Chapter 10

Hermione lifted up her eyes from the necklace to look at Riddle and found that, impressively, his expression was once again one of unreadable impassiveness. His eyes were still locked on the locket and Hermione suspected he was doing some serious thinking. She used the time wisely and quickly formulated a plan in her mind. Fortunately for her, she had already come up with an excuse in case a situation such as this arose.

"Your necklace," he said slowly, his eyes suddenly jolting up to lock on hers, regarding her suspiciously. "Where did you get your necklace from?"

"Stop trying to change the topic!" she snapped. "Now, I don't know what kind of liberties girls have given you in the past, but I just won't stand –"

"Hermione," he said sharply, cutting her off. "Tell me where you got the necklace from."

It was then that Hermione noticed that Riddle was holding his wand. It lay casually at his side, but she could see that his grip was firm.

"Why do you care? It's just a necklace," she asked, her confidence dwindling as she realised that her wand was in her pocket.

He raised an eyebrow at her and rather than replying, held a hand up to his collar and tugged his necklace out. Hermione stared at it, dumbstruck by the utterly unexpected movement.

"You've seen it before," he said, his eyes still narrowed suspiciously at her. "I recall it clearly."

Hermione allowed her eyes to widen in realisation.

"You're right! I did see it. It was my first day back. I'd completely forgotten!" she said, looking up from the necklace and at his face. "Well, that's an interesting coincidence! Where did you get yours from?" she asked eagerly.

Riddle scowled impatiently.

"I believe I asked that question first," he said coolly.

"Well, if you must know," she said slowly, "I inherited it from my mother. It was a present from my father. It's probably not really made out of gold and it isn't original. The man dad bought it from had a whole box full of them, but my mum didn't mind. She loved it. My mum would often take it off and let me wear it, because she knew I loved it, too."

Hermione gave Riddle a sad smile and noticed that though he was still regarding her suspiciously, his expression softened and he seemed calmer. It was with great relief that she realised he believed her.

"And do you wear it all the time?" he asked curiously.

Hermione shook her head.

"Almost all the time. I take it off when I go swimming or when I think it might get dirty or ruined," she lied, knowing that Riddle only asked to be certain that the necklace was a fake.

Riddle had the decency to look solemn.

"My apologies," he said softly. "It must mean a lot to you."

"It does," she replied. Then, knowing she was pressing her luck, she asked, "So, where did you get your necklace from?"

"That's a long story," he said simply. "It's best saved for another time, though, listen, Hermione. Could you do me a favour and not mention that I have the necklace? It's not something I want others to know about. I mean, not many men were necklaces these days."

It was Hermione turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Of course," she replied, "but why do you wear it if you're ashamed of it?"

Riddle looked surprised.

"I'm not ashamed. It's just, well –" he said hesitantly, a slight blush on his cheeks, and Hermione was struck by his excellent acting skills. He sighed, "Another time, okay?"

Before Hermione could reply, the door to Slughorn's office slammed open and Ron came running outside, looking dishevelled, pale, and worried.

In an instant, Riddle had the necklace tucked back under his shirt and was looking at Ron with a satisfied smirk on his face before turning to Hermione.

"I'll see you later then," he said, winking at her before swiftly walking away.

Ron rushed towards Hermione, who let out a long sigh of relief once Riddle was out of earshot.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked.

"I'm fine," she said, shaking her head. "Just a bit shaken. That's all."

"Well, I don't blame you!" Ron said angrily. "Who does he think he is? The bloody prick, kissing you like that!"

"Er…" Hermione said dumbly.

She had actually been referring more to the fact that she had been thrown into the air, but she supposed that to Ron, the kiss was the more important detail. After all, it was after he found out that she had kissed Krum that he started fooling around with Lavender.

"He's haughty that way," Hermione said simply, rolling her eyes. After all, it was easier not to think about one of the most embarrassing events of her life. "But listen, Ron – Riddle saw the necklace."

"What?" he exclaimed, shocked, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "And you're still alive?"

"Yeah, thanks to my planning and some quick thinking," she said, as she pulled Ron away from her and explained what she had told Riddle.

"Smart," Ron said, looking relieved. "Do you think he believed it though?"

Hermione bit her lip.

