Hermione had watched over Josephine Collingwood in over twelve days. From the second Josephine left the Ravenclaw tower in the morning to the minute she entered it in the evening. Luzia Stanford hadn't been to happy with the new arrangement. It appeared like the wealthy Stanford couldn't bear the presence of a Collingwood.

But Luzia Stanford wasn't in danger. Josephine was. Every second since Tom Riddle disguised, had walked past them in the Hog's Head. Maybe even before that. Hermione wondered how in the hell he had been at the right place in right time. How was that even possible? Had he been stalking Josephine? Or had he been stalking Hermione... ? The cold feeling in her stomach increased. It wasn't possible. Maybe he was disguised just like in the Hog's Head.

The watch – over Josephine almost every second out of class started to pay off. Hermione started to suffer from nightmares and the well known signs of paranoia became more noticeable every day. It went so far Hermione started to think Tom Riddle or any of his new 'friends' hid in shadows and broom closets. Her grades started to fall in class, she neglected her Prefect/Head Girl duties.

Day ten, Hermione started to considering to just 'oblivate' Josephine in front of Tom Riddle to make him stop hunting her. But she brushed it off every time, embarrassed.

Sadly Hermione was only a human and couldn't protect Josephine. That fact became her fall.

….

Josephine finished her essay in the library. Hermione sat beside her with her face buried in her hands. She had been complaining about her terrible headaches ever since that day in the Hog's Head. Both Luzia and Josephine had told her to got to the hospital wing. Josephine were sure Madam Wakefield would take care of Hermione and cure her. However Hermione never went to Madam Wakefield, she said 'its only a migraine, nothing to worry about!' But Josephine suspected it was more then just a headaches Hermione were dealing with.

20 minutes ago had Luzia Stanford left them, which made Josephine relieved. Luzia had thrown nasty glares and malicious comments at her when Hermione wasn't watching. She was busy with reading 'The Prophet', Hermione followed all Grindewald's steps from the papers. More news about him had gotten out the last months. Either way Grindewald's forces were leaking to the papers or 'The Prophet' made up some stories just to sell single copies. Hermione scanned the news every day with critical eyes, she didn't believe everything she read in the papers. Only fools did, she felt.

Josephine wrote down the last sentence, in the silent library, when the sudden noise of a snoring Hermione made Josephine jump. Hermione seemed to need the sleep. She had dark circles under her eyes and her skin was unhealthy pale. Josephine decided to leave her, not bother to wake her up. She figured when Hermione was able to catch some sleep, she didn't want to wake her. The migraine might come back.

She walked out of the library after a quick good bye to Mrs. Dyce. Josephine felt very proud of herself when she thought about her essay. Professor Dumbledore would probably give it an 'O'. Josephine was also relieved to walk by herself, Hermione's almost hysterical worry about her was tiring. She was sure she was able to walk by herself!

A hand over her mouth and a wand pressed in to her neck made her change her mind.

"You don't have to be afraid, Collingwood, we're just going to write a letter." His voice was icy and Josephine had a bad feeling about this. And when the person pushed her up the stairs, to the astronomy tower, it increased.

….

Students screamed in agony and chock when Josephine's body was found under the astronomy tower, with a note in her pocket. Her limbs pointed in different odd angles. Her mouth was half open, in a frozen scream. The note was written with her handwriting and explained why she had chosen to 'jump'. The explanation was an ex boyfriend, Bilius Weasley, had broken her heart and she couldn't stand life anymore.

"Impossible." Mumbled Bilius Weasley. "She was happy last time I talked to her, she was the one breaking up with me for merlin's sake!."

No one listened to him. Everyone's eyes was on the broken body of Josephine.

….

The great hall had dim light. A thick depressed feeling filled the air. Armando Dippet looked self important when he started to speak. "We have gathered here today to honor the memory of Josephine Collingwood. A hard working student who decided to jump when life didn't seem to offer her... "

Josephine jumped? Ha, what a joke!

Armando Dippet's cold almost uncaring voice echoed in the silent great hall. "...when we lose someone we love... ripped away from us with force...

It was my fault!

"depression... love... friendship... don't let us forget..." His philosophical speech/rant became more dull to Hermione as his voice got more uninteresting and cold.

If I hadn't let her go that evening... if it wasn't for my migraine... she would have been alive!

Hermione repeated it in her head during the memorial of Josephine Collingwood. She didn't hear a word of Armando Dippet's speech nor the music of the school choir. People around her cried, especially the students from Ravenclaw. She repeatedly blamed herself and a cynical voice in the back of her head told her that she was now responsible of five deaths.

Five Murders!

She was a murderer.

She had let it happen.

She had for merlin's sake been sleeping in the library when Josephine had been thrown down the tower!

The hour passed in a blur. The fog in her mind was slowly turning into another migraine attack. She didn't notice people leaving the great hall for the throbbing behind her eye until Alice Bennet gave her a rather hard push on her arm. But the light hurt in her eyes and Hermione was sure that her head would split in two any minute.

