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Jedi Order: The Origins
By: Tellemicus Sundance
Co-Authored by: Fiori75
#03 –An Unexpected Predicament

Friday, November 4, 1994
Room of Mysteries

"Potter…" Pansy said, her voice soft but neutral. She just stared at him as he recoiled in surprise, eyes widened in alarm, fumbling for his wand while simultaneously trying to hide a large leather-wrapped tome behind his back.

(a few minutes earlier)

Harry was confused, which considering everything he kept finding in this hidden-chamber-within-a-hidden-chamber was not too surprising. If it wasn't the discovery of solid raw magic, it was the annoyingly familiar words spread across the pages of the books he could not read, that and the discovery of just how much the founders shared with one another. The biggest had been discovering Slytherin's sleeping quarters, which had been odd. There was a plush badger for a pillow and ravens decorating the bedsheets!

This time however the source of his confusion came from a strange orb of light that had appeared and seen fit to smack him in the back of his head. The fact that it was also emitting a rapid-paced beeping noise that correlated to a pulsing blue light also made the thing nearly impossible to ignore. That it also would randomly try and attack him when he tried to wander away or ignored it too long did not help matters because it had started following him incessantly.

"What do you want!?" Harry finally screamed at the thing, half tempted already to try and blast it…again. The damnable thing was as nimble as a snitch.

Once more the orb bodily smacked into his chest and retreated, staggering Harry slightly and nearly making him drop the Founders' collaboration. However, this time Harry noticed that it always retreated from its attacks on his person in the same direction. Always towards the common area. Narrowing his eyes Harry took a single step towards the common room. The orb moved in front of him, and actually stopped beeping quite as insistently.

"You want me to follow you?" Harry muttered to himself as he took another step after the infernal thing. The light, seemingly pleased, continued its beeping at a lesser intensity and did not try and attack him again. Harry debated the wisdom of following a strange blue light through this Room of Mysteries. Sadly, for the forces of common sense, Harry had made far more questionable decisions in the past.

Shrugging, he followed the light, right back into the common room and towards the entrance. There the light merged with the door, and actually began to open the thing for him. Once more, Harry was confused at the oddities of this hidden workshop. But any thoughts of that nature quickly fled his mind as he beheld the shivering girl standing by the edge of the water at the opposite end of the entrance hall.

"Potter…" Parkinson said, her voice sounding rather cross to him. She just stared at him as he recoiled in surprise, eyes widened in alarm, fumbling for his wand while simultaneously trying to hide his prize behind his back.

"Parkinson! How the devil did you get down here?!" Harry fired back hotly, very deliberately ignoring the way her soaked undershirt was clinging to her blooming figure in a very…appealing manner. 'The bloody hell is wrong with you, brain?! This is Parkinson! I mean, yes, she looks good in a wet shirt and her hips are rather nice, and, my, what lovely legs she has… Ohhh, bugger.' It was as Harry's hormones conspired to play merry hell with him that he found his attention hyper-focused upon a certain pin attached to her front of her skirt. If nothing else, the reminder that she absolutely hated him for the mere crime of existing helped him focus on the important things.

"How did I get down here? I followed you, you fool," she stated bluntly, practically rolling her eyes at the obvious simplicity. But she kept her attention locked upon him, clearly searching for something. "How did you get down here! This is Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets!" She fired back just as hotly, somehow missing the once-over Harry had given her figure.

This also further helped dispel the cloud of hormones by firmly reminding Harry that he did not like her as a person…even if she did have nice legs. With such thoughts in mind, he found it easy to fall back into the mulish behavior he saved for the likes of Malfoy and Snape. "In case you forgot, I'm a Parselmouth. How do you think I got down here?" He fired back.

"Yes, yes, the half-breed lion with the snake's tongue. How could anyone forget that embarrassment?" She huffed as she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "But, in case you've forgotten, we are in a Salazar Slytherin's hidden chamber! The bastion of pureblood supremacy! How in Merlin's name did you find it at all? Let alone this… This…?!" she trailed off as she gestured at the door to the hidden workshop.

"I asked a ghost," Harry replied shortly.

"That…That…" The sheer simplicity and likelihood of the possibility actually working brought Pansy up short as her overworked brain sought to understand. It took a few moments, but when the connection was made, she blinked in surprised realization.

