A/N I'm really sorry about the delay guys, I've been on holiday and have also been really busy as of late. I hope you don't mind too much. A huge thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter, there were quite a few of you! I love reading your comments. Anyway, enough with the boring stuff...
Chapter 39 - An Eye for an Eye a Tooth for a Tooth
Hermione didn't know what to say. As soon as they'd got back to their common room, Draco had shut himself up in his dorm, refusing to talk to anyone. Hermione had considered going to find Blaise and Theo to try to talk to him but something told her that that wouldn't work. She gazed at the flickering flames in the fire place but not really seeing the brilliant hues of red and amber at all. Ordinary flames. Nothing, nothing like what they'd just barely escaped. She'd never seen nor heard of them before. She wished she'd heard what spell Crabbe had cast. Sighing, she sat down on the black sofa next to Crookshanks and stroked his fluffy head lovingly. A copy of the Daily Prophet lay next to her and she glanced at it. 'Hogwarts Express Crashed, Death Eaters to Blame'. No surprise there. She flicked through the pages, not really reading them at all. Things like, 'Portkeys Out Of Action' and 'St Mungos Strikes Terror Again as Death Eaters Disrupt Wards' jumped out at her, but it was all the same. Terror and chaos. Her eyes wandered over to her dorm which, unsurprisingly, was still a wreck. She'd have to sleep on the sofa, probably ask McGonagall in the morning about having it repaired. Then again she was a witch and could probably repair it herself. A wave of tiredness washed over her and in her disorientated state she almost didn't hear the agitated mewings of her cat.
All of a sudden there was a thud like the sound of fists on stone and Hermione shot out of her seat, Crookshanks hissing and arching his back. "Be quiet Crooks," Hermione hissed as she crept over to the head boy's door, listening. She heard a grunt and a furious exclamation before she pushed at the hard oak. Unsurprisingly, it was locked. "Draco, Draco let me in," she called timidly and the banging stopped. There was a short silence beyond the wall between them. Then,
"Leave me alone," Draco grunted from the other side of the door. Hermione sighed and squeezed her eyes shut, willing him to open the door.
"Please let me in," she said softly, just loudly enough for him to hear.
There was a defeated sigh and the door clicked unlocked. Hermione pushed the door open slowly and it creaked a little before coming to a halt. It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the semi gloom in the room. Only one candle was lit and the clouds were shielding the moonlight from beyond the window. Then she saw him, hunched over on his bed. "Lumos," Hermione uttered and the end of her wand illuminated a bright dome of light all around the room. She couldn't see his face, which was shielded by his knees which were drawn up to his chest. "Hey," she murmured, walking over and setting herself down lightly on the bed next to him. She sat with her back against the backboard and put her arm around his rigid torso, bringing him into her chest. Draco didn't fight back. He let himself be comforted as he'd done to her all those months before. He couldn't do it anymore. He just couldn't. Couldn't fight.
"Let it out Draco, let it all out," she murmured to him and she felt the front of her robes get gradually damper as tears she knew weren't hers fell.
They sat like that for five minutes. Five long minutes. Then, Draco's head lifted out of her lap where it'd slid some minutes ago and he looked stubbornly out of the window. Away from her. Hermione watched him closely, wishing he'd stop closing up. "Why do you love me Hermione?" He asked quietly, so quietly that Hermione barely heard him at all. But she did. She gave him a bewildered, pitied look before saying clearly, "I love you because of who you are."
"I'm a death eater, sworn to hunt and kill muggles and muggleborns," Draco choked.
"I don't care. I love you because you were there for me when no one else was. I love you because you cared enough to care about me. I love you because you stood up for what was right. Draco I love you because of the person you've become, not the person your father wants you to be or the person branded on your arm. I love you and I always will. Remember that," she said honestly. She slipped the ring off of her finger and read aloud, "'Forever', that's what you told me Draco. I will always love you, no matter what. Stop doubting yourself."
"My father groped you, my aunt branded you with a knife, you were held hostage in my own bloody house, my ex girlfriend used the cruciatus curse on you -" He began in a raised voice but Hermione stared at him as if he were crazy.
