Chapter eight: Of Monsters and Ice

Hermione refused to talk about what had happened outside of the library late that fateful night; she even refused to tell the others that it had been she who had discovered the bodies. It wasn't really something that she liked thinking about, she didn't like the thought that some unknown evil was lurking through the corridors preying on innocent students. It also terrified her. It had been hard enough for her alone with the Slytherin's telling her 'You'll be next mudblood." Shortly after the attack she made her decision; she needed to start on the Polyjuice potion as soon as possible.

"And you need my help why?" Draco asked Hermione as he sat down across from her early one Saturday morning. "And besides, what makes you think that you can successfully brew a potion this complex?" Hermione threw her head back and let loud out a loud rancorous laugh 'silly Drake,' her mind sang joyfully. They both knew that she was fully capable of the task.

"I've already told you why, Draco." She said as she stirred the first ingredient into her cauldron. "I know that it's pointless, but Harry and Ron would never believe me if I said that you had willingly agreed to answer our questions. And besides, the sooner they eliminate you as a suspect, the sooner they can move on to other more likely possibilities." She looked up at him through her eyelashes, "You know I like a good challenge."

"Fine, I guess I'll do it. But only for you." Draco rolled his eyes, "But won't they ask questions?" Hermione knew that he had a point; they'd most definitely ask questions.

"I'll lie." She Hermione shrugged as she poured a cup of chilled water into her cauldron.

"Okay, so what do you need me to do?" Hermione sat her measuring cup down and thought about it for a moment, watching him with an appraising eye.

"Well, I'd like a sample of hair from Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy; if possible." Draco gave her a skeptical look. "And I'd also like a pair of Slytherin robes, preferably in their sizes." Draco raised an eyebrow. He had no idea how he'd get any of that.

"You're out of your mind, Mia." Draco laughed as he watched her mix something else into the cauldron.

"No, not really; if we want this plan to work, we have to make sure Harry and Ron believe it." She looked up and smiled, "Oh and we will need the Slytherin password."

"You're trying to turn me against my own house!" Draco exclaimed, throwing a balled up rag at Hermione's head, hitting her square in the nose. The two laughed as Draco turned his attention to Myrtle; she staring angrily at him. "Do you have a problem?" He asked.

"You're a boy." Myrtle cried out in furry, her eyes nearly shining with anger. She'd nearly had a fit when Harry and Ron had come into her bathroom, and now she was dealing with yet another boy.

Draco snorted "What was your first clue, Einstein?" Hermione's head shot up instantly, "Was it the voice? I bet it was my boyish charm." Hermione threw a rag at him, hoping that he'd shut up. It had taken everything she had to convince Myrtle to share her bathroom with them.

"Draco, don't be so mean to her." Hermione scolded, nervously eyeing the ghost as she flew away moaning. "We don't want her turning us in to the Professors."

"So what, it's not my fault that she's a big baby," Draco snorted as he glanced in the direction the ghost had in. "When do you need the 'stuff'," he asked, pushing himself off of the ground. He'd had enough of this bathroom.

"Any time between now and Christmas is good, you can just set it in the corner over there," She pointed to a spot hidden just beyond the sinks. Oh and be sure and label the hairs." She paused, "I'd rather not be Crabbe, even if it were only for an hour." Both of them laughed at the thought.

"Okay, sure can do."

"You better get going before Harry or Ron show up." She said as she herself stood up, she gave him a swift push in the correct direction.

"Hermione," Draco called back to her just as he reached the door, a concerned look on his face. "Just promise me you won't go getting yourself into trouble." Ever since the attack on Collin, Draco had begun to keep a close eye on Hermione; he didn't want her to be next.

"I'll be fine Drake," She said, striding purposefully across the room. She wrapped her arms around him. "I promise."

Hermione spent the rest of her morning diligently working on the potion. Despite being constantly afraid that she was doing it wrong, she felt that she had done pretty well; considering that it was a N.E.W.T level potion.

"It's been opened before." Hermione jumped violently as the boys came barging into the bathroom, "50 years ago." Harry flung himself down onto the ground beside her, his words still ringing off the walls.

"What?" Hermione asked, not quite understanding exactly what he meant.

"The Chamber of Secrets of course! It's been opened before." He clarified as he examined the gooey content of her potion.

"Oh!" Hermione said, not daring to look up from the potion. "We all need to stay here over Christmas," Hermione spoke suddenly, changing the topic. From the look on Ron's face, you would assume that Hermione had just threatened to murder him. Hermione sighed. "The potion is going to be ready over Christmas, if we want to interrogate Malfoy its going to have to be then. That's when it will be easiest to get to him."

