Author's note: Sorry again for not updating for so long, I was busy with school recently.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story. All characters and the world belong to J.K. Rowling


Chapter 7

The answer

Not even a week had passed when an owl let a letter fall into Hermione's lap. It was Thursday. Harry and Ron, both curious, bowed to her, directly widening their eyes. It was a letter from Professor McGonagall. The three of them looked around, searching for their Headmaster but she wasn't in the Great Hall. Not sure what she should think about it, Hermione opened the letter and laid it on the table after not even a minute. Turned on the backside so no one else could read it.

"What is it? What does she want from you?" asked Harry.

"I shall come to her after lessons today. She wants to talk to me." answered Hermione calmly so that no other student could overhear it.

"Does it have to be a bad sign?" asked Ron.

"I don't know…" mumbled Hermione and then left the Great Hall. She actually wasn't hungry any longer.

The whole rest of the day, she was worried. About what could McGonagall want to talk? Not about…? No, that was impossible! McGonagall didn't 'spy' their students as much as Professor Dumbledore had! At least that was what Hermione tried to believe.

When she entered the Director's Bureau in the evening, Professor McGonagall was sitting behind her desk looking strictly to her student. Strict, angry…and somehow disappointed.

"Y…you wanted to talk to me, Professor?" Hermione's bravery had left her completely.

"Indeed. And before I start to talk about something different…what were you thinking, Miss Granger? It might be honourable to have so great feelings for someone to step over all boarders but it's also very stupid!"

"Y…you knew…?"

"Of course I knew!" Professor McGonagall stood up from her chair hitting her hand on the table. "I knew since you have stolen the book from the Restricted Section! However I thought you have more sense and I also thought you would see that it's wrong and thus don't do it! But I was wrong. You used a forbidden spell well knowing what consequences this could have! Lord Voldemort has returned just because of you!"

Not able to say something against McGonagall's rage, Hermione's mouth just opened and closed several times at least trying to say something.

"Because of your naivety, every effort we did and every victim of last year's battle are absolutely WORTHLESS!"

Worthless…this word brought back tears in Hermione's eyes.

"Back in those days, I deducted 5 points because of your lack of discernment as punishment and hoped that something like that would never happen again. But I was wrong. I won't deduct a single point from my House because of your mistake of which the main part was made during vacation…but you'll have detentions until the end of the year and I'll also write a letter to your parents. Be glad that your punishment isn't worse, Miss Granger! You may go!"

As fast as she did now, Hermione probably has never been running through the castle. She fought her tears back and felt in exchange to them some kind of anger. She was angry about herself and also about Professor McGonagall. If she knew what was going on why didn't she also know that they were about to resolve the problem? Why was this conversation necessary?

In the common room, which was fortunately almost empty, Hermione told Harry, Ron and Ginny as well as Neville, Luna and George who were there for a visit, what McGonagall had said to her. Meanwhile she walked up and down in front of the fireplace, totally upset.

"Well…somehow she's right." Muttered Ron more to the ground than to any of his friends.

"WHAT?" Hermione turned around looking dubiously at him.

"Don't understand me wrong…She's only right if we can't find an answer soon." He tried to 'save' himself.

„Tse…very well…good to know that even my best friend thinks like that. That you think everything's wrong and…uh forget it!" she screamed and then ran upstairs to her dormitory. The door slammed so loudly that everyone jumped even though they knew what was to happen.

"Stupid, Ron!" said George and hit the backside of this little bother's head.

Upstairs Hermione had fallen onto her bed. She was angry and hurt. Hurt because no one really seemed to trust her…and because still no one could comprehend why she's done it. It wasn't for her…it wasn't nonsense…

Slowly and sighing she started to look to the four pictures on her nightstand. She ran her fingers over the picture of Fred who was smiling to her the whole time. But somehow it didn't help to cool her down this time.

"What should I do? If it goes on like this I'll be all alone soon…" she mumbled sighing again. She looked to the pictures which were not moving. Pictures of her parents…what would they say when they received McGonagall's letter? They actually knew many things about the magical world now…

When she looked back to the picture of Fred few seconds later, he was winking and nodding to his left side…to the second picture which was moving. /"What?"/ She asked herself in mind looking to the other photo. It was showing herself, Harry and Ron…at the end of their second year in Hogwarts.

It took a few moments until she understood. She started to smile. Every feeling of anger and disappointment were forgotten. "Thank you Fred." she breathed. He smiled nodding. The answer. Now she finally had it. She maybe would never have been able to find an answer without help…but now everything made sense!

The following night was calm even though Hermione still couldn't sleep. But this time out of happiness. She could hardly await the new day to start and to tell the others! On that Wednesday she was not willing to tell them…as she had not been very nice to Ron.

But because of this she was waiting in front of the Great Hall Thursday morning. She knew that George, Neville and Luna wanted to come before breakfast. A perfect opportunity.

When Harry, Ron and Ginny came downstairs, Hermione took the latter's hand and pulled her with. "You, too!" She said then to make the others following. Few minutes later they were in Moaning Myrtle's room.

"What happened that you don't even let us eat breakfast?" asked Ron.

"Be silent, it's important!" said Hermione and smiled "Listen, I have the answer!"

"You've WHAT?" Ginny wanted to be sure she could trust her ears.

"I have the answer. I solved the puzzle yesterday after being gone upstairs. Well…Fred's photo helped…but that's not important now."

"So then…tell us!" said George leaning back against a cabin.

"Well…I'm sure he's here in school. In the Chamber of Secrets."

"What? Why? What makes you thinking this?" asked Neville confused.

"Just think about every word! It's a place where neither the moon nor the sunrise can see him…so it has to be a very dark place. It's a place where we defeated him twice…he meant the Horcruxes! We destroyed two of them – the diary and the cup - in the Chamber of Secrets. Why didn't I think about it before?"

Harry and the others widened their eyes. Now as she had said it everything seemed to be so logical.

"When do we want to go in?" asked Luna. Her voice sounded like she couldn't await it.

"Today and tomorrow we've lessons and after them we're probably too tired…how about Saturday in the evening?" Hermione suggested.

"I think that's fine." Said George. "So we can prepare a bit."

Thus it was decided. The seven of them would go to the Chamber of Secrets the day after tomorrow. They hoped that not too much was waiting for them…and that they were really able to succeed…


End note: Yeah, I know, sucks as everytime ^^ I still have the poll open, so please vote which ending you would like to read. And, if you don't mind, you could also send me a review :)