"Pansy only used that curse because she was desperate," Hermione said promptly, sliding the ring back onto her finger, "And as for the other things... Draco we can't choose our family." Draco sat in silence.
"You're right," he said at last, turning to face her and put his face in his hands. "I think," he mumbled, "Since Crabbe... you know... I think that just kind of... well..."
"You don't need to explain yourself to me," Hermione smiled. Then she leant over and kissed him gently on his tear spotted lips.
"Stop that," smirked Draco but he didn't pull away.
"I will always love you Draco, you know that," she whispered softly. Draco nodded, putting a hand on her back.
After a few moments, Draco lightly pushed Hermione off of him and said with a new air of confidence, "Come on then, how'd you destroy a horcrux?"
"I don't know. The sword of Gryffindor was a brilliant idea on how to destroy them. How'd they come up with that anyway?" Hermione asked.
"Something about using it to destroy a diary I think they said," Draco said casually.
"But... but he didn't use that. He used a basilisk fang," Hermione said slowly.
"But then... so that means that all we need is a basilisk fang!" Draco exclaimed happily.
"Exactly!" Hermione beamed back.
Draco paused, still marvelling in his brilliance. "So why did he think of the sword then?" He asked.
"Who knows," Hermione sighed, then said with much higher energy, "What are we waiting for?! Let's get the other two and get a basilisk fang!"
"Hermione it's eleven o'clock at night! Unlike some, they'll be asleep!" Draco said exasperatedly as Hermione leapt off the bed and darted to the door. She peered over her shoulder and studied him.
"Well we'll just have to go on our own then," shrugged Hermione. Draco narrowed his eyes.
"Don't you need to speak snake language to get down there. You know, parseltongue," Draco asked curiously.
"Surely you know one word. I mean Voldemort speaks it all the time," Hermione said casually as Draco flinched. Hermione instantly shut her eyes, regretting the words she'd just spoken. Shaken by hearing his name and the thought of the snakelike man, Draco slowly inclined his head. "I might be able to say a word or two. But it'd be easier if we just got Potter to -"
"No, we're going now," Hermione declared before pulling Draco off of the bed and strutting out. The platinum haired boy shook his head wildly before grabbing his wand from his bedside table and leaping off the bed to follow her.
"Are you mad?! We don't have the cloak and there will be teachers about!" Hissed Draco as Hermione carefully climbed out of the portrait and into the corridor. She simply shrugged and headed down the dark passage lit only by the clouded moonlight shining through the windows. Draco gritted his teeth before clambering out rather awkwardly and hurrying after her, hearing the gentle clunk as the portrait swung shut.
Even just the journey down to the first floor corridor was a difficult one. Once they'd arrived at the grand staircase they'd had to duck behind a suit of armour as Professor McGonagall strode past in a tartan dressing gown looking very gruff and exhausted. As she'd rounded the corner and turned up another flight of stairs, Draco and Hermione had taken the chance to bolt out of their hiding spot and down two flights to the first floor corridor, where they were met with a long corridor. "Lumos," Hermione whispered into the darkness and, to her relief, she was met with no cat nor teacher.
"Oi! Turn that light off!" Barked a voice from their left and they spun around to find, not a teacher, but a very grumpy looking wizard in a dusty frame.
"Shut up," glowered Draco and he turned back to the door at the end of the corridor. Hermione yanked his arm and he followed her towards what he presumed was some secret passage or something.
Finally, Hermione reached out her hand and placed it on the door knob, looked at Draco who's eyes danced in the wand light, and turned. Inside, the moonlight burst through the large windows and shimmered off of the shining wet floor. "Hang on hold up," Draco started disgusted, "You mean to tell me that the entrance to the chamber of secrets - The Chamber of Secrets - is in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom?" Hermione smiled and nodded. Draco shook his head, dumbfounded.
"It's right in front of us in fact," she grinned, shutting the door behind them.
"Lumos," Draco muttered as a wave of light was emitted from his wand. He looked at Hermione but just as he did so, Hermione's eyes turned from him to fix on a point some ten feet away.
"Draco! Come to tell me some more stories of darkness again?" A voice laughed from behind him. Draco jumped and whirled around on the spot - but he was relieved when he saw that it was only Moaning Myrtle. The pearly white ghost of a dead girl smiled seductively and Draco rolled his eyes, turning back to Hermione.