"Okay." Both Harry and Ron said.

"Are you sure this will work 'Mione?" Harry asked as he studied his hands, Hermione could hear his apprehension.

"It has to, Harry" she lied.

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"Hermione, you… are amazing!" Hermione smiled as she handed Ron a large pair of Slytherin robes, had she not seen him speak she wouldn't have believed it.

"How did you even get these, Hermione?" This time it had been Harry who spoke; a small smile on his face. Hermione smiled as well. Draco had really come through for her in the end, he had not only delivered the robes but he had he had also managed to guarantee them a safe way down to the dungeons. The last thing they needed was to be caught. In the big scheme of

"Oh, I got them from… from the laundry," she answered quickly, mentally giving herself a quick pat on the back for her quick thinking.

"That looks completely revolting!" Ron exclaimed as he watched Hermione scoop out the brown, clumpy substance and dump it into glasses. Hermione had to admit, it didn't really look like the most appetizing of substances, what, with its baby poop green color and nauseating smell. Hermione handed both boys a glass of goop and began adding the hairs to her own.

Hermione groaned as she looked down at her glass of potion, it had begun to turn a deep shade of purple, the color of a fresh bruise. She had to admit that it looked better than Ron's; his was more of a milky green color.

"That looks disgusting!" Ron whined placing his nose over the glass, "It even smells like Crabbe."

"Ron," Harry asked eyeing his glass, "would you like some cheese with that whine?" Hermione and Myrtle both snorted.

Ron gave them a puzzled look; he'd never heard that expression.

"Oh, Harry," Myrtle battered her eyelashes as she giggled. "You are soooo funny."

"Umm… thanks Myrtle." Harry shifted uncomfortably, Myrtle was a shameless flirt. "We should probably get this over with." He didn't hesitate on bringing the cup to his lips, downing it one gulp. Hermione and Ron soon copied.

Hermione instantly felt like she was going to vomit, the taste in her mouth was worse that she had imagined. She had expected it to taste a lot like rotting milk or maybe even Vomit flavored Bertie Bott's beans; but no, this tasted much worse. As soon as the taste was beginning to fade Hermione felt her flesh begin to tingle. She had never in her life seen anything quite like what she was seeing at this moment. Her skin boiled and festered at the seams as it shrunk down in size, molding its self around 'Pansy's' small bones.

Instantly, the small robes Hermione had squeezed and wiggled her way into began to fit her loosely and her hair retreated rapidly into her skull as thick raven strands.

Hermione gasped at what she saw when she glanced up into the mirror; Pansy Parkinson stood facing her, cerulean eyes wide with shock. Hermione had known what this potion would do to her body, but never had she had known that it would be so convincing.

"Wow." Hermione muttered as she placed a hand against her pail cheek.

"Hermione?" she spun around quickly as Harry's voice pierced the silence; both boys were inching towards her hesitantly. "It really worked…"

"I can hardly believe it either," 'Pansy' told them, a large grin plastered across her face. "We need to be heading that way," she spoke once, she quickly straightened her robes. "I only gave you enough for two hours."

It wasn't long before the trio reached the Slytherin common room. "So this is what it looks like?" Ron mumbled as he stood looking up at the wall bitterly. "How did you even find this place?" Suspicion… it was the last thing Hermione needed right now.

"Let's just say I have connections…"

"Okay, Smarty pants, then how in the bloody hell do we get in?" Ron demanded as he threw his fists against the wall, and began to beat it wildly.

Hermione glanced quickly back at Harry as she stepped forward and pulled Ron away from the wall, "Not like that." She told him as she squared herself up in front of the wall without hesitation. "Slytherin's are supreme," Ron and Harry burst out laughing the minute the words left Hermione's lips. It wasn't so much that they doubted these words; it was more about how absurd they sounded.

Hermione was the only one silent as she watched the bricks shift and slide as they created a large arched entryway. After a moment they could all see that the wall had opened up to reveal a large, dimly lit room.

"I don't want to know do I?" Ron whispered to Hermione as they followed her into the room. Hermione wasn't in the least bit surprised with the rooms color scheme; green, silver and black seemed to fit the mood very well as did the low lighting and concrete walls.

"Follow my lead," Hermione whispered as she caught sight of Draco sitting across the room, his body stretched out across one of the black leather couches near the fire. "Drakie!" Hermione shrieked loudly as she pranced merrily into the room.

