I don't own the story or the characters of Harry Potter, this work is entirely fan-made. The rights to everything Harry Potter belong to J.K Rowling. Some noticeable sections are from 'Lord of the Rings' by J.R.R Tolkien, which again, I do not own.
Right, so a little information that is needed: I upload once every week, normally on a Monday where I live, and after a full story is completed I take a short break. I prewrite to the point that I am already a good few chapters into the sequel to this, so there is nothing to worry about in terms of upload availability. However, there could be occasions, like this coming week where I will not be able to upload on time for one reason or another. That is why this is going up Today instead of tomorrow.
"Alexander, you know your post, now get to it. Daphne, Tracy, try to refrain from moving away from each other and your position by the library. We need believable and reliable cover stories too, so I hope you all have an idea for yourself. Neville," he said, effectively dismissing the rest to bed, as he had asked to be alone. "Are you sure about this? You could get seriously injured here, there isn't any room for error. That is why Hannah is not coming with us, and Hermione wouldn't be if she were able to move. We need to do this, but not to the detriment of your health." At Neville's slightly fearful look Harry found his supposed answer. "I can do this, I just have to speak parseltongue. How many parselmouths do you think the Ministry has at its disposal, given their views on every other wizarding minority? It isn't like we could trust the Ministry with this anyway. They are too deep in Dumbledore's pocket, though we might be able to get the DMLE to help." The nervous boy looked at Harry with a brave face and shook his head, defying his brother. "No, you aren't doing this alone. There could be a powerful wizard or witch controlling that thing, and if push comes to shove, they are going to have to face the wrath of the duelling devils." He smirked in excitement, though Harry looked hesitant. "You don't need to worry about me, as I don't need to worry about you. We can handle ourselves. Though we should still get the MLE and the DRCMC involved. They live to deal with special cases like this, don't they?" They laughed it off, needing the lightheartedness to counteract the dangerous ideas they had planned for tomorrow night.
Every member of the Rogue Society had agreed to help with the plan, most being lookouts for any students or teachers straying too far towards the bathroom. Harry looked thoughtful as he got dressed and was about to head down for a late breakfast when Neville grabbed his shoulder, an obvious indication that he wanted to talk. "We don't have to do this entirely by ourselves you know. If we inform Madam Bones and get Master Prickle involved via owl or some such method, we could wipe out the need for us to get too close. I just don't want anyone to lose their brother, their sister, or their son or daughter, or their boyfriend. I don't want anyone to lose any of us. Zoe would say the same, though she hasn't had the chance to say it yet. Plus, I think that you need to talk to someone other than me about your protectivity issues. Hermione and Hannah are their own people capable of following us without coercion. They do that because they care. " At Harry's warning look, one he shot off before he got too pissed at anyone, Neville relented after one more try. "Just mirror call Sirius and your father, and they can get the right people at the Ministry involved. We need all the help we can get." Seeing the look on his brother's face, a pleading one, Harry thought about it. He was contemplating throughout breakfast, weighing the benefits that could be gained with the help of some trusting adults. Anyone with working retinas could see that Harry was deep in thought, and in brooding mode, so they kept a good distance from him, as long as they weren't named Neville Longbottom or Zoe Potter.
Harry and Neville were two entirely separate minds when it came to the approach of the people joining them. Whereas Harry wanted to avoid the least number of casualties and forget about his own safety in the face of danger, Neville was keen to get as much help in the chamber as possible, though their argument was stopped briefly when they visited the girl's bathroom that they were confident hid the chamber. Harry was much more confident now, as he got closer to redeeming himself in the eyes of Hogwart's students and staff and his tone certainly presented it. "Myrtle, can you tell us how you died? We need the information to stop more people from dying in the same way." Harry was asking, however, his tone made the sentence sound like a threatening order. The ghostly girl squealed, floating down to Harry from the window sill and hovered on the stone floor, in front of the two boys. "Just because it's you, Harry, I shall tell you. I came in here, crying after Olive Hornby said some horrible things about me and went into that stall right over there." She moaned while pointing to an area in the bathroom. "Then, when I heard a funny sound coming from outside, I told them to go away, but then I realised it was a boy's voice. So, I shouted at them to leave after opening the door. Then I saw a great big pair of yellow eyes, over by that sink," she pointed at a set of sinks that looked normal enough for a bathroom. "Then I died." She wailed again and fled back down the toilet pipe, making water gush all over the floor by a stall. "Let's check out the sink then. A good place to start." Neville grimaced, as they turned to face the ring of taps. After inspecting each one, they found the one facing the high window, engraved with a snake on the side of the neck of the tap. Harry tried rubbing it to feel for anything else, or perhaps trigger the chamber to open. "Wait, Harry. If the Heir of Slytherin and Salazar himself was a parselmouth, then maybe the chamber is opened by using the same method to control the snake. Say something in parseltongue!" Neville eagerly said, waiting on the reaction from Harry. Harry hissed a deep throaty sound and said "Open!" as the sink slid down under the floor, to be replaced by a metal grate.