"You know Myrtle?" Hermione asked surprised.
"Of course I know Myrtle. I talked to her a lot throughout my sixth year about..." then his voice trailed off and he changed subject. "How do we get in then?" He asked.
"Oh, erm. They told me that the entrance was through the sink but -"
Moaning Myrtle giggled behind them and Hermione gave her an irritated look.
"Through the sink," Draco said after a good ten seconds, breaking the very awkward pause in which Hermione and Myrtle were having a stare off.
"Oh er yes," Hermione stuttered, coming back to her senses. Draco looked sceptically at the towering white object in the middle of the tiled room and walked towards it.
A minute passed and the three of them were still staring at the large sink unit. "Say something Draco, say something in parseltongue," Hermione encouraged him. Draco just stood there, staring clueless at the sink. He tried to think of Voldemort when he was conversing with his pet snake. "Um... hissssssaarrrhhhhhrrrsh," he said awkwardly and looked at Hermione, who shook her head frantically.
"You have to say the word you want to say and will it to be snake language or whatever," she said as Myrtle erupted in fits of laughter.
"None of that made sense," Draco said pointedly, staring at Hermione. They all stood (or in Myrtle's case floated) there, all unsure of what to do. "Try again," Hermione prompted.
"Erm... Merlin Hermione this'll never work!"
"Just do it!" Encouraged Hermione.
"Fine! For Salazar's sake. Er... open?" Draco tried. Nothing. He looked at Hermione hopefully.
"English," she admitted reluctantly.
"Rrr!" Draco let out some frustrated noise and stared hard at the sink. "Open!" He demanded, willing with all his might for the noise that came out of his mouth to be some hissing noise - but it wasn't. "English," Hermione said quietly from behind him.
"Fuck sake," Draco huffed. Myrtle made some laughing noises and soared up into the air. "Shut up Myrtle," hissed Draco.
"Oooh 'shut up Myrtle' how very kind of you Draco. Miserable, Moping, Moaning Myrtle, what will come next?! Well I'm sorry. I'm only trying to help!" Myrtle sobbed as she swam up around the sink, over a cubicle wall and splashed into a toilet. Draco stared incredulously at Hermione who stared back, then gawked at the toilet where Myrtle had vanished. "How was she trying to help?" Hermione asked reprovingly.
"Search me," sighed Draco when all of a sudden there was a further splashing sound and Myrtle came soaring back out of the toilet and flew right up to Draco's face.
"Two years ago when I was minding my own business your friend Harry Potter came to ask me how I died! He then said some funny language thing while looking at some of the pipes under the sink - the one that's never worked might I add, and then everything started to move and the sink vanished! Oh I did hope that they'd die down there..." Myrtle trailed off from her aggressive rant, staring absentmindedly into the distance.
"Under the sink," Draco muttered, jogging to one of the sinks.
"Oh no not that one," Myrtle said brightly, shooting up from her stance and zooming around the unit twice before settling herself down on the sink two sinks to the left of Draco. Both Hermione and Draco hurried over to where Myrtle was perched and Draco ducked down to examine the pipes behind Myrtle's pearly white legs.
"Hermione, Hermione I think I've found it," Draco uttered excitedly. Hermione bent down to see what Draco's as pointing at. A miniature engraving of a snake was set into one of the old copper pipes where Draco was pointing. He titled his head slightly and where his wand light hit the tiny engraving it almost looked like the snake was moving. He shut his eyes, willing himself to believe that this snake was real and that he would be able to talk to it. "Open," Draco hissed, imagining the snake moving and hissing. To his utmost surprise, the sink began to glow a brilliant white. He sprang back, Hermione clutching onto his shoulder to stop him from falling backwards, both of them staring at the tap which had began to spin very fast. Myrtle flew off of the sink and up into the air, goggling down at them.