"Oh," Draco's head shot up as Hermione flew towards him faster than a bluger, "Pansy, you scared me." Draco laughed as he looked up at her.

"I'm sorry, Drakie, I didn't mean to scare you!" Hermione whined as she flopped down onto the couch beside him.

"Wait,I thought you went home for the holiday's." He said politely as 'Crabbe' and 'Goyle' sat down on the couch opposite them while looking shell-shocked. They had never seen him be so polite.

"And leave you?" Hermione giggled draping her arms around his neck, "As if!" Her impersonation of Pansy was more than perfect.

"Oh, well here then, Pansy. I was gonna just send this to you." He said to her as he held out a box, "I got the one you sent me." He smiled at Hermione and she smiled warmly back at him. Earlier that morning she had sent him his gift; a large box filled with Honey Duke's finest sugar quills, chocolate frogs and marshmallow mice. Harry shot her a panicked scared look as Hermione gingerly took the box from Draco. "I love it!" Hermione shrieked as she held the box up to her ear and shook it. "What is it!" she asked innocently looking down at it. A letter had been attached to the top.

To: Hermia

From: Drake

Hermione smiled once more as she placed the box safely into her pocket.

"Drake, what was it you were saying earlier about Potter being the heir of Slytherin?" Hemione slid down on to the couch and stretched out, laying her legs across Draco's lap.

Draco snorted as if on cue. "Potter? The heir of Slyhterin? Please, not even he's smart enough to pull of what Slytherin has." The rage was evident in his voice.

"Then you must have some idea about who's capable of it?" Harry's voice pierced the silence, a new kind of determination written on his face.

"No, I have already told you, Goyle, I don't know who's doing it. All I know is that this time… They aren't going to be stopped." He paused, an evil grin spread across his face as he glanced down at the ground, "Last time a mudblood girl died…"

"Hey, where are you two going?" Hermione demanded as she watched Harry and Ron leap up from their perch on the couch. They had begun to scramble off in the direction of the common room entrance.

"Headache," Harry called out over his shoulder, as he pushed past an angry looking seventh year, "Pansy, will you come with us?"

She sighed and threw her head back in frustration "Fine," 'Pansy' whined, swinging her legs off the side couch. "I'll go with you." She got up and acted like she was upset "Bye Drakie, thanks for the gift." She batted her eyelashes and then the three of them made their way out of the Slytherin common room.

"Wow! You could be an actress, for a second I actually thought we were really looking at pug-face!" Ron said as they scrambled into the Gryffindor common room. "That was bloody brilliant!" Hermione smiled, sliding off the small Slytherin robe that had begun to trap her.

"I know!" Hermione said as she tossed the robe over the back of the couch. "My Aunt used to always tell me that, she figured that if being a dentist didn't work out, I could always run away to Hollywood and become an actress." Hermione laughed as she looked down at the box Draco had given her.

"How are you gonna get that to Pansy?" Harry and Ron asked in unison as they watched Hermione examine the box with a small smile.

"I guess I will just owl it to her," she lied, "She'll just assume he sent to her and she won't ever know the difference."

"Hermione, that's why you're the smart one," Ron said buying into the act.

"Well, I think I'm going to go to bed now, goodnight." Hermione said, picking up her discarded cloak, and heading for the stairs.

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Hermione didn't dare open her box until she was in the safe confines of her bed; curtains pulled tightly closed around her.

H, I hope you like it, these are a set of self-inking quills that I have placed a charm on, no matter where you put them, or how many times you lose them, they will always appear close at hand. Happy Christmas. D.

Hermione gasped once she had ripped the lid off of the box. Inside of it were four beautiful red and green feathered quills with silver stems and gold tips.

They were the most beautiful quills she had ever laid eyes on, and she had no doubt that they had cost a small fortune. Hermione smiled as she placed the quills back into the box, it was the best present she had ever been given.

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"Hagrid? The heir of Slytherin? Harry, that's completely absurd! "Hermione hissed at the boy early the next morning at breakfast. "Hagrid's the nicest person we know! He can hardly do magic, I doubt he could honestly petrify students."

"Hermione, I'm just telling you what Tom Riddle showed me." Harry said angrily. In Harry's defense, Hermione figured that he didn't really know who to suspect anymore. Just as he had been about to solve the mystery, the diary had appeared… and just as quickly as it had come, it had disappeared from before his eyes.