"Don't do that, Alice! Can't you see that she is in pain?" Luzia said and the sound drifted through Hermione's fog. Luzia's voice was different, like it came from a poorly tuned and crackling radio.

Hermione felt arms grip her and try to make her stand up. But they failed when she fell to her knees.

"Hermione, are you okay?" There were more voices now.

The headache started to calm down and Hermione was able to open her eyes again. Professor Codrington came walking towards the small group of worried students. Just a small episode, not like the other one she had in the library, it had lasted several hours.

"Miss. Granger, are you all right? I noticed you-" He asked magisterial.

She cut him off. "Yes, sir. I am fine. I've must have been falling asleep." Hermione rambled. "I haven't had much sleep lately." She explained when Edgar Codrington didn't seem to buy it.

"Are you sure?" He asked and helped her up.

"Yes, of course I am sure." Hermione said with gritted teeth. He nodded and asked her if she wanted go to the hospital wing and she declined.

Go to the hospital wing for a migraine? Forget that, I am not weak!

Edgar Codrington nodded and let her go. Hermione stumbled cross the hall without waiting for her friends. She needed to be alone. When she walked through the corridor did she notice, to her fear, that the short absence of the fog ended. The headache returned.

She slid down the wall and placed her head between her knees. She shut down the world around her and when her wand flew out of her wand holster, she opened her eyes to see who had taken it, but the light...

… the light burned her eyes and she let a soft scream slip her lips.

"Hey, Granger what's wrong with you?" Malfoy's voice asked from distant.

She stood up on shaky legs and held a hand over her eyes, to protect them and started to fumble blind. Someone grabbed her and shook her.

"What's wrong with her?" Black's voice echoed.

"Letmego." Hermione spluttered. "IsaidletmegoyoubastardsIamaheadgirl"

They half dragged her and half carried away the spluttering and wincing Hermione. The fog wouldn't let her go and her head was pounding.

A door closed and she jumped by the sound. Her senses was returning back.

"What have you done to her?" Someone asked.

Oh no. Don't let it be him!

Tom Riddle walked across the floor of 'Myrtle's bathroom'. He had hints of worry in his behavior when he scanned the limb Hermione Granger who hung helpless between Black and Malfoy. He asked them again and they answered that they found her in that state.

Hermione turned her head to the side when cold fingers started to analyze her face. His thumb and index finger forced her eyelids away to open her left eye. She was hit by another burn behind her eye and caused her to lash out. Without even knowing exactly what she did, she managed to kick Tom Riddle in his stomach.

"Take her, she is crazy!" Someone shouted. The sound of running feet and people shouting echoed.

Someone grabbed her and started to push her. Hermione came out of the fog just in time to see the big hole in the floor. The opening to the chamber of secrets...

"No, no. Why are you doing this?" She screamed as she was being pushed forward the dark hole. They had her wand and she couldn't protect herself. Damn headache!

The most surprising thing was the fact that someone answered her question. "Just want to make sure to know where you are going."

'Just want to make sure where you are going' what does that mean?

As Tom Riddle had read her thoughts. "When Josephine was thrown out of the tower she mentioned you had important information."

Wow he's not even hiding the killings anymore... he confessed.

"We don't want you to forget, right? So, I think, the chamber of secrets will keep your secret."

"What secret?" She screamed back confused.

"Nice try!" Black smiled mad at her. Tom Riddle didn't let anything away, his poker face was just as perfect as always. He nodded slightly, Black and Avery grabbed her by her arms, ready to throw her down.

"Do you know what the most ridiculous thing is?" Hermione asked to win time. Tom Riddle raised a brow.

"You set up a paradigm where you are risking to get caught!"

Tom's poker face started to crackle. He looked confused now.

"Think about it, you have let me run free in almost two years. Even though I've known about Myrtle the whole time. What's the difference?"

Black and Avery released her from their grip. They stared confused at Tom, they felt betrayed. Hermione fell to her knees as she fought the fog and the burning light. As she pressed her sweaty hands on her eyes she continued to talk.

"But Josephine Collingwood became a threat to you, when she found out about it! You knew she had to be silenced. And in order to not appear weak to your so called servants, you decides to throw me down the chamber of secrets, because you want 'information' that doesn't even exist!"

He started to growl as the other in the room started to eye him with increasing anger. Hermione whimpered from the pain the lights were causing her.

Please get the lights out, I'll do anything!

"Do you know what my conclusion is?" She asked him. Hermione released her hands from her face and for the first time she looked straight into his eyes. It hurt but she managed. "I think you trust me! I think you trust me even more than your 'pathetic loyal servants'."

Everyone in the room stared at Tom with anger and betrayal in their eyes.

"Tom, I just called your bluff. Game over."

Black and Avery had raised their wands. Pointing them at Tom. The servants rebelled. The master saw it and he knew he had to act fast.

"You are wrong." Tom said softly to her, ignoring them. "The only reason I'm keeping you alive is because it's harder to explain the death of the head girl."

He raised her own wand and pointed at her. Everything went black. She had to admit he was good, she hadn't even seen that coming.

….