Phillyactress: Sure lol, the first one can pick jewelry, the ball won't be till the very last chapter though, so remind me again quick lol. You know what, Herbert does! One of my friends read "him" and said something like that too lol. I'm planning on give more details about the sequel next chapter, so watch for it! Lol O yeah, I hope I did better on the spell check, I ran it…but sometimes it doesn't work. So I've re-read it…but tell me if anything is weird…that's always so embarrassing…
ilovefieryredheads: Ah yes, the power of Ron. sigh. Let's hear it for favorite characters! Woot! Okay..i'm done now, lol thanks for reviewing!
RainDateChick: Lol, that's fine, I completely understand, I have those a lot to tell you the truth…like when I told my roomies I'd wash the dishes, and then….yeah, they'll find me outside playing soccer. Lol, I know, I love the whole Ron/Draco friendship thing going on there. I don't think I could ever tire from it!
ME: Well, thank you for your review and suggestion….your lucky number four lol. But you wait, I'll show you I can make that happen! Lol
SMurphy: Sigh, you're not fourth but, as a prize for being on my good list at school…you get to hear what happens for the sequel! Lol, well, they never really knew Harry was there like I've said…death eater aren't the brightest bulbs in the box. Oh yeah, Draco runs the house now, so guess who I'm going to befriend lol. Dumbledore can do what he wants ! lol, he deserves to be quirky…even though he gets on my nerves lol.
Nora01: Why thank you! I was hoping that I would do a good job of that. I was trying my very hardest to put myself in her spot to see the emotions, and that what I'd figure that I'd do! Thanks for reviewing!
fairlight-rose: HELLO! Wow, I didn't think you'd EVER read my story lol, but there's always hope right? Lol, I hope you review again, what's better than making fun of me in reviews! Lol well…besides the war….but let me tell you, I WILL win that one lol

Disclaimer: I am not J.K.Rowling, and everything that you recognize in the story is NOT mine. Herbert is Philly's bless her soul lol.

A/N: The end of the story is coming soon! I was thinking the chapter after this one, but I cut this chapter into two so it wouldn't be as long. So the ball will be the last chapter, and thanks for all your suggestions! I loved every single one of them, so I can't wait! Also, info for the next story (sequel) is coming up next chapter, so watch for that so you know what to look for! If any of you want to give me your e-mail addy's I can write you when it'll come out for sure!

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Hermione, Ron and the rest walked swiftly behind Dumbledore. Hermione just knew that they were almost free from the mansion, ready to go home and relax. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed sitting around watching Harry and Ron play wizards' chess. Letting Ron walk ahead beside Draco, who was obviously not enjoying being beside Ron, Hermione fell back beside Harry.

"Hey Hermione" Harry whispered. He looked up at his friend and glanced away uncertain.

"Hey Harry" Hermione replied. "Harry…listen, I'm sorry for ruining your relationship with Ginny awhile back. I hadn't realized that I looked different. I feel horrible." She hung her head and took a big sigh. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Harry smiling at her.

"No Hermione, it's alright. Ginny and I talked through it later and…we're okay now. If I would have known it was you, it would have made a lot more sense though." He laughed and looked ahead. "It'll all work out Hermione, I promise. We're almost out of here, and then we can be home free."

Hermione knew that Harry was right, but she still had this eerie feeling that something bad was going to happen, she just didn't know what. Before she knew what was happening, she bumped into Ron and Draco, who had stopped up ahead. "What's going on?" she asked Ron.

Ron motioned for her to be quiet, with a finger on his lips and nodded his head towards the front of the line, where Dumbledore was stopped also. He was peering around the corner and listened very closely.

'Why are we stopping?' Hermione thought, 'Just another right turn and we would have been out of here.' She sighed and grabbed Ron's hand, for the sheer fact that she had nothing else to do.

Dumbledore turned to the group and nodded to Herbert, who headed off in the opposite direction. "I know what you all are thinking, but we can't go on right now because of the double doors to the right. I hear voices, and I've sent Herbert out to investigate whether or not the death eaters are outside."

"Is Herbert going to be okay?" Draco asked. "I mean…it's not to dangerous right?" Blushing, Draco looked away as Dumbledore smiled at him. "Mr.Malfoy, I can assure you that although Herbert is by himself around possible death eater, he will be fine. He knows when to back off and come back."