Moments later, the sink began to move. As a matter of fact, the sink actually sank, clean out of sight revealing a large pipe, about two feet wide. Wide enough for a fully grown teenage boy or girl to slide down. Draco took one look at Hermione, marvelling at his capability before perching himself on the edge of the pipe, dangling his legs down into the endless pit of blackness below him. "Well what do you know, I did it," he smirked up at Hermione, eyes twinkling mischievously in his wand light. Hermione beamed at him, cheeks glowing with admiration and said excitedly, "Come on then, let's get ourselves a basilisk tooth!" Draco nodded with a smirk and pushed himself off.
All of a sudden he was engulfed by darkness. He tried to look up but found he couldn't. There was nothing to hold onto apart from his breath. He glued himself together feeling as rigid as a board, fright washing over him for the first time that day. Out of his terror filled eyes he could see other pipes branching out from his into the darkness but they were tiny compared to the one he was sliding down. The pipe was slimy and very damp and curved this way and that, bending and sloping ever downwards. He could hear Hermione behind him, sliding just as smoothly as him. He tried to stay flat in fear of hitting his head on the metal above him.
Suddenly the terror of what would happen when he hit the bottom began to dawn on him just as the pipe levelled out. In a heartbeat he'd rushed out the end of the pipe and was thrown onto the floor of a dark, damp cavern. Moments later Hermione came flying out the end too and Draco hurled himself out of the way as she landed with a thud on the spot where he'd been just mere moments ago. They both scrambled to their feet, Hermione's wand now lit too, looking around. They'd landed in what looked to be a large stone tunnel, tall enough for them to comfortably stand in but not much taller. They were both covered from head to toe in mud and slime. "Very fetching," Draco said, looking Hermione over with a grin.
"And you," she grinned back.
"It smells so bad in here," he grunted, looking from the bone scattered floor to the slimy walls and took a guess that they were somewhere under the lake.
"Come on," Hermione said to Draco and they headed up the tunnel to where more small animal skeletons lay.
"Woah look! The beast that shed that must have been, what do you reckon, twenty foot long?" Draco asked Hermione, eyeing the large green skin curling along the floor. "Can't be much further can it?" Hermione whispered with baited breath. Draco shrugged and walked in up the passage.
Suddenly they were faced with a gigantic rock fall blocking their path. "Oh for Salazar's sake!" Draco moaned but Hermione was tugging his arm, pulling him over to a small hole in the fall, large enough for a small boy to squeeze through. "I think we're a bit bigger than a twelve year old Harry," Draco said, looking at her. "We'll fit," Hermione said confidently and she stuck her arms out through the hole. Draco watched as her head disappeared next, then her shoulders, chest, stomach and - "Damn it!" She muttered, trying to haul her hips through the tight space. Draco looked around uncomfortably before asking, "Do you, er, want a hand?" There was a pause as Hermione stopped trying to pull herself through, then she sighed, "Yes please." Draco clenched his eyes shut then reopened them, before placing one hand on her bum and the other on her hip. He was surprised and slightly pleasured at how she felt under him - then he mentally hit himself for thinking like that. Shaking his head, he pushed her forward with all his might and she easily slid through the hole. There was a light thump, then she stuck her head back through the hole and said, "Thanks."
"Clearly that hadn't been awkward for her at all," he though. Now his turn. Just like she had, he stuck his arms through the hole, then head and tried to wiggle his shoulders and chest through. He gasped a little as the heavy rocks around him grazed the thin skin around his shoulder blades and he had to give his hands to Hermione so that she could haul him through. With a bit of wiggling and turning, the two of them managed to get him through the hole in one piece.
After helping him up, Hermione turned to face the ongoing tunnel again and set off, Draco at her heel. The tunnel turned and turned again, the rocks casting jagged shadows on the floor. Draco's hand was sweating slightly in Hermione's cool one and he envied her calmness. Finally they were met with a dead end - a large crumbling stone wall with two large stone serpents set into the stone, their emerald eyes glinting in the wand light. Draco looked at Hermione before looking at the serpents again and taking a step forward. "Open," he hissed but instead of the english he was used to hearing, the same hissing noise from before escaped his mouth and the serpents parted, the wall splitting down the middle and the two halves parted, sliding out of sight. Biting his lip and wishing his hands would stop shaking, he raised his wand so that he could see the dimly lit passage beyond. Hermione stood next to him by his left shoulder, peering out into the dim chamber. "Lumos maxima," she whispered and the beam of light from her wand shot to the ceiling of the chamber, illuminating the whole room in a bright light.