Of course! It all made so much more sense! Ghosts were the castle's longest residing residents. Some of them had existed within its walls for centuries! Far, far, far longer than any student, professor, or headmaster ever had! Their knowledge of the castle's secrets must be extensive and extremely thorough! But most wizards and witches avoided or ignored them because either the specters of death that they represented spooked them away or most of the ghost's personalities were abrasive, melancholic, depressing, and/or dismissive towards the living. They were also usually too busy wallowing in their untimely deaths, feeling sorry for themselves or spiteful towards those that weren't respectful towards them and their plight. As such, getting any type of meaningful information out of them was usually very difficult at the best of times, let alone even having a simple conversation with them at all. The sheer patience and charisma needed for such a feat was…considerable.

With those thoughts running through her mind, Pansy could only manage to utter out, "That…makes sense, actually."

"So, why are you down here?" Harry asked pointedly, glaring at her. "Why were you even following me to begin with?! I would've thought that trying to get a 'dunderheaded lion' like myself in even more trouble wouldn't have been worth it if it meant getting your own House in trouble. Especially considering you're also missing your Head of House's own class!"

"Uh…" Given all of the discoveries and revelations she's just endured for the past hour or so, Pansy could be forgiven for having forgotten what her original purpose had been when she started following after the Gryffindor golden boy. But she did still manage to recollect herself rather quickly now that she'd been reminded of it. "Th-There was some kind of ceremony that the Champions needed to participate in. You missed the summons when you didn't attend Professor Snape's class, so he sent me to find you. Although, by now, I'd imagine that you missed the ceremony completely."

Blinking in surprise, Harry's face lit slightly in a light flush of embarrassment. "Oh…ah…oh well…" he mumbled as he looked everywhere but at the pretty girl. "I-I never wanted to participate in the tournament anyway."

"That's utter shite. Who would give up eternal fame and glory?" Pansy couldn't help uttering. Normally, she would've laughed in his face at what she would've interpreted as a blatant lie. But considering where they were and what mysteries that might still be found, she found she was curious as to what his response would be.

"Oh yeah," Harry drawled back in a dry tone. "The three-time defeater of Voldemort needs more fame. Yay."

"Three times?" Pansy asked, confused.

"That's not important right now," Harry quickly said.

Pansy quietly wondered what was important given that statement. She even asked. "What could be more important?"

"I don't know!" Harry snapped back. "Maybe getting you out of here for starters?"

"I'm a Slytherin. I have more right to be here than a halfblood son of a blood traitor!" Pansy shot back.

"And yet this halfblood can speak to snakes," Harry countered. "So, really, who does have more right to be here I wonder?"

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I don't know," Harry shrugged. "I can't read minds. What are you thinking I'm saying?"

Pansy thought for a good moment. This was a lot more modest than the Gryffindor golden boy should've been. Where was the bragging? Where was the arrogance? He was acting decidedly like a member of Slytherin House. This annoyed Pansy considerably because he was doing a better job of it than most of her Slytherin classmates.

Before Pansy could think of a retort, Harry spoke up again. "Look, can we just get back to the main chamber, get dressed, get back to Hogwarts proper, and have this conversation again never?"

It was at this moment that Pansy comprehended the state of her present undress and the presence of a like-aged male. She just knew that her mother would've been haranguing her about marriage contracts and unsuitable suitors if she'd ever seen her daughter in such a situation. Face flushing rapidly as the implications set in, Pansy quickly tried to preserve some level of modesty by crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the Gryffindor with all the righteous feminine fury of a lady who realized she'd just given someone a free peep show.

"Not – a – word, Potter!" she growled out.

Keeping his gaze locked to the ground as he moved around her, Harry rushed to the water's edge. But just before he dove in, he turned slightly and casually but quickly uttered out, "Your legs aren't that nice anyway."

Pansy didn't have a chance to scream indignantly at him because he'd already descended headfirst into the water. In her fury, she almost forgot about the book he was holding. With how distracted he'd made her, along with several other things, she'd almost missed it as he took his dive. Really, he hadn't even been hiding it that hard. But he had gotten her so worked up about so many things that it'd nearly slipped her notice.