"I think he did. I mean, I gave him enough information to think that my necklace doesn't act like the real one. And he knows his is real because he can't take it off. Plus, he's arrogant enough to think that I wouldn't know anything about the real necklace anyway, but I wouldn't put it past him to investigate a little more."

Especially if he reconsiders the way the necklace's burned when we touched that first time.

"We'll just have to be careful," she said. "Come on. I think we should go find Harry and tell him what happened. He'd want to know."

Hermione started to walk away when she noticed Ron hadn't moved and was looking at her sheepishly.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"I, er, I have to go back. My date," he explained.

"Oh," Hermione said. She smirked and added, "That was your great idea, wasn't it? Getting a date? How'd you manage?"

Ron grinned, "I noticed she'd been looking at me in class and stuff, and I knew she was in the Slugclub so I asked her out. And it helps that I've got some newfound Quidditch fame to back me up now."

Hermione snorted, but to her relief found that she was not bothered by this at all. After Lavender, this was extremely tame. After all, he had only asked the Ravenclaw girl so he could keep an eye out on her… right?

"See you, then," Ron said before returning to the party.

Hermione made her way back to the common room, thinking nervously about how lucky she had just been and whether Riddle was planning anything for her. She was surprised he had not tried to do Legimency on her, but then she was not sure if he had even learned it by his sixth year. After all, it was notoriously more difficult to breach a person's mind than it was to block access to your own.

Her mind drifted back to the image of Ron dancing with his date. She frowned, remembering what he had said about the girl taking an interest in him. What if Ron liked her back? She was very pretty after all… and Ron could be shallow that way. She felt a slight pang of worry, but other than that, she felt nothing, which confused her; when he had started dating Lavender, she had certainly felt more than just a pang of worry.

Maybe I don't like him as much as I used to, she wondered. But Lavender was different, she reminded herself. Lavender happened when he was going to take me to Slughorn's party.

"Hermione!" a voice called out from behind her, startling her and almost causing her to fall down the staircase she was descending. She turned around and saw Harry running towards her.

"Godric, Harry! You scared the – what is it?" she asked when she saw his excited expression.

Harry shoved a book in her face. She had not even noticed him holding it, which was remarkable given the book's size. It was an old-looking book with a leather cover. The title On Godric Gryffindor was stamped across the front.

"You've found something?" Hermione asked excitedly.

"Yes, come look at this," he said, sitting down on a step and flicking through the book until he landed on a page towards the end.

Hermione sat down next to him and looked at the picture that Harry was pointing at. It appeared to be a stream, but it was unlike any stream Hermione had ever seen before. Though the water looked to be at least a metre deep, it was extremely clear and the sunlight illuminated the stream bed such that every rock could be seen. There amongst the rocks was a structure that was clearly manmade. It was a very large slab of carved stone; its top surface was flat and smooth except for the intricate designs around its edges and centre.

Hermione looked at Harry, confused.

"Harry, how does this help us?"

He pointed to the small pictures underneath the main picture of the stream, pointing out one in particular. Hermione saw that it was a close up of one of the patterns on the rock. It was a rectangle which was dived into four, with intricate patterns around the sides. Patterns that looked suspiciously like those on –

"The necklace," said Harry. "I recognised it immediately. It's an inversed print, as though someone cast the necklace into the rock and made an impression with it. Like putting your hand in play doh."

Hermione stared at the image wide-eyed. Harry was right. She was certain that if she pressed the necklace against that pattern, it would fit perfectly.

"Harry – do you think, I mean, could it be –"

"Enchanted? A lock of some kind?" Harry finished for her. "It could be. Or it could be nothing."

"What is this structure, anyway?" she asked, her eyes wondering across the page. "Who made it?"

Harry pointed at the text next to the picture.

"It's a sort monument in honour for Godric Gryffindor. His name is written on the top here, see? I didn't notice it at first because it just looked like another pattern. He asked the other founders, if they outlived him, to built it for him in his will. He had the plans written out for them and everything. It was a total secret, too. No one but Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were allowed to see them. They wouldn't say anything about the plans, which made a lot of people believe that there was more to it than what met the eye. That and the huge magical force around it, which is meant to be a sign that some powerful magic is acting there. But no one had ever been able to find out what the secret behind it is," Harry said excitedly. "That's got me thinking, what if the necklace is the key to whatever secret is hidden there?"