"Now," he said, "I'm going to guard off this door before we head out, just in case they are in fact in there." And with that, Dumbledore strode off, wand at the ready to guard the door.

Ron turned towards Draco and smirked, "Is Herbert going to be okay? Why Draco," he said coyly, "I think you may have found a new friend."
"Sod off Weasley. Am I allowed to worry about someone, or is that the new 'Code we cannot follow'?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and put her hands up between the two of them. "Boys stop fighting. Enough already, you know you like each other, so start working at it. Ron, Draco is NOT as bad as your making him out to be, he's actually a really considerate person if you can recall."

Harry cleared his throat behind them and at once they all turned towards him. "Um…I think we should be on the lookout for anything suspicious. After all…Dumbledore and Herbert can't do everything by themselves you know."

They knew Harry was right and spent the remainder of the time in silence, waiting and listening for Herbert to come back, and Dumbledore. Finally, they heard footsteps from the back hallway they were once walking, and out of the darkness stepped Herbert, his walk still obvious from that far away.

"Herbert!" Hermione jumped up and walked over to meet him with the rest of the group. She looked him in the eye and asked, "How is everything, I mean, is it safe to go outside?" Herbert looked at Hermione and just smiled, "Yes it's safe. We can just go past the double doors once Dumbledore guards them, which I assume he's doing now?"

"Yeah, but Herbert," Harry wondered, "Why can't we just use the door you just came out of, since its safe?" Hermione was glad Harry asked that question, for she was thinking the same thing. 'Why would we risk walking by them in the house, when we can carefully go around unnoticed?'

Herbert seemed to ponder that question, although you could tell he already knew the answer. "Well Mr. Potter, I don't know how well you know this house but once you are outside there is only one way to go, isn't that right Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco nodded, "Yeah it is. If you turn right there is a huge brick wall touching the house, Mum thought it would look pretty with flowers on top. If you turn left, you can go around the house, without running into a wall, to get to the front and down the sidewalk past the trees to the road."

Ron looked confused and tilted his head, "Herbert, I'm still with Harry on this one. I don't see the problem yet." Draco huffed from behind Ron and glared at him, "Weasley, come on. Just think for one second of your life, what happens when you run into a wall!"

Herbert put up his hand, and shook some of his mangy hair out of his eyes, "Mr Malfoy, refrain yourself please." Turning to Ron and Harry, he explained without raising his voice.

"Since we would run into the wall, as Mr.Malfoy put it, we have to go the other way. The problem lies in the fact that there are windows in the room the death eaters are in. They would surely see us. Unless we want to throw a distraction and risk the factor of them catching us, our best bet is to wait for Dumbledore's signal, and walk out the front."

Before Draco could say anything to Ron, Dumbledore took his cue and walked around the corner.

"That takes care of that then." Dumbledore had that eerie look to him, like he knew something but wasn't about to say it. "Well, come on Mr.Weasley, Mr.Malfoy; let's go." He took off slowly and waited for Ron and Draco to catch up. The rest followed silently after Dumbledore, not knowing what was going to happen next.

Just as soon as they were almost to the door they heard a deafening locking sound. Click.

"No way," Hermione and Harry said together, "This can't be happening." Before anyone knew what was happening the room went pitch black.

Hermione felt Ron's hand wrap around hers and taking comfort in his warmth, squeezed back. "What's going on?" she heard Harry ask no one in particular.

"Don't talk, don't move." Dumbledore pushed the group into a circle and they all just stood there for a second before they heard the harsh breathing of someone, or something behind them.

"Lumos." Dumbledore breathed the spell and light came into the room, illuminating antique wood carvings on the Malfoy mansion. There, also in the light from Dumbledore's wand, were many pairs of yellow eyes.

"It's a basilisk!" cried Ron softly; he pulled Hermione away from the front of the circle to protect her. "Don't be daft Weasley," Hermione heard Draco say, "If they were basilisks, then we'd all be dead."

They looked on as the many pairs of yellow eyes seemed to turn towards the back, as if in a progression. There, floating it seemed slowly towards the front of the eyes, were one single pair of sickly red eyes.

"No…" breathed Hermione, and she knew at once who it was.

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A/N: Remember…wait for next chapter for more details and read the beginning A/N to know more…I'll answer any questions you have about it, so don't be afraid to ask!