All of this time Ron and Hermione had been on a mission of their own. They had the cup and no way to destroy it. Finding the diadem would not be enough to defeat Voldemort. It would just give them another horcrux they could not destroy.

"What are we going to do, Ron?" asked Hermione, trying to be heard over the chaos consuming the room. "We have the cup. How can we destroy it?"

"I wish we still had the sword. I keep trying to get it to come to me. Damn that bloody Griphook," said Ron, his voice getting angry as he spoke.

"I keep trying to conjure it, too. Maybe goblins have a way of controlling it so we cannot get it back through magic."

"You're the brilliant one," replied Ron in a tone indicating it was coming from his heart and he was not trying to be a smart ass. "Are you sure you haven't got any ideas? I figured—well—I mean you must have something?

"No. I haven't," answered Hermione is a voice trailing off from frustrated to almost apologetic. Her brain, as it did with any problem that perplexed her over the years, was tormenting her. Her heart ached at not being able to provide an answer to this crucial puzzle. "Sometimes you—well, even I expect too much of me. I keep trying to think, but nothing is happening. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry. I'm not—uh—I mean it's just that we just depend…I"VE GOT IT!" exclaimed Ron in a voice loud enough to make a few passersby turn and look at him.

"Got what?" gasped Hermione, startled at the sudden declaration.

"The answer. I know how we can destroy the cup and diadem."

"How, Ron? How?" said Hermione in an excited, expectant voice.

"There are basilisk fangs in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry destroyed Tom Riddle's diary with one."

"But how do we get one? How can we get into it? Only Harry can open it. Neither of us are parselmouths.

"Just follow me," said Ron as he jumped up and headed past Ginny. "We need to go to the second-floor girls' lavatory."

"What?" said Hermione with a confused look as she rose up and followed Ron toward the exit.

"The entrance is there," he yelled as he grabbed a broom leaning against the wall near the exit. "We're going to need this to get out. We need to hurry."

Moments later they entered the lavatory. They were surprised not to be greeted by Myrtle. She had apparently gone into hiding like most of the other beings who could not leave the castle.

Ron started making guttural hissing noise like they had heard Harry do in the past. It was obvious Ron was trying to imitate Harry and open the chamber. Hermione was skeptical of his attempts, but after a few tries the sinks began to part and the entrance appeared.

"We have to jump to get into it," said Ron. "It looks scary, but it's alright, just a little dirty at the bottom."

Hermione looked at him. She was both impressed he had opened it, but was a little frightened by the idea of blindly leaping into the dark hole.

"Just follow me," he said trying to look confident as he stepped up and leaped into the hole. He disappeared and a few seconds passed. Then his voice echoed up the bottom. "It's okay. Just jump."

She hesitated for a moment at the top. Then she closed her eyes and took the leap. A few seconds later she came screaming out of the tunnel as if she had just taken the first plunge on her first roller coaster ride with her parents at Alton Towers way back before coming to Hogwarts. She landed in the midst of the rat skeleton covered floor.

As she stood up she realized what was crunching under her feet. "Oooo!" she shrieked as she grabbed Ron's hand. "This is dreadful."

"Yeah," replied Ron. "I guess this is where the basilisk used to eat dinner."

They made their way toward the actual chamber entrance. In his heart, Ron was hoping it was still open. He did not want to have to try his luck at parseltongue a second time.

"This is a really dreadful place," said Hermione. "I hope we find some basilisk fangs. I really don't like it here."

"We'll be fine," replied Ron, trying to sound brave and confident. "There shouldn't be anything other than a few rats left down here. Oh! And a big old skin from the basilisk."

When they got to the chamber entrance Ron was relieved to find the door still opened. Hermione gasped as they walked inside.

"This is it. This is where Ginny and Harry were almost killed by Tom Riddle," said Hermione in an almost reverent tone as they entered the chamber and she got a view of the room with its giant carving of Salazar Slytherin.

"And me," shot in Ron, feeling slighted.

"Yes, you, too, Ronald," said Hermione with a tension-breaking chuckle.

Hermione then saw the giant skeleton of the basilisk lying on its back. It looked even bigger than the shed skin had led her to envision it. This was the remains of the creature that almost killed her in their second year. Her heart pounded and she felt shivers going up her back just thinking about the event.

Then her brain brought her back around and she focused on the fangs still embedded in the jaws of the beast. "We need to gather the fangs," she said. "Do you think they will still work."

"There is only one way to find out," said Ron. "Get the cup out of your bag."

"Yes, of course. Why didn't I think of that?"

Hermione dug into her bag and pulled out the small, golden cup that had once belonged to Helga Hufflepuff. "Go ahead, Ron," she said as placed it on the stone floor.

"No, you do it, Hermione," said Ron as he looked at her.

"I can't. You do it."

Sure you can. Harry did the diary. I did the locket. It is your turn."

"Ron," said Hermione as she gave Ron a pleading look.

As she opened her mouth to say something else Ron put a fang into her hand and said, "You can do it."

Hermione closed her hand on the fang and raised it into the air. Ron winced and withdrew slightly. After the locket, he was worried as to what might happen when she stabbed it. She looked at him once more and then at the cup. With a swift move, she pierced it with the fang.

There was a roar and the water erupted up around them. Then it cascaded back down over them. They smiled at each other.

"Another one down," said Ron.

"Yes, we need to go find Harry. We have what we need to destroy the diadem if he finds it."

They picked up the now-mangled cup and stood up. Hermione used a spell that shot a stream of hot air out of her wand to dry off their clothes as much as possible. Ron accused her of trying to cook him to which she said as she started to laugh, "You're lucky I didn't have my wand back in the tent that night. I just might have."

Once mostly dry, they gathered as many fangs as they could carry and mounted the broom Ron had brought. A few minutes later they were in the castle, having successfully dodged the fighting which was getting more and more intense. Now they needed to find Harry.