They stepped in as one, taking in the towering pillars on which stone serpents were entwined. It occurred to Draco that Harry was twelve years old and alone when he entered this chamber and there was a fully grown basilisk alive in it and here he was, eighteen and shaking like a frightened puppy with no basilisk and he had company. "Get a grip idiot," he told himself silently. He stopped shaking.
"There it is," said Hermione suddenly making Draco jump. He mentally scolded himself as her voice resonated off of the walls. She was pointing to the end of the chamber where a ginormous statue of Salazar Slytherin stood, carved completely out of stone. He had to crane his neck to see the very top of his ancient looking head and his eyes traveled smoothly down until they rested on the huge dead body of a snake lying at its feet. They picked up a run and sped towards it, feet slapping on the wet stoney floor and echoing off of the high walls and ceiling.
Hermione and Draco both flinched upon reaching the basilisk, it's mouth stretched open in a half scream, blood staining its poisonous green scales a dark red. Crusted blood lined its punctured eyes and a thick layer of dust had set over the thick body over the years. Blood was smeared on numerous places on the floor, deep red in colour. Hermione scrunched up her nose to avoid the putrid smell of rotting flesh and stale blood. Draco meanwhile had shaken back his sleeve, clasped his hand around one fang, drawn a breath, and tugged.
With a cringe worthy chit, the tooth pulled easily out of the rotting gums. "So we'll take this up to the boys in the morning and -" Hermione began but Draco was shaking his head.
"We'll take it up to them now. The sooner we get these things destroyed the better. Besides, once these two are destroyed then that's it right?" Draco asked confidently.
"No, he still thinks that there's one to do with Gryffindor. Currently Voldemort's diary, his grandfather or something's ring, the cup, the locket and the diadem have been found or destroyed," Hermione informed him.
"How many does he need?" Asked Draco in shock.
"Too many," replied Hermione with a sigh. Draco shrugged and pocketed the fang before they both turned to make their way back out of the chamber.
Once they'd gotten back through the hole they stared at the passage ahead of them. Both of them were thinking exactly the same thing. Draco asked it first. "How the hell do we get back out of here?" He asked, staring at the pipe.
"Um, Harry used Fawkes last time I think," teetered Hermione but Draco just groaned.
"I'm not flying with that bloody bird again," he spat and Hermione knew that the case was closed.
"Then what?" She pressed. Draco stood there, thinking hard. Yes, it was the only way.
"Accio Firebolt," he said loudly after a few moments.
"No! What the hell Draco do you plan on waking the whole school?! I'm not riding that broom up the pipe it'll never work! The pipe's way too small!" Hermione moaned, naming flaw after flaw of this plan.
"Do you have any other ideas?" Draco cut in abruptly and she stopped, thinking desperately. "Thought not," he said after a few moments. "I'll fly slowly," he promised after a moment. Hermione looked terrified.
A minute later they could here a whooshing noise echoing out of the pipe and seconds later the broom had soared out; immaculate and gleaming - a severe contrast to their current surroundings. "Come on," Draco said whilst looking at her, mounting his broom easily. Hermione stood stubbornly for a few heartbeats before placing her hand on the broom in front of Draco and breathing hard. "It would be easier if you sat behind me, judging on how small the pipe is," Draco said, shuffling forward on the broom. Hermione bit her lip. "Come on, it'll be over before you know it," he said softly, looking her directly in the eye. She could see the honesty pouring through his pupils and she nodded, hooking a leg over the broom and gripping Draco around the middle very tight. Draco breathed in sharply, accustoming himself to this new hand placement before lightly taking off from the ground. He wished he could say he was confident about this, but he really wasn't. He was used to soaring through the air and looping in and out of the goal posts, not navigating through tight knit spaces and up steep pipework.
It wasn't a pleasant ride. Hermione spent the most of it with her head burrowed in Draco's back, clinging on for dear life. Draco meanwhile was twisting and turning up through the steep pipe, praying that he wouldn't hit the sides of the pipe. He was beyond glad he was using a firebolt for this job. He didn't want to imagine the inaccuracy of using one of the old school brooms or a cleansweep. This broom did exactly as he commanded it to from the very touch of his finger tips.
