DISCLAIMER: How could Fudge possibly buy that Sirius Confunded Harry and Co.? As far as he knew, Sirius hadn't yet managed to get his hands on a wand, and everyone still had their own wands. Surely he's not dumb enough to think that Sirius was capable of such powerful wandless magic? On that note, why the hell would anyone care that the Shrieking Shack was haunted? Hogwarts is haunted, and you actually see ghosts, there! Ugh, the inconsistencies of these books gives me a headache, so I guess I can't possibly be the owner…

Chapter 4: Slow and Steady Wins the Race

It was close to four before Hermione finally found her way back downstairs to see Madame Pomphrey. The medical matron checked her arm and declared her perfectly healthy, before ushering her into the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley sat her at the table with a large bowl of chicken broth and some bread. Hermione enjoyed the light meal on her shrunken stomach, even if it meant hearing Ron complain about wanting "real food".

"Ron, if you tried to eat a large meal right now, you'd just throw it back up." Hermione explained between spoonfuls of broth. "You need to re-introduce your stomach to food slowly." Ron pouted a bit, but accepted Hermione's advice; she was the reason they were eating real food, after all.

Harry sullenly ate his soup in silence. Hermione rolled her eyes, realizing that he was giving her the silent treatment for what she had done. He would get over it, and maybe even thank her when he survived this war.

Once she had eaten enough to make Molly happy, Hermione retreated to the library, where other members of the Order were researching possible Horcruxes. She was there for the pensive, though. Something about the trio's recent run-in with the Death Eaters was bugging her…

"GOD DAMMIT STRAIGHT TO HELL AND BACK!"

Everyone in the house jumped as they hears Hermione's scream of rage. They then heard her footsteps pounding on the steps as she ran down to the kitchen. She flung the door open with a loud BANG.

"WE WALKED RIGHT PAST ONE! IT WAS RIGHT THERE, AND WE WALKED RIGHT PAST IT! DAMN! DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!" As the brunette ranted, she stomped around the kitchen, grabbing her bag and her wand.

"Hermione, what are you doing?!" Fleur demanded.

"I have to go back to Hogwarts!"

"WHAT?!" Several people exclaimed in shock.

"Hermione, that's suicide!" Tonks said. "After what happened yesterday, it's bound to be crawling with Death Eaters!"

"I have to take that risk! I need to go right now, or we may miss our chance!" Hermione raved, running out the kitchen door. Fleur quickly caught up to her and grabbed her shoulders, spinning her around.

"Hermione. You need to calm down and tell us what you're talking about." Fleur ordered. "What do you mean 'miss our chance'?"

One look in those icy blue eyes told Hermione that she had better behave and start sharing.

"There's a Horcrux in Hogwarts! We have to get there right now, Riddle's probably making plans to move it as we speak!" Hermione hurriedly explained, her face flushed.

"Wait, how do you know that?!" Harry demanded.

"And what were you three doing at Hogwarts?" Remus inquired.

"Remus, I'll explain everything when I get back. Harry, think. Remember when we realized that Riddle had sent the Lestranges to the castle to find us? Why did he only send three Death Eaters, unless he had a very specific area in the castle for them to go to? Otherwise, he would have packed that place with Death Eaters, so they could spread out and find us. And why did he even have alarms at Hogwarts for us to trip? Unless he was hiding something important there, like a fucking Horcrux! And it would be too tempting for a megalomaniac like Riddle not to have one of his soul storage pieces right under Dumbledore's crooked nose!" Hermione explained everything in a rush, still pulling against Fleur to leave.

"Wait, but you don't know what the Horcrux is," Fleur surmised, "how are you going to find it?"

"He'll have some Death Eaters there. To remove the Horcrux and the bodies of the Lestranges." Hermione deduced. "I'm going to bring the locket and see if it reacts to the Horcrux in Hogwarts. If that doesn't work, I'll get the information out of one of the Death Eaters."

Hermione's tone left no doubt in anyone's mind as to how she intended to get that information. Still, Remus couldn't bear to see the young woman he cared for as a daughter leave to take on who knows how many Death Eaters by herself. One look at Harry and Ron's green faces told him that they would be no help, but the steely look in Fleur's eyes suggested that she may be up for a little Death Eater "questioning".

"Hermione, at least let me and Fleur come with you." Remus begged. "I can't let you walk into a castle full of Death Eaters alone."

Hermione leveled a look at the both of them, one that was clearly weighing and sizing them both up. Fleur immediately figured out what was on her mind.

