"What a piece of shit Scrimgeour is," Harry hissed, digging in his hoodie pocket for the Cloak and throwing it over them.
"Dumbledore was the smartest wizard that lived, right?" Hermione said, grabbing Harry again to pull him back as he almost ran into a new corridor without looking first. "He must have –"
They both stopped talking as they quickly passed a few seventh-year students, turning their heads to watch them retreat into the distance.
"He must have anticipated the Ministry might have seized his stuff if he ever died," Hermione continued quietly. "He might have charmed the books so that you could get them."
"He didn't expect to get murdered, Hermione!" Harry said through gritted teeth.
"I know, Harry, but he knew Voldemort wanted him dead! Malfoy was trying all year!" It felt very peculiar to talk openly with Harry about this after months of secrecy. "And he knew the Ministry. He probably planned some redundancies in case this happened," she whispered as they jogged up an empty staircase. "Here, we're getting close - pull out the Map."
They huddled near the interior wall of a long hallway as Harry pulled out the Marauder's Map and checked near Dumbledore's office.
"No one's there," he said. "Some unfamiliar names on this hallway, though –"
"Might be Ministry people," Hermione said, biting her lip as she thought of what to do next. "Ok, let's go get your broom. We're going to try his office window." She wiped the Map.
"I don't know if it opens," Harry said.
"Well, smash it then," Hermione said baldly. "And then try to Accio the books before entering the office. The Ministry might have already cast spells to track people entering it."
"You're not coming, I take it," Harry said, and for the first time that night Hermione heard a laugh in his tone. She shoved him.
"No, Mr Quidditch Captain, you can bloody well do it." They headed back down the stairs, and checking they were alone, pulled off the Invisibility Cloak.
"Let's head back to Gryffindor Tower," she said. "Ron and I can keep the common room clear and the window open. Actually, maybe Ron can go with you –"
"We won't both fit under the Cloak if we're flying, Hermione," Harry said, rolling his eyes.
"No, but I can Disillusion Ron and both your brooms," she replied.
"You can do a Disillusioning Charm?" Harry asked, surprised.
"Yeah, I, uh…thought it might be useful to learn," she said, not looking at Harry.
"You're not wrong," he replied. "Alright, let's go get him." They walked back to Gryffindor Tower as the last light left the sky. By the time they came back, it was dark outside – Ron looked at them warily as they entered the common room.
"That took a while," he said suspiciously.
"Went to McGonagall," Harry said lowly. "Go get your broom. We're breaking into Dumbledore's office."
"What? Why?" Ron looked between them. "Aren't we meant to be –"
"Yes, after. It's going to be a long night," Harry said. "There's…books we need."
"Ah," Ron said. Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled his ear down closer to her.
"The Ministry has taken control of Dumbledore's belongings," she whispered. "McGonagall thinks the Ministry will be approaching us shortly to ask about our relationship with Dumbledore."
"Shit, really?" Ron asked, looking to Harry for confirmation, who nodded.
"Come on. Hermione's gonna Disillusion you. I'll –" He whistled and mimed putting the Cloak on.
"Alright," Ron said, following Harry up to their dorm. Hermione checked the Map while they were gone, in case anyone was lurking in the common room who shouldn't – but it was clear. She levitated a table over to block the entrance and, as Ron and Harry re-entered the common room, moved more furniture to block the entrance to the dormitories.
"It hopefully won't take long. Do you want to keep the Map or should I?" Hermione asked.
"I'll take it. If you have to move this back, that's ok – we can wait to re-enter the common room until it's clear if we've got it," Harry said.
"Good point," Hermione said, handing the Map over. "Ok. Good luck…see you shortly, I hope…"
She pointed her wand at Ron's broom and then Ron, casting the Disillusionment Charm. "Harry, your broom –"
"Yep," Harry said, invisible hand holding out the Firebolt. She cast the charm over his broom as well, and then walked over to the windows to open them as far as possible.
"Alright," Harry's voice said. "Let's go." She felt him and Ron step past and leap out the window, shuddering. Jumping invisibly out of the Tower was beyond her nerves.
And then, for a few long minutes, she was alone. Hermione sat down in an armchair by the open window, pulling on her fingers nervously. She stood up and paced the common room. She pulled her bangle off and read the same unhelpful message she had sent Draco earlier.
Hermione frowned. She could at least try and send a better message now. The guilt fell away in the midst of a reckless plan.