Harry's excitement was contagious and she soon found herself equally excited. However, she still had a nagging doubt at the back of her mind.

"It could be a coincidence though," she said, biting her lip in thought. "It seems too good to be true. I mean – this could be our key to getting back home, but it might also be nothing."

"Or it might not be. I don't think it is," Harry said, shaking his head.

"Where is this stream? Does it say?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, it's in a small forest on the outskirts of Godric's Hallow, Gryffindor's hometown."

They sat in silence for a moment, both of them staring at the picture. At length, Hermione spoke.

"I'm going there tomorrow," she said.

Harry beamed.

"I knew you'd see reason," he said excitedly. "Now, tomorrow's an authorised Hogsmeade trip so that makes everything much easier. Our best bet seems to be Apparating straight from Hogsmeade –"

"Harry," Hermione said, raising a hand to cut him off. "Harry, we aren't going anywhere. Only I'm going. Alone."

Harry gaped at her.

"Are you crazy? You can't go alone! Something might happen to you!"

"I have to go alone. You and Ron need to stay here to watch the map," she explained pointedly.

Harry opened his mouth to argue, then shut it again, looking confused.

"Well," he said after a moment, "one of us can stay back and the other can go with you."

"Harry, that isn't going to work. You'll both be needed here more than with me," she said pointedly. "Besides, I can take care of myself. Even if something happens – which it might not – I don't think it will be something to worry about. I mean it's a memoir for Gryffindor, not Slytherin. How bad can it be?"

Later on the next day, Hermione would reflect sourly on how naïve she had been.

"I can't believe I agreed to this," Ron muttered angrily as the trio made their way to Hogsmeade.

"Ron, you didn't agree, remember?" Hermione said. "You're only being forced to accept because I pointed out you couldn't come even if you wanted. You still can't Apparate properly."

"That and because you've agreed to make an illegal Portkey," Harry reminded her.

Hermione's hand to travel to the Portkey stowed safely in her pocket. Harry and Ron had demanded she take one with her in case she was unable to Apparate back.

"Yes, that, too," she admitted. "Hopefully, I won't have to use it."

They did not have to go far before they found a nice, secluded place for Hermione to Apparate. It was a small and dark alley between the Hog's Head and the shop next to it, far from the prying eyes of students.

"Right, now you two make sure you keep your eyes on the map. It's a perfect chance for You-know-Who to do You-Know-What, what with most students spending the day in the village," she reminded them.

"And you remember to use your Portkey if you need to and don't do anything stupid," Ron said pointedly.

"Take care of yourself, Hermione," Harry said, patting her shoulder.

Hermione nodded and stepped away from the two. Concentrating carefully on her destination, she spun on the spot and Disapparated from the village. The familiar, though terrible, squeezing sensation engulfed her, but it lasted only a moment, and she soon found herself sprawled flat on her face on what looked like the floor of a forest.

She moaned and crawled slowly to her feet. Her knees and arms were sore from the impact and she had a number of small cuts on her hands. Looking around her, she saw that she was surrounded by trees and shrubs. It seemed to be a forest of sorts, though fortunately, the trees and shrubs were not very dense. From somewhere ahead of her came the sound of running water. She had aimed to arrive right next to the memorial, but she did not seem to be too far off.

Excitedly, she grasped her wand tightly and carefully made her way through the trees. There was hardly a sound around her except for that of the running water, the sound of the leaves and twigs breaking beneath her feet, and the sound of birds chirping in the trees. Occasionally, she thought she heard the far off sounds of leaves being rustled and assumed that there must be wildlife living in forest, too. She sincerely hoped she would not have to meet anything more sinister than a squirrel.

Less than a minute later, she came to an opening in the trees and she saw before her the very scene she had seen in the book. The clear-watered stream cut a curved path through the forest. The water gushed and bubbled in shallower places as it poured over rounded rocks and moved slowly and calmly in deeper places. For a stream, she thought that it was rather wide, for it spammed at least four metres, but it was shallow, much shallower than it had been when the picture was taken. She suspected it was just over half a metre deep in some places, at most.