Just how much of a Slytherin was this lion and how come no one had ever noticed?!

Second Floor Hallway, Hogwarts

Cho and Cedric were walking down the empty hallway, slightly hurried. They didn't have much time left in their shared free period after lunch. So far, they had narrowed Harry's path to this part of the castle. According to portraits past this part, Harry had not passed through here yet. They had already checked all nearby classrooms and closets. All that was left was Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, which they were hesitant to enter.

"Are we really sure he's here?" Cedric asked, hesitantly.

"What other secluded part of this castle is there?" Cho asked in a slightly challenging voice.

"Well, it's a girls' lavatory," Cedric pointed out, feeling somewhat awkward from having to do so.

"It's also a haunted lavatory," Cho countered. "It's perfect for when you want to be alone."

"Or to set up an ambush," he added, starting to get his reluctance.

"Yes, that too," Cho acknowledged. "But –"

"For the last time, Pansy!" a boy's voice called out in annoyance. "You can't look at the book!"

"Why not?!" a girl's voice replied, sounding petulant. "You've already gotten a free show! Why shouldn't I be allowed to look at the book?"

Cho and Cedric could only stare dumbfounded at the couple exiting the bathroom. Immediately, they were aware of several things. One, the boy was Harry Potter and the girl was Pansy Parkinson. Two, their clothes were both completely disheveled. Three, they looked like they'd built up quite a sweat. Four, they were leaving a secluded part of the castle that few rarely entered. When it was all added together…

Cho was the first to speak. "Oh Merlin! They're dating!" Unfortunately, Cho didn't deal well with shock. It tended to be quite loud when she voiced her thoughts in such a state.

Immediately, the duo froze in place as they turned their attentions towards the older couple. In perfect unison, both of them shouted at Cho, "WE'RE NOT DATING!" The awkward flush on both their faces did nothing to help their argument.

"Well, this is a lot better than I thought it'd be," Cedric stated, a slow grin spreading across his face. "But, really, Harry, you shouldn't skimp out on an important ceremony to snog your girlfriend –"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Harry loudly interjected.

"– or whatever you were doing in there," Cedric finished.

"We did nothing!" Pansy shrieked.

"Then what was that about Harry 'getting a show'?" Cho asked.

"I – ah – I…well, that – I…" Pansy was well and truly tongue-tied.

"And I understand that you wanted to sneak away with your boyfriend, but you both still have class," Cho reprimanded lightly. "Which you've both missed!"

"W-W-W-W-We're not dating!" Pansy stuttered out loudly.

Cho and Cedric both gave a series of short nods that failed to utterly show any sign of agreement. Deciding to try and be the mature one, Cedric stepped forward and rested his hand on Harry's shoulder in a consoling manner. "Look, I understand why you're trying to keep this quiet –" "We're not dating!" "But you should at least admit how much you care about the girl, if only to her."

"BUT SHE HATES ME!" Harry cried out, gesticulating wildly towards Pansy, completely forgetting that he was carrying something in his hands.

Cho, who'd been moving to start consoling Pansy, felt her eyes drawn to the sight of a large tome in the Boy-Who-Lived's hands. He was moving it too quickly for her to get a look at its title, but she could easily tell that it was quite old. Harry was too busy ranting at Cedric to notice her attention while still flailing his arms in a frantic manner as he desperately tried to convey his point. It might've worked too if Pansy wasn't also trying to do the same thing. But Cho's attention wasn't actually on what they were saying anymore, but more focused on the book at this point. Finally, when Harry stopped his gesticulating, he jabbed one finger into Cedric's chest while holding to book straight towards Pansy as he loudly declared, "Besides, SHE'S DATING MALFOY!"

Pansy would've shouted something as well, but the book was finally in plain sight and she was able to get a look at the title. Cho got a look too. But where Pansy went silent with shock, Cho found herself once again loudly voicing her thoughts. "YOU HAVE A BOOK WRITTEN BY THE FOUNDERS?!"

Cedric was grinning good-naturedly over at his young competitor. He was about to try to reassure Harry that all he needed to get the girl was to really put himself out there. "Look, you just need to be hones—wait, what?" Immediately following the shouting, his attention was diverted to something a bit more important than giving dating advice to his underclassmen.

"Errr…" was all Harry could utter in response as Cho made a quick grab for the book. Thankfully, Harry's brain really didn't need to be active for his reflexes to kick in. Unfortunately for him, it was Seeker reflexes against Seeker reflexes with no broom to make an advantage. Also, he and Cho weren't the only Seekers in the hallway.

Cedric, seeing his girlfriend lunge, did his best to make sure she didn't accost and rob another student. Sometimes, being a Prefect sucked. It was the Prefect's job to stop any students from fighting, even if that included his girlfriend. Yet as the three House Seekers began the quiet game of keep away, they all failed to notice the last person in the hallway as she made her own grab for the book. In fact, it was only Harry's death grip on the book that she didn't manage to snatch it away from him. Though, she did pull it directly towards her face, consequentially, pulling Harry flush against her. In any other situation, she'd have begun yelling and hexing, but right now she was more focused on the book.

There, in Old English script, was the names of the Founders. "You got this from the secret Chamber!"

"Errr…"

"That's why you wouldn't let me in!" Pansy gasped, as realization started to settle in. "There's more of them, aren't there?!"

"More?" Cho breathed in excited shock.

"You found Slytherin's library!" Pansy continued. "Slytherin's personal secret library hidden within the Chamber of Secrets itself!" There was a manic look in Pansy's eyes. "You need to let me back in there!"

If this had been the other bibliophile in his life, he would've capitulated immediately. However, this wasn't Hermione. Harry really had to work hard to keep the smile off his face as he softly said the one word he truly loved to say to Slytherins, "No."

"BUT YOU HAVE TO!" Pansy shrieked. "DO YOU KNOW THE THINGS WE COULD LEARN ABOUT THE GREATEST FOUNDER?!"

At those words, Harry's mind drifted back to several of the items he'd seen in the entrance hall of the secret chamber's common room. "Well, he never threw out any of Helga Hufflepuff's presents."

"What?" Cedric asked in a mute tone.

"Yeah," Harry said, glancing at the older boy. "Fluffy yellow badger pillow with a grumpy snake."

"Wait-wait-wait!" Cho chirped up. "Are you saying that Salazar Slytherin has a rug in his personal library made by Helga Hufflepuff?!"

"And a nice armchair probably made by Gryffindor," Harry stated. In a quietly amused fashion, Harry found himself quite enjoying the looks of shock on the three's faces. It was certainly better than being shouted and grabbed at.

"Wait…" Cho said slowly as a look of realization dawned on her. "Hidden in the Chamber of Secrets? You actually found the Chamber of Secrets?!"

"The story from two years ago was actually true?!" Cedric gasped in shared realization.

"Which stories are we talking about?" Harry asked, honestly curious.

"The ones about you helping Lockhart rescue the Weasley girl," Pansy said.

Harry was silent for three seconds while staring at her as the words percolated through his brain. Then he started chuckling. Then giggling. Then he was having trouble standing from how hard he was laughing. Cedric and Cho wisely started backing away from the manically cackling Gryffindor. Pansy would've joined them, but he was using her for support. Thus, she was very close to him as his laughter echoed into her ear. In fact, she was the only one who could make out the broken words between his laughter. "Hahahahaha! - Help! Pfffft! – Lockhart! – Bwahahahaha!" Once he'd finally managed to start getting himself back under control, he gasped out, "I didn't know – heheheh! – Slytherins could tell jokes!"

"I didn't know Gryffindors could laugh like evil madmen," Pansy countered quietly, feeling still very hesitant to set him off again.

"I'm…guessing by the laughter…that's not what happened?" Cho slowly asked as she and Cedric approached the duo again.

"Haha, NO!" Harry snapped out very quickly.

"Sooo, he didn't…kill…the giant…basilisk down there?" Pansy asked slowly.

"Nope," Harry shrugged easily. "He was actually already out of commission by the time the rockslide had happened. And, well, he was on one side, I was on the other… Didn't have much choice!"

Pansy just had to take a step back, leaning heavily upon the wall as she tried to collect herself. "So that means…you did it."

"Well, all he needed to do was transform something into a cockerel," Cedric said simply.

Harry looked up at Cedric musingly. "You know, I still don't know that spell."

Everyone was silently for an indeterminant amount of time before Cho finally voiced the question on everyone's mind. "And how did you kill it?"

"I'm not getting out of telling this story, am I?" Harry asked.

"Nope." "No!" "Not a chance, Potter!"

Harry sighed heavily as he glanced about at the various closed doors of the hallway around them. "Let's find a classroom then. It's a long story and I want to sit down."

Ten minutes later
Nearby abandoned classroom

"—and then I stabbed the diary with the broken fang, destroying Tom's echo and saving Ginny's life." Harry actually smiled at that. He'd been really proud of that moment.

"…How are you still alive?" Pansy asked in confusion.

"Phoenix tears."

"Harry…what is your life?" Cedric whispers in terrified awe.

Harry actually shrugged at that question. "Brief moments of quiet intermixed with extreme moments of danger?"

"I think I need to sit down," Cho couldn't help uttering.

"Dear, you're already sitting down," Cedric pointed out calmly.

"I am? Oh." Cho said, still very deep in dumbfounded incomprehension.

Pansy merely stared at Harry with a calculating look on her face. "Was that the second or third time?"

"Pardon?" Harry asked in confusion.

"You said you were three-time defeater of You-Know-Who," Pansy pointed out. "So, was that the second or the third time?"

"Oh, you remembered that," Harry said, grumbling.

"That's not an answer, Potter," Pansy rebuffed.

"She's not serious, right?" Cedric asked.

"Err…well, actually, that was the third time?" Harry answered uncertainly.

"Oh? And when was the second time?" Pansy asked calmly. The kind of calm one reached after having gone straight hysterical all the way back to calm again. "When you were six?"

"No, it was during our First Year," Harry said blandly. "He was after the Philosopher's Stone they had hidden on the Third-Floor corridor."

"I repeat, Harry," Cedric said. "What is your life?!"

Harry shrugged. "It's mine."

For several long moments, there was a heavy silence in the classroom as each of the students became wrapped up in their own worlds. Cho was concentrating on the horror that her underclassman had gone through. Pansy was debating the merits of following a three-time loser to a small child and whether or not her parents had made the right choice in life. Cedric was trying to wrap his head around the rather quiet and seemingly humble boy who clearly had enough accolades to earn the Order of Merlin First Class five times over.

Finally realizing Harry was not going to volunteer any more information, Cedric latched onto the nearest thing he could steer the conversation towards. "So, about that book…?"

"What about it?" Harry asked back.

"What about it?!" both girls repeated incredulously before Pansy shot Cho a slight glare for stealing her words.

Since both girls had gone quiet, Cedric continued, "Harry, you do realize what it is, right?"

Sighing heavily, Harry grumbled out, "It's a book written by all four of the Founders. Yes, I realize how important it is. That's why I brought it along. And it's also mine!"

"And why is it yours?" Pansy asked challengingly.

"And why shouldn't it be mine?" Harry shot back. "I was the one who found it in the secret chamber within a secret chamber! Why shouldn't it be mine?"

"Because…" Cho began but trailed off before trying again. "Because it's…it's…written by the Founders! It should be available for everyone!"

"Fiiiiine," Harry groaned out. "I'll give it to Madam Pince…when I'm done with it!"

"Nononono!" Pansy cried out.

Everyone turned to stare at her as she flushed slightly in embarrassment. "Why?"

"I mean…" Pansy started out hesitantly. "Slytherin had it hidden away for a reason, didn't he?"

"I don't follow," Cedric admitted plainly.

Pansy took a deep, steadying breath before starting her appeal. "Think about it: it was in a hidden chamber in a hidden chamber, that was guarded by an ancient basilisk, and locked away behind several doors only a Parselmouth could open."

'Well, either the library was or the giant doom vault,' Harry thought to himself as he remembered the sensation of certain death that lay behind the only door that he hadn't tried to enter.

"She has a good point," Cedric said slowly, almost looking like he was upset about having to disagree with his girlfriend, if his guarded glance towards her was anything to go by.

"You can't be suggesting that knowledge itself is dangerous, are you?" Cho asked, sounding somewhat affronted.

"If it wasn't dangerous, why was it hidden?" Pansy asked back.

"Then we'll do it the smart way!" Cho stated with certainty. "We'll decipher it slowly."

"Hold on!" Harry chime in, looking somewhat unsettled by what he was hearing. "We?"

"Well, I mean…if you'd let us?" Cho said hesitantly, glancing imploringly at the boy.

If it had been Pansy, Harry would've delightfully reused his most favorite word for Slytherins. Unfortunately, this wasn't Pansy. This was Cho Chang. A girl he kinda had a crush on! And she was currently giving him the heart-clenching eyes of a begging puppy. "I…err, I…? I—ahhh?"

"It could be like a group study," Cedric chimed in, trying to support his girlfriend. "Two older students helping two younger ones with their 'homework' should make it go much faster!"

"Alright, fine!" Harry groaned out in defeat. "We'll study it together!"

"Yes!" Pansy jeered victoriously "Thank you so much, Potter! We'll meet back here over the weekend and start pouring over that book…together!"

Harry stopped and blinked for a moment as Pansy strutted out of the room, looking far too smug. After a moment, Harry turned and looked over at Cedric and Cho with a look of dawning horror. "Wait, did I just agree to let PANSY help us work on this?!" He stared down at the tome in his hands with a type of existential dread.

"Yes. Yes, you did, Potter," Cedric answered, his voice ringing like a death-knoll to Harry.

"Fuck!" Harry cursed in despair.

Gryffindor Common Room

Hermione sat at a small table in the corner of the Common Room. It was a nice little table that afforded her an excellent view of the Gryffindor House entrance and where she could easily spot the students entering or exiting. It was, therefore, the perfect spot to watch for Harry's return. She had several questions for him. Why did he purposely get into a fight with Malfoy of all people? Where the hell had he gone after he skipped class? Why did he think it was a good idea to skip an important Tournament ceremony, where failure to attend could cost him his magic?! And finally, why the bloody hell did he think it was a good idea to skip a class at all?!

Those were just a few of the thoughts and questions that were going through her mind as she pretended to work on her Potions homework. In truth, it had been finished over an hour ago. Leaving it out prevented anyone from sitting near her or asking for her spot. She had been sitting there for the past two hours now and her rear had become quite numb at this point as she waited diligently for Harry's return. As Hermione waited, her thoughts naturally drifted to other topics. Considering who she was waiting for, she couldn't help remembering the conversation she had with Ron earlier that day.

Hermione had seen that Ron hadn't exactly been 'pleased' when Harry's name came out of the Goblet. She'd tried to reason with him. From where she sat, Harry didn't quite go looking for danger. At least, not intentionally, not purposefully… Well, at least, not until danger found him first. After that, Harry tended to be single-minded about throwing himself into the arms of Death. How he escaped it so many times was a wonder to Hermione. Truly, magic was more than an Art form she could learn to cast. It had been magic that kept him alive all these years, despite the dangers he threw himself towards: Voldemort, Voldemort, the Dementors, and now a bloody death game. But, unlike Ron, Hermione actually believed Harry when he said he didn't try to put to get involved. Harry was far too obsessed with his project to want to waste his time gallivanting around, risking his life, for the amusement of others.

Ron, however, wouldn't have any of that. He was far too narrow-minded, obsessed with comparing himself to his brothers, to realize that someone else wasn't actually seeking glory. Harry had no one to prove himself against, aside from the fabled 'Boy-Who-Lived' who Harry didn't even really care about. Ron, however, couldn't believe someone else wouldn't try to make themselves more than what they were before. A tournament to gain gold and glory? They had all watched Fred and George try to enter their names. If it was on their minds, obviously it was on Ron's! Ron simply couldn't conceive a reality that someone would be entered unwillingly. And that really was the crux of the problem. Ron thought Harry had entered for fame and fortune, and Hermione thought trouble was once again finding her friend.

There was a loud crash! Or, more like a slam, really. That startled Hermione out of her own head. The sound had erupted from right in front of her face. A massive leather-bound tome had been deposited, rather violently, over her finished homework and textbook. Looking up, she saw a manic pair of green eyes staring down into her own.

"Hermione! I need your help!" Harry exclaimed. "Can you translate this?!"

A few moments earlier, Harry was frantically searching for Hermione. He knew she was in the Common Room. He knew because Madam Pomphrey had told him so. Well, after a brief and very uncomfortable conversation! He knew Hermione was there. And right now, he really, really needed her!

He didn't understand a word of the tome in his hand. And obviously the others did! If he showed up at this study session without knowing a thing about this tome in his hands, Parkinson would undoubtedly try to steal it from him! The only person he knew could maybe – maybe! – translate this was Hermione. If she couldn't do it, well, Harry was well and truly buggered! Harry didn't even really register speaking to the Fat Lady. He didn't really even realize the how many steps he'd taken as he ended up in the Common Room and stood before Hermione's table. The only thing that would really stand out in his memory was him slamming the book down on her finished homework.

"Hermione! I need your help!" he pleaded desperately. "Can you translate this?!"

"What?!" Hermione gasped out in confused fright. Her gaze bounced between the tome and Harry's face.

"This!" Harry frantically gestured, jabbing his finger upon the tome's cover. "Can you translate it?!"

Harry watched as Hermione's eyes read over the cover. Because he was watching so carefully, he was able to spot the moment that Hermione realized just what had landed before her. He could see it as her eyes trailed over the title negligently before refocusing for another attempt. Before a startled realization settled over her as her gaze shot back up to Harry's eyes. Hermione started to speak, "You have – ?!"

Harry's hands instantly shot forward to cover up Hermione's wide mouth, having anticipated this reaction. "Yes, by all four of them! I know! Can you translate it?!"

Hermione wasn't even mindful of the hands over her mouth. All she did was lock her eyes back on the tome. Then she began nodding. Well, it wasn't quite nodding. It more…shivering in excitement as she moved her head up and down.

"If I take my hands off you, do you promise to not scream?!" Harry asked lowly. Hermione rolled her eyes quickly before glaring at him pointedly. "Okay, I'm trusting you!"

"Where did you find this?!" Hermione asked the second her lips were free.

"Errr…in a secret chamber we both know of?" Harry offered.

"Harry, what were you doing down there?!" Hermione demanded.

"I just…I couldn't be around Snape after…that happened," Harry admitted.

"Okay," Hermione breathed. "But how does that lead to you going back to that chamber?"

"There's no better place to be alone," Harry stated with a careless shrug.

Hermione thought about it for a few moments before replying. "I guess you're right. But how does this – " She gestured pointedly at the tome. "connect with 'privacy'?"

"Well…Slytherin might've had more hidden than we initially thought?"

"Like what?" Hermione challenged.

"Presents from Helga Hufflepuff?" Harry answered hesitantly.

Hermione just stared blandly at Harry. "What else?"

"Slytherin's secret library?" there was now a hesitant smile on his face as he saw her eyes light up momentarily, before darkening again in suspicion.

"And what else?"

"A…Errr…A giant doom vault?"

"What?! Wait… That's not all, is it?"

"Ahhhhh…well, maybe there's just one more thing," Harry said, somewhat coyly.

"Harry!" Hermione growled out, warningly.

"Okay, okay!" Harry admitted with his hands up surrenderingly before he reached down towards his sock. "There's also this." There was an obviously hesitancy in his actions before he finally opened his hand and placed the small glowing sapphire gem upon the book in front of her.

"What is…this?" Hermione asked softly.

"Just…Just touch it," Harry said simply.

Hermione looked up at him suspiciously.

"Look, I know it's crazy. Just touch it!"

"If this turns out to be a joke, Harry, I'll – " Hermione began as she reached forward to grasp the crystal. But she was immediately cut off as her fingers made contact. Her eyes dilated as the waves of magic swept over her from the crystal. "This is…"

"Yeah, I know," Harry said softly before quickly reaching forward and taking his crystal back from her limp grasp.

"Where did you…?"

"In the chamber."

"You didn't say…"

"I just found it," Harry admitted.

"Is this…and that?" she said, gesturing towards the tome.

"Ohhh, there's a lot more," Harry promised with a slight grin on his face.

Hermione wasn't even conscious of her hands grasping tightly upon Harry's own. "Show me!"

"Errr…you're the only person I can't say no to," Harry admitted.

"GOOD!"

(Tellemicus' Note) Heh, that was a fun chapter to write! I hope you all enjoyed the various reactions and surprises that cropped up here due to the numerous revelations that were made!