I own nothing of the marketing empire birthed from J.K.Rowling's fevered genius, and get nothing from this save the brief satisfaction of favourable reviews…
Harry Potter and the Forgotten Shards
Chapter 3
A month later, the six found themselves once more in the bowels of the castle.
"The Marauder's were nothing, if not thorough in their research." Luna started, "Even the restricted section of the Library has nothing to add to their work." She held up the Marauder's Guide.
Like Luna, Hermione's face bore a dispirited cast as she added, "Professor MacGonnegal's private library, the Gryffindor library, the Ravenclaw library…even the books the headmaster lent to Cho on the subject don't add anything we didn't already know."
The others gathered around them sagged, their enthusiasm draining away.
"So that's it then? We can't do it?" Ron sounded miserable.
Harry was watching Hermione closely, suddenly jumping up. "You two!" He pointed an accusing finger at the smarted pair in the group…who had started giggling at him. "You horrible…evil…how could you prank us like that…" His voice laced with disbelief.
Ron, Neville and Ginny just looked at Harry, then at the other two girls, who had both started laughing.
"You…you…you pranked us?" Ron finally got out.
"How did you figure it out?" Hermione asked Harry.
Shaking his head, "Your eyes…you were…" Harry paused, "So it can be done?"
Luna nodded, "The library in the Slytherin dungeon had the key." Smiling dreamily now.
Ginny looked at the pair curiously, "How did you get access to that?"
Hermione looked smug, "Blaize owed me a favour or two, and was more than happy to help."
Luna nodded, "Now we only need to brew the enhanced revealer potion, and set up for the catalyst ritual."
Hermione continued, "I don't think we can do it all at once, and according to our figures," she waved around a sheet full of Arithmancy calculations, "we may have to wait several hours between goes, if the forms are particularly powerful."
Harry smiled, "Lets do it then."
The 'Ministry Crew' left the Chamber in much better spirits than they had arrived.
Hermione examined the six tiny reddish pieces of stone. There could be no mistakes, no second chances. No pressure, right?
She sat in the recently transfigured potions lab that the boys had built down in the Chamber of Secrets. The Animagus Revealer potion was almost at the critical point, she would soon have to add the final ingredient. She decanted the potion into six new cauldrons.
"Merlin smile on this," she whispered, before adding the largest chunk to the potion she had mentally designated Harry's.
Ron was busy copying the notes he had taken during the afternoon's lessons. Sure he was early for dinner, but he was under too much stress to stay in the common room right now.
Harry, Neville and Ginny were due soon, but for now it was only him and a couple of Hufflepuffs in the Great Hall.
Hermione, and the aura of burnt hair smell that surrounded her, arrived at the Gryffindor table.
Ron sniffed a couple of times, then looked up, smiling when he saw Hermione. "Here, Padma said that Arithmancy was mostly a revision session, Care of Magical Creatures was werewolves, and Charms is…done." He smiled up at her as he passed herfirst a copy of Padma's notes, rolled his eyes on the issue of werewolves,and thenhanded over acopy of the notes he had taken in Charms.
She looked at the Charms notes, realising that he had actually made an effort, and kissed him on the forehead, "Thanks Ron, really." She smiled, He really does care about me.
Harry and Neville arrived from one end of the hall, paused for the obligatory confrontation with Draco, before making their way over to their usual seats. Ginny and Luna arrived from the other direction, both joining the Gryffindor table.
Hermione sat, looking VERY smug.
The other five eventually all looked at her, expectantly.
She looked around, then leaned forwards conspiratorily, "It's done!" She all but squealed, practically bouncing out of her seat.
Face-splitting grins erupted across the others.
"This weekend." Harry's voice had a ring of triumph to it.