please check out my other story as well, Harry Potter and the Ancient Secrets of CardCaptors.

So, in this chapter, everything gets more and more intense as 2 months is ending. Can Hermione solve it? or not? find out by reading everything. I won't tell you what...just keep guessing. =p

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Chapter 9:

Hermione ran as fast as she can, when she only realized a minute ago that she was late for class...three times in a row. She passed by a couple of boys who were carrying a pile of papers. "Woah!" one of the boys cried when she zoomed past them. "Look at her go!"

She took two steps at a time, and before she knew it, the tricky step caught her and she fell on the floor with a loud "THUMP!"

"ow, ow, ow..." she whispered. she felt blood trickling down her chin.

"Hermione!"

Hermione raised her head, and saw Ron, and Harry running towards her. "Are you okay?" they helped her up. A few girls, probably Slytherines, snickered as they saw them in such state.

"yeah you'd better keep walking!" Hermione shouted, furiously trying to get herself up. "Fuckin' losers."

Both Harry and Ron looked at Hermione with shock and pride, while the snobby git looked revolted, and walked on hurriedly. "Hermione, I- I- I'm impress!"

"Of what?" Hermione asked. She stared at the boys for a sec, realized what she's done, and covered her mouth with both her hands. "Oh my goodness!"

Harry and Ron both laughed and helped her up. "Amazing! That was ruddy brilliant! I never knew you'd swore!" Ron said, grinning.

Hermione blushed. "I-it was an accident! Honest!"

Ron and Harry nodded, both with smug looks on their faces. "As if we're ever gonna believe that!"

Harry giggled, "What would your mother and father say?"

Hermione snarled and jumped on top of Harry, who looked taken aback, and both of them fell on the floor. Hermione was really heavy. "Ow! Hermione, you boke my buddy dose!" It was bleeding.

Hermione gasped, "Oh I'm so sorry Harry!"

"You may look skinny, but you sure weigh a hundred pounds!"

Instead of helping him up, Hermione punched Harry on the arm. "OWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, and helped him up.

"But I can't just believe-" Hermione punched him again. "Okay, okay, I'm shutting up!"

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Hermione watched Mdm. Pomfrey put a spell on Harry's nose, and it was good as new. She helped him walk towards the MessHall. She only realized that today was Saturday, and she had made a fool of herself by tripping down the stairs, and swearing to a bunch of losers.

"Does it still hurt?" Hermione asked.

"How could it? You broke my nose and it'll never heal!" Harry gave him a fake hurt look.

"Harry!" Hermione groaned, playfully punching him, not hard this time. Harry laughed.

They fell almost immediately silent. "So, uhmm... have you figured it out yet?" Harry asked.

"What?" Hermione said, looking at him with confusion.

Harry felt annoyed. "The riddle! Crystal's riddle. Did you solved it?"

Hermione sighed. "Come'n Harry. As if I would spend my precious time solving dumb, stupid riddles."

"Hermione, you have to take it seriously!" Harry argued. "Who knows what Crystal is up to next!"

"But-"

Harry gave him a pleading look that was so cute, that Hermione gave in. "Alright, alright!" she gave him an smirk,"I hate it when you're too cute!"

Harry flipped his hair, "That's because girls just couldn't resist me!"

Hermione punched him, harder this time. "OW!"

Hermione laughed, let go of Harry, and ran away from him. He went after her, laughing.

But they didn't know that someone was watching them. Someone with evil green eyes, and a cold, cold look. "three more days... if you don't take it seriously, you're gonna lose someone precious to you."

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Everyone was in the library, doing stuffs, like reading, researching, or discussing serious matters.

Hermione, Ron, and Harry were all looking about cursed riddles('made that up), and ten minutes later, they've stacked up about forty books. They began looking for some answers.

An hour later, Hermione suddenly clapped her hands, declaring, "I got it! This is so EASY!"

People looked at her as if she were crazy. Only realizing what she's doing, she flopped down on her seat, blushing. She whispered, "The answer to the riddle is as easy as 1, 2, 3!"

Harry and Ron just stared at her. Hermione groaned, slapping her forehead. "Boys!" They both crowded in on her, and Hermione started to explain. " A second, a minute, an hour, what do you call that? The answer is time..."

"OH!OH! I got the last answer!" Harry interupted. Hermione and Ron turned to him. "And something that explodes, but it's not fireworks...something that can kill...something that can diffinitely will... the first thing that came to my mind was WWII."

"What?" Ron asked, confused.

"WORLD WAR II, in the muggle world, "Hermione replied, looking back at him. "Japan and the U.S.A. were at war." Ron still looked confused. "Oh forget it. You don't understan, any of it!"

"Anyways, something that explodes was diffinitely a bomb,"Harry continued. "Put them together, and what do you get?"

Ron thought for a minute, grinned, and replied, "A time bomb?"

"That's exactly it!" Hermione said, snapping her fingers.

"So you figured it out didn't you?"

They looked around, and saw the smugged look on Crystal's face. "We figured it out in the nick of time Crystal. Now, what are you planning to do? And what's with the time bomb?"

Crystal grinned. "I won't tell you, not unless you know the last answer."

You found the answer, good for you,

Now find the bomb that's closer to you than a brother...

Time's running out, so you have to figure this out...

Find the switch before it explodes...

it's a some thing that you treasure the most...

You keep it close to your heart...

It's more expensive than gold, nor silver...

You won't trade it for any of those things...

Because if you lose it, you will also lose your dignity...

tell me now...

before the time runs out...

Hermione thought for a minute, but no answer could cross her mind.

What was it?

Crystal raised one finger, "You have one week before the time is over."

"A week?" Hermione cried out in shock. "Are you kidding me?"

Crystal's smile widened. "One week. That's all I can give." And she walked off without another word.

Harry and Ron both looked at Hermione. "What?" she asked. Even she doesn't know what the answer was...yet.

"Do you know the answer?"

"Don't be silly Ron, I'm not a genius!" Hermione snapped, annoyed.

"Then what do you call yourself, then? bookworm, or do you prefer being called a nerdy?" Ron shot back.

Hermione flushed woth anger, "How dare you...How...."

"If you can't answer the quest-"

Hermione stood up so suddenly, two books fell off the floor. "For once in you life, use your pathetic brain! It wouldn't hurt for you to even use one quarter of your brain, RONALD WEASLEY!!!" It was like his name was bellowed from her mouth.

Ron, and Harry was taken aback, and Ron savagely replied, "Oh yeah? Atleast I have a life! Not like some people I know!"

Tears flowed from Hermione's eyes, as she stared angrily at Ron, who showed no emotion. "YOu- You- YOU FOUL OLD EVIL LITTLE COCKROACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Several people now stared at the trio. She knocked down several more books, and without taking her bag, she stormed off and out of the library. Ron huffed, and walked out, stomping off like a giant.

"Guys-" But Harry couldn't run after them, because once they were out of sight, Harry began to felt dizzy again. Ginny and Seamus who were walking towards him, stared in shock, when Harry collapsed on the floor, blood pouring out of his forehead.

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Crystal walked, with a devilish sneer playing across her lips. Clasped firmly against herchest was a book she took from the library, without signing it out. The title was PUPPETEER LOCK SPELL VOLUME II.

Crystal thought, Dear ,dear 'mione. You almost got it all correct, only one was wrong. You thought that I'm controlling Harry, only that I'm not...Harry's controlling himself. No one, but him alone can control himself.

Without knowing it, she gave an evil laugh.

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HA!HA!:D There r a few strings attach to this story. And it gets better, and better in the next chapter! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

R&R