"Harry, that's…" Hermione froze "wait a moment…" her words trailed off as the thought. Quickly, and without thinking, Hermione glanced up at Draco signaling for him to follow her. "Harry! I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner! I have to go." She got up and dashed out of the great hall.

"Penny!" Hermione shouted as she ran down the second floor corridor, Draco's footsteps could be heard close behind. "Penny," She called out once more, now seeing the person she was hunting.

"Oh, Hello Hermione." Penelope Clearwater, a prefect in the same year as Percy Weasley, said as she turned around to face Hermione.

"Can you help me and Draco with something?" Hermione asked impatiently as Draco, panting, came to a halt beside her.

"You and Malfoy?" Penelope asked in astonishment as she eyed the pair.

"If you can keep a secret I will explain everything later." Hermione told the girl.

"Sure."

"Good, I need you to go get a mirror, any kind of mirror, and meet us in the library. " Penelope's expression turned from a look of astonishment to one of confusion. "Trust me; it will save you from whatever is happening here at school." Hermione could see the look of hope that ignited with in Penelope's eyes, she had been convinced.

"Okay, I'll be there shortly," The young woman said as she ran down the hall.

"Hermione," Draco exclaimed as the girl pulled him into the library, "What are you going on about?" He asked watching Hermione pull a copy of The Monster Book of Monsters off of the shelf.

"Here!" Hermione exclaimed after a minute of searching, she was pointing to a page in the book. "Basilisk: the king serpent…" Hermione read out loud, "Is a brilliant green serpent that may reach up to fifty feet in length. It has exceptionally venomous fangs but its most dangerous means of attack is the gaze of its large yellow eyes." She took a breath as she glanced up at Draco; she began to read once more. "Anyone looking directly into the eyes of a Basilisk will suffer instant death."

"But, Hermione, no one has died." Draco said in exasperation.

"Basilisks are uncontrollable… Maybe unless you can talk to snakes…" She finished looking at him straight in the eye, hoping he'd catch on.

"That still doesn't answer how no one is dead." Draco said, only slightly grasping the concept.

"No one looked it directly in the eye. There was water on the floor the night we found Mrs. Norris, Collin would have seen it through his camera, Justin saw it through Nearly Headless and Nick… Well he's a ghost, he couldn't die again." She explained. "It also explains why Harry can hear it while none of us can." That's not entirely true…

"That's why you had me get a mirror." Penny said as she walked up behind the pair, astonishment written across her face.

"Exactly."

"But that doesn't explain how it gets around; it's a ten ton fifty foot snake at the least." Draco said.

"That's what we need to find out; can you go search over there while Penny and I search books over here.

"Whatever, but if I get Petrified…" He trailed off angrily as he walked down the aisle.

"I don't get it," Penelope muttered as she watched him leave, "One minute you're at each other's throats, the next you act as if none of that ever happened." To be honest, sometimes late at night, Hermione would wonder that exact same thing…

Hermione and Penelope were searching through a book called 'How to hide your thousand ton Basilisk' when they heard it. 'It' was a loud slithering sound, one that can only be made by scaly skin as it scraped against stone.

They gave each other looks of terror, instantly grabbing their mirrors. "We have to find Drake and get out of here." Hermione exclaimed frantically as she held her mirror close to her body, neither of them had ever been so scared.

"Draco," Hermione hissed as she peered carefully around the corner of a shelf, praying to merlin she wasn't going to die. Though, could she chose her fate, dying in a library would be her prime choice.

"Oh Merlin, we went the wrong way!" Penelope said panicking, realizing that they had only wound themselves deeper into the library.

"We have to go back, Penny! He's my best friend! I can't just leave him!" Tears spilled down Hermione's pale cheeks.

"Hermione, It isn't after him, It's after us. Once we leave, it wouldn't dare touch him." Penelope pleaded as she tried her best to pull Hermione towards the exit.

"Please, I can't leave him." Hermione begged.

"Fine," Penny sighed painfully. Both girls turned and ran back towards the end they had just come from.

"Hermione!" Penelope hissed stopping suddenly, the sound of slithering was upon them, and they could even hear the serpent's hiss. Hermione closed her eyes tightly as another tear slid down her cheek. This was it; this was how she was going to die.

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"Hey, Hermione, Clearwater, could it be using the…" Draco stopped quickly in his tracks, his heart beating wildly in his chest, when he saw Hermione lying on the ground next to Penelope. His breath caught in his throat as he stood, watching them as their eyes glistened in the firelight.