Finally, after what felt like an age of twisting and swearing, Draco managed to guide the two of them safely out of the pipe and into the damp surroundings of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Myrtle stared at the pair of them, covered in slime and mud. "Well, that was disappointing," sulked Myrtle.
"Was it really," muttered Draco, pulling Hermione up off of the broom and shouldering the gleaming wooden masterpiece as the sink slid back into place.
They left the bathroom in a hurry, not even bothering to look out for teachers. If someone was going to call them out for roaming the corridors at night then they'd tell them the truth. They were trying to end a war. Besides, they were head boy and girl. They could do what they wanted to, technically.
However, just as they were rounding the corner to ascend the moving stairs there was a loud bark from two floors up. "Mr Malfoy, Miss Granger, where do you think you're going?!" Cried Professor McGonagall angrily. Hermione and Draco both stumbled to a halt, staring up at their headmistress. They began to climb the stairs towards her, ready to explain that they'd just been down to the chamber of secrets to get the basilisk fang but they were completely thrown when two figures loomed into view behind her. "Where have you been?" Ron asked next to Harry from behind the headmistress once Hermione and Draco had clambered off the stairs.
"Never mind Weasley, there will be plenty of time for explanation on the way up to my office," Professor McGonagall said sternly. Hermione blanched.
"Professor," she spluttered, "We weren't trying to break any rules, we were just -"
"Miss Granger I am not punishing you as I have already told Mr Potter and Mr Weasley. I have something very urgent to talk to you about in my office. Now, quickly please," the elderly witch yawned as she quickened her stride. Hermione shot Harry a sideways glance and asked in an undertone, "What's going on?"
"No idea, she just appeared in our dorm and shook us awake. Great wake up bell I tell you," groaned Harry.
As they rounded a corner and approached the gargoyle guarding the head teacher's office, McGonagall flicked her head back at the head pupils and asked, "Where were the pair of you might I ask?"
"Um," Hermione gulped.
"We went down into the chamber of secrets to get a basilisk fang to destroy the horcruxes which Potter has been hiding under his bed. Once these are destroyed we can kill the Dark Lord," Draco said plainly, as if this were no more out of the ordinary than brewing a potion. McGonagall actually stopped in her tracks and turned to face them, nearly causing Hermione to walk straight into her.
"Excuse me?" she asked, surprise, horror and possibly anger etched all over her face. Even Harry and Ron turned round in shock. Hermione's face went bright pink.
"Well -" Draco began but Professor McGonagall erupted.
"So. You two," she pointed at Harry and Ron, "Have been flying round the country finding horcruxes and now you two," she indicated at Hermione and Draco, "Have just gone down into the chamber of secrets in the dead of night to find a fang to destroy them. Somewhere along the line Hermione dear was kidnapped and tortured and Harry sent an army of students to get her back to Hogwarts. Have I missed anything?!" She said shrilly.
"We're still keeping up with homework -" Draco began but McGonagall had lost all sense of self control.
"I'm trying to keep you all safe! You can do these things if you tell me before hand! We can have an adult to assist you or -"
"Pardon me for saying so Professor," Draco began, "But you know as well as any of us that we can handle it without adult help. If anything, anyone with a sense of rule making usually gets in the way." Professor McGonagall's mouth twitched and her eyebrows knitted together at the top.
"Follow me," she sighed and whispered the password for the gargoyle. It sprang to life and jumped aside, allowing the five of them to ascend the spiral staircase.
"So you have the fang?" Harry asked in an undertone as the staircase moved ever upwards.
"Yeah," Hermione nodded.
"Brilliant! We could destroy them now, if you want," Harry whispered back. Hermione looked at him, then her eyes traveled down to his school bag that he was carrying around. She nodded, just as Professor McGonagall pushed open her office door.
"Minerva McGonagall, why have you not informed me of this?!" A cold voice nearly shouted from the back of the office. Draco, Harry and Ron stopped in their tracks. They didn't know if they were more surprised by the man standing before them, or the man in the portrait behind him.