I'm working as fast as I can, she etched to him. Is there anything I can do to help?
Hermione alternated between spinning the bangle and slapping it to stillness on a coffee table while she waited for either Harry and Ron or Draco. It was silent, apart from the sound of spinning metal and her hand banging the table. Two very long minutes passed.
"Hermione!" Ron hissed, and Hermione jumped up, shoving the bangle back over her left wrist.
"Ron?" she asked back, walking over to the window. She felt him walk past her.
"Can I?" she asked, holding out her wand tentatively.
"Yep," he said as she heard Harry clamber in the window.
"Sorry, can you grab my hand? So I know where –" she asked, and Ron took her left hand. She aimed the removal of the Disillusioning Charm at the top of his head, and he reappeared. Hermione heard a thud and turned around to see Harry pull the Invisibility Cloak off, and a pile of ancient, dark looking books –
She dropped to the floor towards them, opening the first one. Galon ddrwg, a Halfe Heartt – L Brochfael greeted her sinisterly on the title page. 1749.
"Harry!" she whispered excitedly. She heard Ron snort behind her as he leant down to drop a few more texts onto the pile.
"All of Hermione's Christmases at once," he remarked.
"That was so quick!" she said, looking between Harry and Ron.
"Easiest Accio ever," Harry said. "No lock on the window. Maybe you were right about Dumbledore planning for this. I don't think he would leave a bunch of horcrux books available for any student to Summon."
"I'm going to get unrealistic expectations," Hermione declared. "Today feels very productive."
"Oh, did you get far in the library on that R.A.B. guy?" Ron asked, holding his invisible broom out for Hermione to also Disillusion.
"Harry figured it out," she replied, tapping her wand on the chamaeleoned broomstick and turning to Harry to do the same for his.
"Hermione pointed out it was probably a Black. I think it's Sirius' brother. We need to visit Grimmauld Place," Harry said.
"Does his name match?" Ron asked.
"Dunno his middle name, but his first name was Regulus. Can confirm once we check that big family tapestry thing in the dining room. He also left the Death Eaters," Harry said. "Sirius said he died a couple days later."
"Fuck," Ron said. "Because of…literally doing what he said? Or trying to? Or just because he left?"
Harry shrugged. "Don't know. We have to find out."
"We know it's dangerous to destroy them," Hermione said. "Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard alive and he lost a hand to one. But Harry destroyed one without permanent damage when he was twelve…so it can be done. And having these will be a huge help in destroying them safely," she said, patting the books gently. Harry and Ron both laughed at her now, but Hermione refused to feel bad about getting the books she had been wanting to read for months on end. She piled them all up neatly and levitated them.
"Ok, I'm packing these," she said. "Can you guys unblock the doorways?"
"Dammit. I bet Harry you would start reading them immediately," Ron grumbled.
"Not likely! I haven't been to Slytherin's chamber, I can't wait to see it. I'm going to cast my mudblood magic all over that lunatic's hideout," she shot back. Ron winced at her reclaimed slur.
"What if there's some horrible purity curse on it, though?" Ron asked. "You were just cursed, Hermione. I think you should leave it to Harry and I, actually."
Harry shook his head. "No, I agree with Hermione. Better to start learning now if there's some messed up pureblood curses we need to start figuring out how to break."
Hermione smiled at Ron's outvoted scowl, carefully levitating her haul up to the girls' dormitories.
"What took you so long?" Ron asked as she came down several minutes later.
"Was looking up a Transfiguration reference. Here, look," Hermione said, walking over to the empty fireplace and picking up a poker, making a complicated waving motion over it with her wand. "Serpens fio."
The poker transformed into a slithery black snake. Ron took several quick steps back. Harry gestured and made some weird hissing noise, and she transformed it back.
"Assume you said 'ok' or something?" Hermione asked Harry. "You Parseltongued that last bit."
Harry frowned. "It's so unhelpful how I can't tell when I do it. It's not like other languages at all."
"Come on," she said. "Will we all fit under the Cloak with two brooms?"
"No," Harry said. "You'll have to teach us that Disillusioning Charm, Hermione. Could you do it again for now?"
She cast it over all of them and Ron and Harry's brooms. "Harry, take this," she said, handing over the poker and her satchel. "I'll take the Firebolt. You wear the Cloak and use the Map."
They switched belongings and started heading towards the second-floor bathroom, halting on occasion when Harry said to avoid others. Mercifully, Myrtle was not in the bathroom when they arrived.