It did not take long for her to spot the memorial. Its harsh, square edges were a sharp contrast to the rounded rocks surrounding it. Oddly, it seemed that the sun's rays illuminated it in a way that it did not illuminate the other rocks, for it was like a bright beacon in the water.

It was only about two metres away from the bank on which she stood, and fortunately, the water was not very deep at all. Excitedly removing her shoes and robe, she stepped carefully into the water. It came hardly higher than her ankles, though it was cold, so she cast a warming charm on herself. She walked towards the memorial, slowly making her way around the large rocks and fallen branches. By the time she reached the monument, the water was halfway up her thighs.

Bending down carefully, she examined the stone work through the rippled water. Unlike the stones around it, it showed no signs of wear from the flowing water. Just as it had been in the picture, the square slab was intricately carved with the words "Gordric Gryffindor" engraved elaborately across the top. And there in the middle was the small pattern that so perfectly matched her necklace. She reached a hand into the water and traced a finger over it. An eager grin spread across her face.

"This is it," she whispered excitedly before casting a bubble head charm on herself, grasping the necklace in her hands (which were now shaking slightly from excitement), and slowly lowering her head under the water.

She took a moment to adjust to the change. There was a dull roar in her ears from the water rushing past her, though she found that the bubble worked better than any goggles she had ever tried.

Hermione paused for a moment when a thought struck her.

What if the necklace get's stuck?

She frowned, examining the pattern more closely. She could not see how it was possible, and at any rate she had her Bubble-head charm to protect her.

So, with her last doubt satisfied, she lowered the necklace until it filled every crevice of the carving. Her anticipation mounted as she saw that it was a perfect fit. Holding her breath, she waited.

And nothing happened.

After a few seconds, disappointment and doubt started to creep into her mind and she pushed the necklace harder against the hard stone.

Do something! Anything!

But it did not. Frustrated tears sprang to her eyes and she was engulfed by disappointment. She did not even realise until that moment how much hope she had placed on this slab of rock.

How could I have been so stupid! It's just a piece of rock! How did I ever think it would have the power to take us home?

And then it happened. At first, it was only a slight ripple in the water, apparently originating from slab of rock itself. She thought she had imagined it, until another ripple shot through the water, much larger than the first, only to be followed by another and then another, each one more powerful than the previous. Hermione felt her body being pushed roughly by the water and her hands were pulled away from the rock. She braced herself, expecting to be dragged away by current, but she was held back by her necklace. Her eyes widened in shock and horror when she saw that her necklace – which was now glowing – appeared to be fused with the rock. She tried to cry out, but the necklace was choking her as the now turbulent current tried to push her away. The chain cut painfully into her neck, restricting her breathing, and her hands flew to her neck in a futile attempt to free herself, but the necklace had dug so deeply into her skin that she could not get a grasp of it.

And then suddenly, the water turned cold around her and the bubble-head charm failed. Water rushed towards her face, forcing its way into her mouth, nose, and ears. She struggled, aiming her wand to her head, trying to recast the spell, but it was futile. She reached into her pocket clumsily, her hands wrapping around the Portkey, but nothing happened. She could hardly keep her eyes open due to the force of the water and her lungs screamed for air.

I'm going to die, she thought, horrified.

Strangely, she soon felt something other than water tugging at her. Something was grasping at her necklace and pulling at her body. She could barely see and a ludicrous image of some kind of giant monster sprang to her mind. Terrified, she struggled against it, when she suddenly felt the necklace tugging at her, dragging her forward by the neck. Through her cloudy vision, a bright flash of light, which seemed to come from the necklace itself, nearly blinded her and she clasped her hand over it to mask the light. Then the rock itself seemed to crumble away, but rather than drift away in the strong water, Hermione saw something that made her freeze in shock.

The rock was falling downwards.

Before she could even register much more than that, she found herself falling face forward through a narrow, vertical tunnel where the rock had been. Water was gushing down loudly all around her and the thing – for she still had not identified it – was still clutching her, falling down with her.