"Severus I'm sure Minerva had her reasons," another voice said from the corner and out of the shadows stepped Professor Lupin.
"Well I'm glad we're now all here, let's get down to some business. And perhaps we could all get some hot chocolate, yes I thank that would be lovely," the elderly man in the portrait behind Snape spoke.
"Professor?" Harry asked, walking slowly up to the portrait of none other than Albus Dumbledore.
"Yes Harry? I deeply apologise for not telling you more information before I, erm, died," Dumbledore said regretfully. Harry bit his lip. Hermione turned to McGonagall.
"You didn't tell them?" McGonagall asked Hermione.
"You knew?!" Asked Ron, Harry and Draco together.
"Well - I erm - I mean when I went to McGonagall to wipe myself from - Mum and Dad you know... and I kinda forgot... I mean..." Hermione stuttered, blushing to the shade of Ron's hair.
"You could have told me!" Draco cried indignantly.
"Look I forgot! You know how messed up I was that evening!" Hermione huffed.
"You weren't messed up, you had every right to be in the state you were in," Draco said pointedly.
"Anyway, how about that hot chocolate," Dumbledore beamed. McGonagall sighed and flicked her wand. Instantly, seven mugs of steaming hot chocolates and six chairs appeared out of thin air. Everyone sat down around the table and looked at each other. "Why are we here?" Harry finally asked, drawing all faces to turn to him.
"You are here," Snape began very stonily, "Because I requested your presence."
"Yes Severus but I do not understand why it had to be this urgent," McGonagall quipped.
"Nor do I," Professor Lupin said flatly.
"Listen to me. What I'm about to tell you is very important, very dangerous and honestly very life threatening in my case," Snape said angrily. Then he paused and looked to Dumbledore for help. Dumbledore sighed.
"Severus Snape and I arranged my for my death to take place the night Draco was meant to kill me," Dumbledore sighed heavily. Everyone sat there, stunned. Everyone except Snape and Draco. "Draco was set a task, if you don't mind me saying Draco, by Lord Voldemort. The task was to kill me. Draco's mother, Narcissa, and his aunt, Bellatrix, sought out Severus so that he could make an unbreakable vow, vowing that if Draco did not succeed in the task then he would kill me instead," Dumbledore explained. There was a muffled gasp from McGonagall. Dumbledore continued, "Over that year, Severus and I planned my murder and I explained how it was crucial that Severus had to be the one to kill me. Let me tell you and this is crucial that you listen to this: he never wanted to kill me. Most of you will probably know that Severus Snape was in the Order. Most of you won't know, or you have figured out, that Severus Snape is a spy, an Order member spying for our side by attending meetings when the death eaters are summoned. Voldemort and his death eaters all believe Severus to be on their side. This is a lie. Severus Snape is on our side." McGonagall stared. As did Lupin. Harry nodded understandingly. The had figured this out some time ago.
"You don't seem amused, Potter?" Snape asked.
"We knew," Harry said plainly. Snape's eyes shot towards Draco who shook his head in self defence. "We worked it out ourselves," Harry elaborated but he didn't go into detail on how they worked it out.
"Well that was a very interesting story, Albus, but why are you bringing this up now? What relevance does this have?" Lupin asked. There was a very pregnant pause.
"There was a meeting tonight," spoke Severus in a very oily voice, "The Dark Lord has declared war on Hogwarts. The siege will begin tomorrow night." There was a gasp emitted from every soul at that table other than Snape and Albus. McGonagall clutched at her throats whereas Lupin's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.
"How are we to defeat a creature who cannot be killed," asked Lupin coldly, referring to Voldemort.
"Well," Harry spoke up suddenly, "Ron and I have been hunting his horcruxes." Lupin's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "We think that there are six. I destroyed his diary in second year, Dumbledore destroyed some family ring last year, we destroyed Salazar's locket this year and we've found Hufflepuff's cup and Rsvenclaw's diadem, however we had to give away the sword of Gryffindor, which is what can destroy them," Harry explained.
"However," Hermione began, still covered in slime, "Draco and I went down to the chamber of secrets tonight to retrieve a basilisk fang which we believe will destroy the horcruxes."