"Hermione!" Draco cried out in horror as he ran down the aisle, falling onto the ground before her. With much care, he carefully placed his shaking hand upon her pale cheek as he stifled back a scream. He could feel the unfamiliar sting of tears in the corners of his eyes as he looked at his best friend lying there lifeless on the ground in front of him. He wiped his eyes quickly.

Without a second thought, Draco jumped up and strode purposefully over to the book Hermione and Penelope had been looking at moments before. He looked down at it as he studied the contents of the page, then without hesitation he ripped out the page describing basilisks. In the top right hand corner of the page, with one of Hermione's quills, he wrote one simple word, praying to Merlin that he wasn't wrong. 'pipes.' He silently prayed that Harry would find this. He put Hermione's Quill up and then crumbled up the paper and put it in her balled up hand and went to find a teacher.

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"Now mister Malfoy, I am aware that you and Miss Granger weren't particularly close, but this must have been quite traumatizing for you." Professor Dumbledore said.

Draco looked away and closed his eyes, trying his best not to picture her still lifeless body lying there… lying there on the cold floor. It made him angry, sad, and lonely to know that he hadn't been able to save her from such a terrible fate. All he wanted was to see his friend, to see her safe… and then he couldn't take it anymore, he jumped up and left.

Draco visited her nearly every night. He would go to her when everyone else was asleep, and he'd talk to her, and tell her that everything would be okay. He wasn't even sure that she could hear him.

One night, while he was visiting, he noticed that the paper was missing; the one he had placed in her hand. They had found it…

He missed Hermione so much, she was his best friend, and it was like a part of him had disappeared with her. He knew that she was only petrified and that soon she would be back, but it still hurt.

He really wanted that monster gone, so that when she woke up she wouldn't have to worry about it ever again.

"Don't worry Hermie, they'll finish the Mandrake potion soon, and bring then you be alright," He told her "You'll be back to normal and there won't be a Basilisk anymore, and as soon as Harry and Ron tell the teachers they'll get rid of it, and they'll even save Weasel bee's sister." He sighed "I can't lose you Hermione, you're my best friend, I just can't lose you." He sat there silently for a little while "Bye Mione." He said as he got up to leave.

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For the first time in a long time, Hermione felt something. It might not have been something breathe taking, but it was still something. She could feel something warm and wet running down her throat, seeping into her every cell and sending heat pulsing through her cold body. It wasn't something that tasted particularly pleasant; in all honesty it tasted like goblin urine.

The longer she 'felt' the more she began to feel of her body. It was relaxing, and soon she could wiggle her fingers. It was only then that she realized what had happened, she had been petrified… and this feeling, it was the pot was only then that she realized what had happened, she had been petrified… and this feeling, it was the mandrake draught that was waking her up. Suddenly, she could see.

The first thing she saw was the plump round face of Madam Pomfry, looming over her with a warm smile. "Welcome back Miss Granger."

"Wh-what happened?" Hermione asked, her voice cracking as she did so.

"You were petrified dear, your friends will be very glad to see that you're back with us." she smiled "Do you have any memory loss? Miss Clearwater can't even remember the past school year." The nurse told her with a sad smile.

"I remember everything; Penny was with me when it happened." Hermione paused, "It was my fault, I had to go back… I had to go back and find…" She trailed off.

"Find who."

"My friend, he was a few book shelves away from us, I didn't want to leave him there, even if he isn't muggleborn…" Hermione trailed off, "Who found us?" She asked.

"Draco Malfoy, as soon as he saw you and Miss Clearwater he imidiatly alerted Professors McGonagall and Flitwick." She told Hermione.

"Can I go; I really want to see them." She asked, not waiting for the witch's approval.

"Of course you can, dear." Hermione jumped up and practically ran to the entire way to the great hall. She was relieved to hear that Draco had found them, he was alive.

"Harry, look there's Hermione!" Neville said as Hermione ran over to her friends. She gave Harry a hug and Ron a hand shake since she thought it would be awkward to hug him. She caught Draco's eye and smiled at him.

"May I have your attention every one" Dumbledore called out across the great hall causing everyone to fall silent. They all listened as Dumbledore made some announcements and ended the year. Hermione was slightly disappointed when Dumbledore announced that the exams had been canceled but soon she realized that it didn't really matter because all in all she wouldn't change anything about that year at all. "I guess I won't ever have a normal year" She said to herself.

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A/n: Please Review! It would really make this writer happy!