Suddenly, her head struck water and with a terrible, painful splash, she found herself submerged, sinking into what seemed like a bottomless lake. Luckily, she soon managed to reorient herself and, though dizzy and sore, managed to swim back up to the surface. Her head broke thought the surface of the icy water and her lungs, which had been screaming for air, drew in a deep breath of cold and stall air that Hermione cherished nonetheless.

It took a few moments for her to recover some of her strength, but when she did, her vision returned and she could see in the very dim light provided by the opening overhead. She appeared to be in a large, underground cave, most of which was comprised of the deep lake in which she floated. She could hear nothing other than the deafening sound of the water crashing into the lake from the stream far overhead. To her left, she could just make out what appeared to be a stretch of dry land. Remembering the creature that had fallen into the lake with her, she used whatever strength she could muster to swim towards the shore.

Exhausted, she collapsed on the hard rock, unmoving and making no sound except for her deep breathes.

I'm alive, she thought gratefully.

And then it hit her.

This is all Gryffindor's fault!

"The stupid –" she took a deep breath "– fool! What was that Gryffindor lunatic –" another deep breath "– thinking!" she gasped furiously.

"I don't think he was thinking."

Hermione screamed as a voice other than her own rang through the cave. She struggled quickly to sit up, but the other person was quicker.

"Expelliarmus!" he cried.

Hermione felt her wand flying from her hand, but it was the shock of recognising the voice that caused her to gasp.

"Lumos," he said and bright light lit the cave, confirming the identity of the other person.

Paler than usual and his hair and clothes dripping wet, his wand was raised and he was regarding her with an expression of smug satisfaction.

Hermione looked at him in amazement.

"Riddle?" she exclaimed. "What – what on earth are you doing here?"

"Hmm, that's a good question," he mused, pretending to be thoughtful, "but I can think of a better question. Yes, I'd really like to know why you lied to me, Hermione."

Her insides froze as she was struck with a sudden realisation.

Galloping gargoyles! He knows about the necklace.

"What?" she asked, feigning ignorance to buy herself more thinking time.

"You heard me," he said coolly, as he twirled his wand between his fingers. Hermione saw that her own wand was in his other hand. "Tell me. Why did you lie? You told me you don't wear your necklace while swimming."

His eyes narrowed at her, challenging her.

Hermione's mouth suddenly went very dry.

"Okay, Riddle," she said, through gritted teeth. "You can drop the façade. After what just happen I'm sure we both know that I can't take the necklace off any more than you can."

"You know what the necklace is then?" he asked suspiciously.

"I know… some things. I know it's the Founders' Necklace. I know that only the people who exemplify the characteristics of a certain House can wear it."

"Correct," he said, smiling conceitedly. "So, do enlighten me. Why did you not tell me this yesterday? Why did you lie to me?"

Hermione did not reply as she hurriedly formulated a lie in her mind.

"Well?" he pressed impatiently.

"Because, Riddle," she said slowly, "I also happen to know that there is only one Founders' Necklace, and yet you seemed to have one as well."

"Yes," he said softly. "It would seem so."

Hermione, who was still on her knees, decided to test Riddle's leniency by trying to stand up. Unfortunately, his wand was aimed at her before she had even moved one leg.

"Don't move," he said sharply.

Hermione had to bite her tongue to stop herself from retorting angrily. The seriousness of the situation had not escaped her. She was stuck, wandless, in an underground cave with a young Dark Lord who had just realised that she had been lying to him for company. Things were not looking too good for her and she knew it.

"You still haven't explained how you got here," she said testily.

At that, Riddle smirked gleefully.

"Oh, but it was all too easy, Hermione," he said gloating, chuckling softly. "You see, yesterday, after you explain about your necklace, I was rather sceptical. You seemed to be sincere enough and Salazar knows it made sense. After all, there can't be two necklaces, but there was one thing that made me doubt you. Do you have any idea what that might be?"

"No. What?"

"Do you recall our little conversation about changing the OWL's syllabus?"

"Yes," Hermione said slowly with a looming feeling of dread.

"Well, I just found it rather, let's say, peculiar that a person who had received eleven O's was not even aware that the Patronus Charm, the Protean charm, and Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration have been part of the NEWT's curriculum for the past hundreds of years, and were never part of the OWL's year," he said mockingly.

Hermione's jaw dropped.