With their new-found discovery fresh in their minds, the two Gryffindors headed off to lunch, thinking it would be another meal of Professor McGonagall reassuring everyone that they would be ok. Though, when they arrived at the Great Hall, it was already in a buzz over one staffing addition. Sat at the Head table, talking avidly with Professor Flitwick, was Remus Lupin. As lunch progressed, the entire population of Hogwarts slowly filtered into the massive room, each one as shocked as the last that another teacher or member of staff was joining this late into the educational year. With a small clink of a glass, Headmistress McGonagall was immediately the centre of attention, holding every student's gaze with a small gesture. "I am sure you would all like to know about the recent staffing addition in the form of Mr Lupin." She said as a wave of whispers washed over the students. Another clink amplified by a charm silenced them again. "He will be helping Professor Snape teach Defence as it is clear that your exams are nearing their start. He shall also be chaperoning the duelling club from this point on, whether or not he stays on as a teacher for next term. Please give him a warm welcome back to Hogwarts." His standing up was met with applause, mainly from the Gryffindor table and three very enthusiastic second-years. Though he was excited to see his Uncle again, Harry scowled internally, knowing that this was also a ploy by McGonagall to keep an eye on him in his time of suffering, making sure that he didn't do anything reckless like going after the person who petrified his girlfriend.
As the pupils of Hogwarts left the hall at two o'clock, Harry was fervently trying to push past the throng of people also going back to their Sundays, but found the task difficult, as Zoe was dragging him back to see Remus, knowing that he had to keep up appearances. "Ah, Neville, Zoe, Harry, good to see you behaving." He said, with glee, but shooting a suspicious glare at Harry. "So, where were you off to in such a hurry, nephew?" He questioned, unknowingly asking that of one the best self-taught liars in the history of Hogwarts. As Harry replied, he put on his best desperately sad face and wrenched his hand from his sister's grip. "I wanted to go and see Hermione. Or did you not hear from Sirius the condition that has befallen my beloved." He used the words that his father had taught him to use when in a polite, public conversation with his elders. "No, I have been away since the last full moon and haven't had time to catch up with Sirius yet." His eyes told the lycanthrope that Harry was not be messed with when it came to seeing Hermione, so he let the matter go, needing to oversee the duelling club. "Neville, I trust I will see you in the duelling club in a moment?" He asked the nervous boy. He nodded and smiled faintly, giving Harry and Zoe a slight nudge with his shoulder, passing the sudden movement off as a cough. "Very well, I shall see you all soon, and Neville, I do hope to see the famous duelling devils soon, as Professor Flitwick called you two." He walked off after gesturing to Harry and Neville, apparently unaware of the new plan between the three. "Change of plans, we are moving the schedule back, to after the duelling club is over for today. It remains the same aside from the timing. We all know what to do." Zoe and Neville nodded at Harry's determined words, as he now wandered off to the common room to pick up the book and his Invisibility cloak, also using the time to update the message coins.
"' The vision melted into waking; and there was Tom, whistling like a tree-full of birds; and the sun was already slanting down the hill and through the open window. '" Harry read as he started to get lost in Middle-Earth again, mainly to distract himself from the daunting task ahead. If Hermione could hear him, see him, she still did not show it, though it was unlikely that she could. Harry's eyes passed over each line, speaking loud and clear the words that he and Hermione had hopefully listened to, as each sound came through his lips. He registered the words less and less with each syllable that passed over his tongue, revelling in the choice he would make tonight. Harry put the brilliant novel down and made sure that he remembered the words he had read not twenty-four hours ago.
"Until at last, our toil be passed,
Our journey done, our errand sped."
"Will our Journey ever be done, Hermione? I hope so. I hope that we can have peace for once. Until then, I must break one more promise. If I don't come back, know that I will always love you. I will always cherish the time we spent with such little emphasis on us, and only us." Harry kissed her forehead, his lips appearing to ghost over hers for a moment afterwards, but leant back before he broke himself, and another promise.
"So, let's go. Did you mirror call Sirius, Zoe?" She nodded at his question before saying "Amelia Bones was there and they said they were getting their most trusted Aurors and the people on the magical creature control force to come with them. We can still turn back now, you know, if you want. Hermione will kill you too, whether we make it out or not. Mum and Dad will probably string us up by the ankles, Uncle Moony will hate himself forever for not seeing past your admittedly good lie. Neville's Grandmother will likely get to us as all as well." She joked, lightening the mood slightly as they waited for Neville to arrive with the others getting into positions. "Well, the consequences we will have to deal with, unfortunately. Though, I can say that we deserve most of what will come. I just hope that it pays off and we can put an end to the beast that nearly took Hermione from me." Zoe peered at Harry through his glasses and sighed, smiling as she thought of the best way to put her next words. "Harry, when we get out of that Chamber, and Hermione is awake again, I want you to think, very hard about what you want for your future with her. I wasn't ever, hoping for you to hear this from me… but Dad had a blank betrothal contract set up for you, to any Pureblood, as was his father's wish for the Potter family, for you to bring the family back into the Pureblood world. He cancelled it as soon as you and Hermione revealed that you were dating at the start of summer. He might have been onto something. I do believe that in the future, you and Hermione will lead a happy life together, continuing the line of Potter. I don't know if I will have kids at all, I don't have or need anyone yet, so there is still time, but you have to start a family, for your happiness, with Hermione. Despite what you might think, I fully support you both in it. Just don't make me an Auntie before I turn seventeen, please?" She smiled as Neville bounded around the corner with a splutter. "Lupin was onto me I think. If we're doing this today, we have to go now!"
They rounded the final corner to the bathroom… but came upon a seemingly final message to Hogwarts.
GINNY WEASLEY WILL LIE IN THE CHAMBER FOREVER
Quick music recommendation: watch?v=jRcJp1i4Emo
That is an edit of 'Avatar's Love' from 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' done by Samuel Kim Music. Brilliantly done and good for one piece of this chapter. The line starting '"Will our Journey ever be done"' I think fits with the music quite well as an emotional 'goodbye'. (Yes I'm still hooked on ATLA as I was several weeks ago. Watch it!)
Finale in the next two chapters, so buckle up for the end of year two.
Stay Safe
-E