Chapter Thirty-five:
Field Trip
"But Tom, how are we supposed to explain if anyone catches us?" Hermione persisted as she watched him gathering up a few things in preparation for a little jaunt up north. "That little trip to the Ministry was a close call, you know. We were almost caught, and we didn't learn anything we needed to know."
"If Dumbledore finds out we've gone, we can simply say that we wanted to pop off home for a few hours, maybe visit with our friends or something," Tom insisted. "What do you want to do, Hermione, just let him tell us what to do and go along with it, no questions asked?"
"It didn't seem to work the last time I did that," she conceded. "But if we're going to use that excuse, don't you think we should at least pay a visit to a friend or two?"
"Sure, we'll go see how Lucretia and Wallburga are getting on," he smirked.
"I didn't say enemy, Riddle, I said friend," Hermione snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest. Tom stepped over and uncrossed them, wrapping them around him instead.
"Don't you ever get tired of doing what other people think you should all the time?" he wanted to know.
"Tom, you don't get it," she said as she leaned into him. "I'm frightened. Dumbledore seems creepy somehow, and I don't know what he might stop at to make it to the top. Remember, he becomes Headmaster of Hogwarts in the future."
"Sweetheart, that's only one possible future," he reminded her. "We can't live every day of our lives trying to second guess if what we're doing is going to change the future for good or ill. The man is up to something, and I mean to find out exactly what it is."
"I'm sure it has something to do with horcruxes," Hermione said as she pulled her cloak around her shoulders. "Why else would he be so keen on you continuing the research?"
"You don't think he's been doing his own research on the sly, do you?"
"That's exactly what I think," Hermione said. "In fact, it makes sense now that I think about it. Fabian is sending us into these situations just to look around, and then extracting our memories afterwards for later use. How do we know how much of our other memories he might be taking out while he's at it? How do we know that's not the real reason we're here, to distract us from realizing he's stealing our ideas."
"That bloody bastard," Tom gasped, shaking his head irritably. "Why didn't I think of that? You really are a smart witch, Hermione."
"I know," she agreed with a smile. "Now let's go, if we're going already."
"We'll have to stop off in Hogsmeade, and then figure out how to get into Hogwarts on the sly from there," Tom said. "I know a way in, if we come in through the underground tunnels."
"You don't mean to go through the Chamber of Secrets to get there, do you?"
"Are you afraid, Hermione?" he teased her. "I control the basilisk, remember?"
"I'd rather forget," she grumbled.
"I'll keep you safe, love," he whispered into her ear. "I'll always keep you safe."
#
"I wish the Shrieking Shack was built in this time," Hermione grumbled as she looked dubiously at the opening to the dark, damp cave Tom had led her to. "At least I didn't have to worry about a basilisk roaming around in there."
"I promise, it won't hurt you, Hermione," Tom said as he took her arm in his and led her inside. "It really won't come unless it is called."
"So, if you didn't call that thing to hurt people, then how come in the future you make someone else let it out?" asked Hermione, somewhat confused.
"How should I know?" he asked. "I haven't done it yet."
Hermione sighed. "It's all so confusing, Tom," she told him. "I don't know what to think."
"I think the old man was manipulating you all along, just as he did to me," Tom said. "We only have his word that any of the events that led up to your time happened at all."
"Tom, there's—I—um," Hermione began, and she hesitated. He turned to give her a questioning look. "I need to tell you something."
"About what?" he asked with a furrowed brow. "About the future?"
"Well, it's sort of about the future," she said.
"Then perhaps you could tell me later," he said. "This isn't the best time to worry about tomorrow while we should be worrying about today."
"Yes, I suppose you're right," she agreed brightly. "It can wait."
The two of them slipped into the darkness, and the air soon became thick and difficult to breathe. Hermione latched more tightly to Tom's hand, urging him to move faster. Wordlessly, they quickly made their way through the labyrinthine tunnels and found themselves just below the entrance to the girls' bathroom where, Hermione knew, Ginny Weasley would one day enter the Chamber of Secrets herself.
"At least it's still summer, so there shouldn't be any students about," Tom said softly. "You wait here, I'll go see if anyone is about."
Hermione nodded, still trying to catch her breath. She felt a wave of nausea overcome her, but hid it from Tom as best she could.
"Wingardium Leviosa," he intoned, floating up to the top of the long tunnel. Reaching off to the side, he pulled on a small lever and the sink slid aside.
"Tom? Is that you?" Myrtle wailed as she floated over to greet him. "It's been ever so dull around here since you've gone. But you probably didn't miss me at all."
"Myrtle, please," he said briskly. "I've no time to discuss it now. What can you tell me about Professor Dumbledore's activities of late?"
"Dumbledore?" she gasped. "It's strange that you should mention him, Tom. Dumbledore's been in and out of that tunnel practically every day for the past month. I think he may be looking for something. And the last time he came back, he was not alone."
"Not alone?" Tom clarified.
"Well, no, he wasn't," she replied. "He came here with someone who used to be another man's horcrux, but when the man left again it was only him. Somehow, he'd sucked the horcrux right out of him, standing right over there by that mirror. And the horcrux didn't die for quite some time. It was quite interesting, really."
"Do you know, Myrtle, you may have just told me exactly what I need to know," Tom said as he headed back toward the sink. "Do me a favor, will you? Don't tell anybody I was here. Especially not Dumbledore."
"Will you promise to come visit me again soon, Tom?" she pleaded. "I heard you've got that silly witch at your side these days, but she's nothing at all to me."
"Of course, Myrtle," he said. "I'll see you again just as soon as I can." And with that, he disappeared back into the tunnel, and the sink slid shut behind him.