"We won't get in your way." Fleur promised. "We just want to give you some back up and cover while you're…talking to the Death Eaters."

Hermione looked into Fleur's eyes for what felt like an eternity. Finally, she nodded her assent. Fleur knew she would obey.

"Very well. Grab your wands and cast disillusionment charms. We're apparating into the Headmasters office. I don't think they've been able to get in there, with the password and all. Don't worry about the wards, they seem to be inactive."

"Wait," Harry argued "what about us? We're coming, too!"

"No, you're not, Harry. Unless you're eager to watch me question another Death Eater?" Hermione asked, eyebrow raised in silent challenge.

Both boys sat back down, remembering the sight of Hermione gouging Dolohov's eyeballs out with his own wand.

"I didn't think so." Hermione nodded. "Stay here. Keep working on figuring out what the last Horcruxes are." The trio walked briskly out the kitchen door. It swung back open with a softer bang this time.

"And, for Merlin's sake, make a damn list of what we've got so far! Seriously, why the fuck did he have to make seven of the damn things?!"

Remus's eyes twinkled almost like Dumbledore's on a good day. "Because seven is a very magically powerful number in ritual-"

"Shut the fuck up, Remus." Hermione couldn't fight the smirk that appeared on her face.

Hermione peeked around the large stone statue, counting ten Death Eaters standing outside of the Room of Requirements. She mentally slapped herself again for not realizing there was a Horcrux here sooner. Why would the Lestranges all go to the Room of Requirements? She and the boys had been in the Chamber of Secrets gathering basilisk fangs to destroy the locket with. The only reason they even crossed paths with the Death Eaters was because they'd also stopped by the Headmaster's office to grab the Sword of Gryffindor. While there, one of the portraits warned them that she'd seen the Lestranges pass by, searching for them. Not wanting to press their luck taking on three of Voldemort's best minions, they decided to hide in the Room of Requirements until the dark family left. Now Hermione realized that they probably could have just waltzed right out the front door, and no one would have been the wiser.

Well, no use crying over spilled milk. The brunette mused. Now, how to handle these bozos? There's probably more inside the room, getting the Horcrux. If we can take this gaggle of dumbasses out quietly, we can surprise the ones inside.

Hermione's eyebrow quirked as an idea came to her. She turned to Remus and Fleur and pointed to all three of them. She then used her wand to make the motions for a silencing charm, while mouthing "Muffiliato". After that, she used her wand and finger to draw a door, and pointed towards the Room of Requirement. Thankfully, Fleur and Remus understood what she was saying, and they all prepared their wands. On the quiet count of three, they all poked their wands around the corner and each sent their strongest silencing charm straight at the door. Immediately afterwards, they each sent a powerful hex at the tightly-packed group of Death Eaters.

Really, how moronic could you possibly be? Hermione mused as her Reducto turned one minion's head into a fine mist, following that smoothly with a Diffindo to another one's torso. Standing in such a tight formation? Why not just hang a sign saying "we're idiots, please do the gene pool a favor"?

Luckily, the group's fighting abilities were just as good as their tactical skills. Within about three minutes, there wasn't a single Death Eater standing. Hermione crossed the room to the door and, after checking it for curses, carefully and silently pushed the door open.

Jesus! They seriously didn't think to "require" a lock on this damn door?! How the hell did Riddle manage to take over the ministry if his forces are so damned stupid. She blinked in realization. Oh yeah, because our ministry officials are even dumber. Ugh, why am I fighting for these people, again?

The trio crept silently through the cluttered room, invisible and their footsteps and clothing muffled. They needn't have bothered, though, as the one Death Eater in the room made his presence known almost immediately after they shut the door.

"Why did he send me to get the stupid crown?" The whining voice of Wormtail was unmistakable. "At least he let me bring some guards with me, but why do I have to go get it? I don't even know where it is!"

Hermione looked at her two companions with a look that screamed "FUCKING REALLY?!"

Jesus H. Maybe Riddle's a masochist and actually doesn't want to win this war? She mused as she sent a whispered stunning spell straight into Wormtail's back. They were still cautious enough to sweep the room for any other Death Eaters before cancelling their Disillusionment spells, but Hermione was becoming convinced that her eyes were going to roll right out of her head.

"Alright, seriously, someone fill me in on the joke, here." Hermione ranted, looking at her companions. "How the hell are we losing to these people? They're moronic, clueless idiots who are mediocre wizards, at best!"