"Do you have them now?" Lupin asked sharply. Harry eyed Snape warily before emptying his school bag onto the table, carefully avoiding the half drunk hot chocolates. The diadem and the cup rolled out. Draco placed the fang on the table. Ron looked away. The memory of what he did to destroy the locket was still haunting him. "Hermione?" Harry asked warily.
"I don't think I can," she muttered. Draco drew a breath and picked up the fang. All eyes turned to him.
"Oh I'm not a death eater either by the way. Hermione and I got together and Harry led an army of students with me, Ron and Ginny to save Hermione when she got kidnapped by my aunt," he clarified.
"Excuse me when did this happen?" Lupin asked, surprised.
"Another time Remus," McGonagall said shortly. Draco drew the fang upwards and it came crashing down into the heart of the cup. He quickly drew it up again and stabbed the diadem. The loudest scream they'd every heard suddenly burst from the horcruxes as black smoke was expelled from them and filled the room. There was a mini explosion as both horcruxes spun around pathetically and everyone leapt out of their seats and away from the table. The hot chocolate mugs shattered but instead of the hot chocolate puddling on the table, it shot up into the air. The creamy brown milk all joined together in the air to form a giant head. Lucius' head. The head towered over Draco causing him to step back and cower by the door. "DRACO IT'S NOT REAL!" Screamed Hermione over the roar of the horcruxes that were filling their ears.
"Traitor, nothing but a traitorous, unloyal boy. You are no son of mine," spat the image of Lucius in the air. Draco screwed up his face and threw the fang at the representation of his father and it instantly dispersed. Then it all went dark, and Draco collapsed.
"Draco. Draco wake up!" Hermione said, tapping his cheek. The platinum haired boy stirred, opening his eyes a fraction. They were still in the office, although someone had cleared away the spilt hot chocolate. He didn't understand why he'd fainted. It seemed pathetic, really. Then he remembered the black smoke from the horcruxes and the smell of blood. That same smell had been in the cell Hermione had been trapped in. Merlin the stench of blood. He could still smell it, but he knew it wasn't real.
"His illusion was way better than mine," huffed Ron and Hermione slapped him.
"Ronald!" She cried indignantly.
"What? I'm just saying," Ron glared, rubbing his cheek. Harry shook his head and offered a hand to help Draco up. Surprised, Draco took the offer and tried to ignore the spinning sensation he now felt. He looked blankly at the shattered cup and diadem on the table. Lupin was examining them closely. "Fascinating," the werewolf murmured.
"Hermione, Hermione I've just realised something," Draco said slightly groggily.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Exactly a week ago was Valentine's Day," he said. Hermione burst into fits of laughter. Everyone stared at the pair of them.
"Too much has happened this week," Ron groaned, shaking his head.
"Come on the lot of you, quick shower and bed. We have a bright and early start tomorrow. You four as head students and prefects I'll expect you to help me organise trips home for the younger students," McGonagall said sharply.
"You can't," grimaced Lupin. Everyone turned to look at him. "Portkeys are out of action as a new rule from Voldemort and the Hogwarts has been derailed and damaged," he explained, nodding towards the copy of the Daily Prophet on the desk. "They'll have to stay here," he added gravely.
The silence that followed was unbearable. "Room of Requirement?" Ron suggested at last but McGonagall shook her head.
"Too high up. An attack could easily blast that room apart. But it is well hidden, it could work," she sighed.
"I know a place," Draco said quietly. Everyone turned to face him. "It's not well guarded, but it can't be blast apart and it's big enough to hold everyone who's not fighting," he added. McGonagall nodded.
"I'll make a speech at breakfast," the elderly witch said.
A/N So I may have got a few details wrong, I'm not sure. The sink unit in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom in the film is a cylinder shaped unit whereas in the books the taps are simply opposite each cubicle door. In this chapter they were meant to be in the cylinderical unit but you can view them as you wish obviously. I'm not quite sure if my method Draco speaking parseltongue was a bit far fetched but I had to get them into the chamber so don't kill me about it please. Any other quieries don't hesitate to ask. See you at some point as I am very busy this summer, hopefully soon though.