"You – you tricked me," she stuttered. "You lied to me – you – you – oh, I can't believe I fell for it!"

Riddle chuckled.

"Yes, it's pretty obvious now, isn't it? I must say, for someone so smart, you aren't very quick witted."

"Well, that doesn't explain how you found me here," she said angrily.

"Oh, that was simple, really. You should really tell Evans not to go screaming out your name like that when he wants to tell you something so private. After all, you never know who could be barely a flight of stairs below you, pausing to tie up his shoelaces," Riddle said, giving her a pointed look. "Yes, I heard him shout out your name and I heard you reply excitedly. I managed to approach you quietly enough to not be seen, but close enough to hear every word you spoke. That's when I realised you had lied about the necklace."

Hermione gulped. She berated herself, not knowing how she could have been so careless.

"I'd also love to know why Evans and Wesley –" he practically spat our Ron's surname "– had to stay back watching some map and why you seemed to think that this monument held the answer to taking you back home – whatever that means. I absolutely can't wait to hear your version of the tale of how a Slytherin was given access into the Chamber of Godric Gryffindor and I'm sure there is a perfectly plausible explanation for why there appears to be two Founders' Necklaces," he added sarcastically. "Though for now, I'm perfectly happy to leave those matters aside and focus on the fact that we appear to be stranded in an underground cave that no one else has entered for hundreds, if not a thousand, years."

Hermione watched anxiously as Riddle conjured a ball of fire which floated well above his head, adequately lighting most of the cave, while his wand remained aimed at her.

"But you still haven't explained how you got in here," Hermione asked, eyeing the wand anxiously and wondering whether Riddle was aiming it at her out of precaution or because he intended to do her harm.

Riddle looked at her as though she were daft.

"Didn't I?" he asked.

"No," Hermione replied. "I mean, you explained how you knew what I was up to, but how did you get here, in Godric's Hallow? In the cave?"

"Oh, that was easy," Riddle said smugly. "I followed you into Hogsmeade, waited until you Disapparrated, cast a few charms to prevent you from noticing me before following you as you searched for the monument. Then, when you almost got yourself killed, I jumped into the water – which somehow cancelled out my magical disguise – and tried to pull you out, only to find that your necklace was stuck. And then, well – I don't know exactly what happened, but the monument broke away and we ended up in here."

It was Hermione's turn to look incredulous.

"You tried to save me?" she asked slowly.

"Yes, and it's a good thing I did, too," he said, looking around the cave triumphantly.

"How very brave of you," Hermione said, pretending to look impressed.

"Not really," Riddle said casually. "You were drowning in water that barely came up to my knees. A bit embarrassing, really."

Hermione blushed.

"The necklace was magically fused, okay?" she retorted. "It was not embarrassing."

Riddle chuckled.

"If you say so."

Hermione scoffed.

"Well, if my life is so worth saving, why do you have your wand pointed at me?" she asked.

"Precautionary," he replied simply. "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't have reacted so well to find a fellow student ambushing such an incredible discovery of mine. Especially not if they just appeared out of nowhere."

"Well, now that you see that I'm not about to ambush you, would you be so kind as to allow me to stand and return my wand?" she asked testily.

Riddle shrugged.

"I don't see why not. I doubt you'd be fast enough to hex me, anyway," he said as he threw her wand to her. "Besides, I think we're both going to need to be vigilant from now on."

Hermione snatched the wand from the ground and scrambled to her feet.

"What makes you say that?" she asked as she cast a drying spell on herself.

Riddle indicated to the stone wall to her left, which she had not noticed before. She turned towards it and saw that there was in fact a stone door camouflaged into the wall. Hermione's heart sank as she realised it was the only way out of the small cave, other than the way they had entered. The inscription carved into it did little to boost her confidence, either.

Enter only if ye be men of valour.

A/N - Thanks for reading! :) I hope you enjoyed that. Thanks again to all my reviewers (and everyone reviewing as anon, I do read your reviews and appreaciate them!) Also, I recently posted a little Tom Riddle-centered drabble. It's a humour piece called Tom Riddle, Hogwarts Champion?. I'd appreacite if you could read that too!

Oh, and I should mention, the inscription "Enter only if ye be men of valour." was inspired by the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail!