Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and I unfortunately don't have anything to do with the plot of J.K. Rowling's books.

Warning: There are certain spoilers if you can find them.

The Rest is Silence

Chapter One – The Find

Hermione Granger sat on her red-trimmed bed in the girl's dormitory, looking out the rain-stained window at the Hogwart's Grounds. A morose, sorrowful atmosphere surrounded the huge castle of a school this day, and Hermione couldn't concentrate on her studies. She was too depressed. There was, funny enough, nothing notable to be upset about. Sometimes the mood just acted like a storm cloud above her head, following her every step and making the day gloomier and gloomier. This was one of those times, and Hermione Granger found herself with little pity even for the Quidditch players who had practice today.

There was nothing in particular to do, since she couldn't study, so Hermione found herself itching to explore the castle's interior. She had on several occasions, with Ron and Harry, gone on crusades to conquer the unknown corridors and secret rooms of her vast school, but never had she gone alone. She needed time to think, anyhow. Not about school and books, but about her friends and life ambitions. Sometimes she blocked her emotional side off for so long that she tended to forget how she felt about certain people. She wanted to remember.

Setting aside her books, Hermione donned her Hogwarts cloak and stuck her wand in its pocket. Adjusting her robes, she looked in the mirror and cocked her head at the bushy brown hair that surrounded her head and the set expression of loneliness on her face. Frowning, Hermione brushed fervently at the bushy mess before shrugging it off with a painful wince and heading down the stairs into the Gryffindor common room.

There was, much to her delight, no one there, so her excavation of the school could take place without any additional adventurers. A senile smile forming her lips, Hermione rushed out past the portrait and took a deep breath of the musty air that lurked in the Seventh Floor corridor. The smell of books filled her nostrils, and for a minute she was tempted to return to the common room and curl up with a few books by the fire. Shaking the thought from her head, Hermione ran her tongue along her now perfectly even teeth and enjoyed the tickling sensation of gratification that it gave her.

She felt oddly and suddenly free, wandering around Hogwarts without Harry or Ron dogging her every step; or her dogging theirs as it often was. There was no particular mission at hand, and Hermione sighed with pleasure as she walked casually along the hallways, searching for nothing and loving it. Maybe she would gather some secrets of her own.

As she meandered through the many passages she, Harry, and Ron had once traveled, Hermione thought of the many adventures the three had embarked upon. Harry... always the brave one. I have never stopped admiring him for it... Hermione thought fondly. She was not one to deny the facts of her emotions, if she could ever figure them out. And Ron, of course. He was brave too, but more so reckless. Even that helped everyone. She felt a laugh coming on and stifled it with minute effort.

But what of me? The brains? The clever one? Logic, that's all I am. The book worm. But do I like it that way? It helps me, I won't pretend it doesn't. And lord knows it helps Harry. Frowning slightly as she continued on her walk, Hermione rather forgot to watch where she was going. Not that she minded; thinking was important. Harry. What of Harry? The famous Boy Who Lived, the Renowned Harry Potter, why, I could almost say Voldemort's Bane. I'm sure I'll be able to in short time... Harry has it in him to win. He could beat... no; he will beat Lord Voldemort. Funny how using his actual name doesn't frighten me anymore... It did before I met Harry.

And the Order... The Order of the Phoenix. Maybe I'll be able to help them, too, before this is all over. Everyone says I'm going somewhere, but do I know where? Maybe I'll teach, maybe I'll become an Auror, like Mad-Eye. Or, perhaps, I'll just devote my time and self to The Order. After Padfoot... well... I should think he'd like something done that he himself couldn't do. I know it's Harry's place, since Sirius was Harry's godfather, but I can help too. Harry has his hands full with Voldemort himself; the least I can do is take over for Sirius. He was my friend too. Harry... Why am I suddenly thinking so much about Harry? It's not as if he were my lover or anything... or anything...

Hermione broke out of her reverie and looked about her. She was in a strange, unfamiliar corridor. The floor was covered in dust, the walls covered in tattered tapestries and moldy, dimly lit torches. There were no windows, and Hermione felt her nerves build as she searched this unknown place with a wary eye. At last she spotted a red door that had long ago been decorated in gold trim and silver lining. The old, rusted doorknob seemed to call her name, and as she timidly extended her hand to grasp it, excitement ran vibrantly through her veins.

With the creaking turn of the old knob, she slipped through the parted doorway and into a gloomy, gray room. Couches and plush chairs were covered in cobwebs and dust, and the mosaic windows that let in a little bit of light were cracked and broken. Rainbows wavered on the spider-infested tables and the old crumbling statues that refused to lose their expressions of joy. There was little joy in Hogwarts anymore, though. A few aged bookcases filled with moldy, musty books stood cramped into corners and pushed against stone walls. This place hadn't been used in a long while. A golden pedestal sat in a corner, a large, untouched box laying on it.

Curiosity brimming, Hermione made her way carefully over the fragments of broken glass and crumpled stone towards the untouched golden pedestal. A single shower of golden light poured from a hole in the ceiling, a hole that led to nowhere. In a state of complete awe, though making sure to keep her mouth closed for all the dust that floated through the room, Hermione placed her delicate hands on the golden box's lid and gently jerked it upwards.

Inside the box, sitting regally on a pillow of black velvet, was a ring. It was a nine-sided, blue gem mounted in a gold base on a plain, half-inch gold band. Inside the band was a string of letters, with Ze'ev the only legible word. Immersed with wonder by her find, Hermione's soft brown eyes reflected the golden treasure. As soon as she slid the ring onto her finger, however, the lid of the box snapped shut and the golden light flowing in from the ceiling sealed off.

Perplexed, Hermione tried to pry the ring off her nimble fingers. Maybe I should just put it back... I can bring Harry down here with me and then we can figure this place out for ourselves later. But her thoughts were in vain, for the ring refused to budge. Suddenly, the blue gem began to sparkle, each of its nine sides glowing in turn with a vibrant blue light. Hermione dropped her tugging hand and watched the dazzling gem, mesmerized.

"Or maybe I'll just leave it there... and show him later," Hermione whispered aloud, turning to the now seemingly large but dusty red door. What she saw before her made her shriek and fall to the floor, backing away along the dusty stone and screaming her head off. Never before had she been so startled, never before had she felt such terror.

(A/N: Well... first chapter up. Please read and review, I'd appreciate it!)