"How can we help?" Seamus asked.

"There's two horcruxes we have to find." Hermione said. "And we have to destroy them. We know one of them is in Hogwarts."

"What is it?" Ginny asked.

"Rowena Ravenclaw's tiara."

A heavy silence fell on the room.

"Nobody knows where it is." an Asian looking girl finally said.

"I do." Luna interfered. "Only I didn't know how to destroy it."

"What?" Hermione said. "How?"

"Well I simply asked her daughter."

"Her daughter?"

"Yes. Helena. The Ravenclaw's house ghost. I've asked her the question when I came back. She gave me a riddle to solve. "My mother's tiara is resting where everything hidden is. If you have to ask, you will never know. If you know, you only have to ask.""

Hermione thought for a few seconds, and then.

"That's it. One of the other shape of the requirement room. That's the storage room. Did you find it there?"

"It's still there, but I know exactly where."

"Luna, you're a genius!" Edmund exclaimed. "Can you take us to it?"

But before the young Ravenclaw could answer, an alarm sounded, followed by a deep and sugary voice.

"Every student and every professor must regroup immediately in the great hall. Anyone who wouldn't comply would be severely punished."

Silence fell on the requirement room again, and all eyes turned to Hermione.

"What do we do?" Dean asked.

Hermione stayed silent for a moment, and then decision was made.

"We go. Find us robes."

She then walked to Dennis Crivey.

"Dennis, I have a mission for you." She said. "I need you to go to the Hog's head right now, and tell Abelforth to contact the order of the phoenix, and tell them the battle will take place today. And then, I want you to at the Hog's Head. Can you do that for me?"

The boy nodded, and then difficultly got up, and took the secret passage. Hermione then put on the Gryffindor robe Ginny gave her. Ron and Edmund had already put theirs on, and they were ready. They hence merged into the crowd and joined the rest of the students in the great hall. When Professor Snape entered the room, a heavy silence instantly fell, and most of the pupils look down, as Ron, Hermione and Edmund did.

"It was brought to my knowledge that the criminals known as Hermione Jean Granger, Ronald Billius Weasley, and the muggle that goes by the name of Edmund Pevensie have been seen in Hogsmeade, and could be trying to infiltrate Hogwarts." Snape started. "I invite anyone with any knowledge on where these criminals are to talk immediately. The consequence of trying to protect them could be... unfortunate."

Stung by his threat, with a closed face, Hermione stood out from the crowd, looked at Snape straight in the eyes, and bowed down stiffly. She was soon joined by Ron and Edmund. A dark grin appeared on the former master of potions' face.

"Well, well, what have we got there?" He said in a sugary tone. "The Know-it-all Mud-blood, the traitor to his blood and the muggle."

"Hogwarts has hit a real low!" Alecto laughed, standing on his right.

"Yes, that's what I've heard!" Hermione snapped. "What are you gonna do now, professor? Kill us, like you murdered Colin Crivey?"

The grin turned into a heinous grimace, and Snape readied his wand. This pushed Minerva MacGonagall to intervene. She placed herself in front of the trio, wand at the ready.

"You will never lay a hand on my pupils, Severus." She stated.

And she cast the first spell. A quick duel followed, before the wizard disapparated.

"COWARD!" She yelled.

As he had diverted her Expeliarmus, both of the other Death Eater were disarmed, and Ron and Hermione hurried stupefying them.

"It is time for the school to shine in its former glory!" MacGonagall exclaimed.

And with a twist of her wand, she lit up every candle in the great hall. Of course, it didn't do anything useful, but the message was clear, and it felt good. Especially to Hermione. The pupils burst in applauses. The joy, however, didn't last long, as Voldemort amplified voice suddenly filled the air. Edmund had to admit he was rather impressed by what he now heard of the Dark Lord.

"Your action is an act of war." the voice said. "It deserves a punishment. Give the criminals to me, and I will forgive it. Give the criminals to me, and I will leave your school in peace. You have an hour."

And the voice disappeared as suddenly as it had come.