Remus and Fleur grinned and said only one thing, "Baaaaaaaaaaa"

Hermione snickered. Yeah, the wizarding public really were sheep, weren't they? She sighed as she pulled out the locket, feeling it respond to the other Horcrux in the room. I'm starting to consider just leaving Britain after this is over. Maybe I'll go to the Virgin Islands? That place is lovely. Or…maybe France?

She stole a glance at the French witch beside of her. France was quite lovely; it had so many beautiful views…

Hermione, Remus and Fleur came through the front door, their faces hurting from their massive grins. They strolled into the kitchen, Remus whistling a merry tune. Hermione looked at the expectant faces of the Order, and simply tossed the diadem into the table. A relieved sigh echoed through those in the kitchen. Another one found.

"Oh, I brought you a present, Ron." Hermione said as she reached into her bag. With a flourish, she produced a stunned and well-trussed rat with a silver paw. "Hope this makes up for Crookshanks eating Scabbers in third year." She joked with an evil grin.

Ron stared wide-eyed at the traitor, only able to nod dumbly at her words.

"Harry, let me see your list." The boys obediently handed her the list they had made up of which Horcruxes they had managed to procure. She looked it over:

Diary (Destroyed)

Ring (Destroyed)

Locket (Captured)

Diadem (Captured)

"Okay, then that means we have three left to find." Hermione sat down and fiddled with the chain of the locket that now rested on the table. "Riddle seems to be using things that have great sentimental value as his containers. His school diary, his family ring, Slytherin's locket, and Ravenclaw's diadem. We've already figured that he's got to have something of Hufflepuff's, and possibly Gryffindor's."

"Could we…ask Peter?" Harry asked, looking a bit green at the thought. Still, Hermione's heart filled with a bit of pride in her friend. He was finally learning.

"I doubt we would get much from him." Fleur pointed out. "After all, how much would you tell a coward like Wormtail?"

Harry nodded, seeing her point.

Luna set a book down in front of Hermione, in it was a picture of a cup. "What about Hufflepuff's cup? It's one of the few Founder's artifacts that's still accounted for."

Hermione snatched up the book excitedly. "Luna, you're a genius! Okay, if he did use the cup, then where is it now?"

The group sat around the table, in deep thought. Suddenly, Harry looked up.

"Wait, Bellatrix! Remember when we ran into her, she was practically frothing at the mouth, screaming about the Horcrux! She was yelling about how they wouldn't need to be there if Riddle would've just given her that one, too! I distinctly remember her saying 'this one, too'! I wonder if Riddle gave her one of the Horcruxes?!"

Everyone sat up, an excited gleam in their eyes.

"That's a distinct possibility." Remus mused. "If he trusted Lucius with one, then why not Bellatrix? The question becomes, how do we find that cup? Bellatrix could have put it anywhere."

"Not anywhere." Fleur said, standing excitedly. "She would only know of one safe place to put it. A place where all purebloods store their most precious items. A place that only her master had ever been able to break into…"

"GRINGOTTS!" The whole table exclaimed.

"Of course!" Bill agreed. "The goblins have taken oaths not to betray their clients' trusts without just cause! As long as Riddle didn't attack them, then they have no reason to remove a Horcrux from any of their vaults!"

"Then that settles it!" Harry said, standing. "We need to get to Gringotts and ask the goblins for their help!" He started to move towards the fireplace, but was grabbed by at least three Order members before he took more than two steps.

"Harry, are you mad?!" Hermione yelled. "The goblins would never help us! Remember, they're bound by their oaths! And even if they weren't, goblins are only motivated by their own greed and selfishness. As long as Riddle doesn't attack them now, they'll continue to delude themselves into thinking that they don't have to get involved in this war."

"But…but if we could convince them that Riddle will kill them once he gets the chance…" Harry floundered.

"How? By pinky swearing that we're telling the truth? Goblins have no reason to believe anything that a wizard says, even if it's the 'Chosen One'." Hermione retorted. She looked at her hands, a grave look on her face. "I hate to say this, but if we want to get to Bellatrix's vault…then we're going to have to break into Gringotts."

A heavy silence filled the room at those words. Even if it had been done before, breaking into the goblin bank would be a nearly impossible feat. In fact, with one attempt already being successful, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the goblins had beefed up their security since then.

A squawk took them all out of their musings, and they all jumped and drew their wands. On the window sill was a regal looking eagle owl. Its expression was haughty and it looked like a strong and well-fed bird, but that wasn't what drew the attention of the residents of Grimmauld.

No, they were far more interested in the cup it held in its talons.