above had opened up tears in the roof.
Skeletons, and some bodies were strewn out across the floor. Toward the one end there was a tall witch on a pedestal, she was over looking the area, with a sphere extended in her right hand, her right arm shooting out ward to the roof of the location. And right in the back there was a giant knarled head, partially from original intent, and partially with erosion.
"Alright, we came and saw, can we go now?" Matilda said.
"No, I wanna look around first. Most people just enter and leave. I wanna actually explore this place, unlock its secrets." She looked around for a while, curious, a smile on her face.
Matilda looked around with bated breath. Her breath coming quickly as her eyes darted around the room, like she expected somebody to get them.
After a half hour there Hannah began to get bored. She reached out and touched the giant face, one last thing to do before they left.
"Owe!" Her hand jolted back as if it had been shocked by something, a glowing red handprint was on the face of the rock now. The faces' eyes started to glow red, its mouth was opening agape. The girls screamed and began to head out of the tomb, climbing the stairs at a dizzying pace.
Hagrid heard the noise, a high pitched wail of a scream from the two girls. He turned left in curiosity, knowing instantly what it was, it was only a matter of time before that place got someone into trouble. He had been down there himself, only to see what it was, he had no real interest in the location.
The girls came running up to him, and went behind him, using his massive body for cover. He raised his crossbow protectively, but after five minutes, nothing happened.
"Rutty, kids!" He said, "on with you, on with you, before somebody sees you out." The girls walked out.
What no one saw was a shadow moving, gliding over the grounds, it came out of the tomb, looked up for a second, then made for the castle.
Hermione Jean Granger was just exiting the Great Hall. Preoccupied as usual with her various concerns. Chief amongst them had to be the curious situation she was getting herself into with Ron, it did not seem to be going quite the way she expected. But, everything else was the usual. Doing well in all her subjects. And going on with her busy life.
She noticed the two Ravenclaw girls enter through the door. Walking hautilly, and smugly, but they seemed to be in a giant hurry. "Hi Hannah, Matilda," She said warmly to the two of them... they turned their nose at her and continued on. Hermione wondered for the thirtieth time whether or not those girls were placed in the right house. Probably, she decided.
She started to climb up the long way to her house. The stairs did seem to be a terrible distance between the bottom, and where they were located at almost the very top of the place. She had often wondered why they did not remodel, and let really good people fly up. In emergencies, and things of that nature.
Flu Powder would also be a good way.
After another fifteen full minutes, she reached the door, and gave the appropriate password to the door.
She said hello to Ron, and Harry, before deciding to get started on her latest potions HW. She wanted to talk to Ron, but she was a little behind it. Still ahead by many of her fellow students' standards, but for her.
One by one, they went to bed. And still, by the time she went up, there were still twelve students down there. Eight of them are doing homework, the others, watching the slowly dying fires. She changed into her gown, and went to bed, whispering good night to any people who still might have been up, and about, at that time of night.
She woke up an hour later with a start. She could feel a presence of some kind, and she thought she heard the beds rustle slightly. "Hello" She said wearily.
"Hermione?" A voice answered her.
"Probably nothing." She responded to the voice in the dark.
"Alright, go back to bed"
"OK" Hermione said, uncertain.
She lay back down, but heard a distinctive thump. She sat up, looking around. Wondering where her wand was.
She had no time to react, the dark clump that she saw, blacker then the rest of the place, flew at her at an amazing speed, she did not even have enough time to emit a slight yelp as it hit her, and went inside of her. She thought that was the worst of it. Just a silly Slytherine incantation.
But she was wrong, she was flung back on the bed, lying face up, her chest heaving. Her face perspiring ever so slightly. A warm, almost tingling sensation was spreading its way up, down and throughout, her body, it almost felt like control of it was being wrestled from her, slowly, but ultimately. She slowly lost consciousness.