"Thank god," Ron said, voicing what they were all thinking. "If I never see Moaning Myrtle again it'll be too soon."
"Colloportus," Hermione cast at the door, and started Disillusioning them. "Harry, can I have my bag?"
Harry and her swapped items again, and Hermione Transfigured the poker again into a small black snake. Harry took the magical snake from her and leant close to the sinks, hissing away. One of them quickly started to move and Hermione jumped back.
"That's it? It's not very glamorous, is it?" she commented, peering down a gigantic pipe into the darkness.
"It's an open sewer, Hermione," Ron said impatiently. "Get ready for it to get a whole lot less charming."
"It's like old times," Harry said. "But without a basilisk…or Ginny."
"Oh, sure, the good old days," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "I'll go first." He held his broom behind him and slid into the pipe. Hermione looked at Harry, knowing the trepidation must be written all over her face, and he gave her a lopsided grin that reminded her of Sirius.
"It's a soft enough landing. Gross, though," he said. "After you?"
She wasn't going to chicken out now. "Fine," she said, steeling herself and stepping into the pipe before she could change her mind. Her leaping stomach reminded her of when she made the Vow with Draco –
Harry pushed her and she screamed in surprised, sliding quickly into darkness. "Harry!" she yelled at him. She could hear him laughing behind her, and Ron shouting something ahead of her. It went on for ages, smaller pipes appearing and disappearing quickly as she slid past, and Hermione was suddenly gripped with an unpleasant thought.
"How gross is the landing?" she yelled back at Harry.
"What?" he yelled back. Hermione swore softly, and just continued to grip her bag for dear life. If they landed up to their literal neck in it, Hermione wasn't sure she would ever forgive Ron or Harry.
The pipe started to level out and –
"Argh!" she yelled, landing on a gooey stone floor beside Ron. She tried standing up in time for Harry to fall on top of her.
"We probably could have anticipated that," Hermione grumbled, gingerly standing up again and Scourgifying her hands.
"Speak for yourselves," Harry said, and Hermione threw him a filthy look as she remembered how he encouraged her to enter the pipe before he did.
"Ugh! You snake," she said, going out of her way to elbow him in the ribs. "Grossest water slide ever."
"I never went on one as a kid. The Dursleys left me at home if they went swimming," Harry replied, making Hermione feel bad about Harry's shitty upbringing.
"There's muggle slides like this?" Ron asked, casting a Lumos spell to look around.
"They're less disgusting," Hermione said. "Though not completely."
"Alright, let's give you the tour," Harry said, heading away from the pipe, his Firebolt and the transfigured snake over his shoulder. Ron and Hermione followed him.
It would have been quite spooky if Harry hadn't been in such a good mood. "Here's where Lockhart tried to Obliviate us and Charlie's stuffed up wand had its finest hour. He was gonna leave us down here, can you believe that?" Harry said loudly, his voice echoing around the pipes.
"Oh god, really?" Hermione asked, looking at Ron, who nodded.
"You really know how to pick them, Hermione," Ron said, and she hurriedly looked away.
"What a dickhead," she said, deliberately cold. "It's terrible what happened, but he had it coming, didn't he? All those people he Obliviated…"
Hermione didn't have too much time to feel guilty about Luna, as she jumped backwards, realising the wall she had been walking beside was a huge snakeskin. Ron and Harry laughed.
"That scared the shit out of us too, the first time," Ron said. "It's just a shed skin."
"Eurgh," Hermione said, gingerly leaning in closer to look at it. "I thought it was part of the wall! Gods that thing was huge."
"Yeah, proper hero moment Harry had down here, killing it," Ron said.
"Fawkes did most of it," Harry said. "And they didn't like roosters, either…can't handle birds I guess. Come on." He was scrambling over a pile of rubble. Ron grabbed her hand and yanked her over the worst of it, and they both stumbled slightly as they reached the stone floor on the other side.
"Thanks," she said. They continued walking for some time until reaching a dead end. Two carved snakes were entwined into the wall, the gigantic emeralds that acted as their eyes glittering.
"What now?" Ron asked. Harry held the transfigured snake up again and started talking to it again; the wall started to fall away as the carved snakes recognised his Parseltongue.
"Ta-da," Harry said sarcastically, waving his arm vaguely and launching a Lumos spell into the air.
It was a long chamber, with an odd sense of green light amongst the black shadows. There were gaudy carved snakes everywhere.
"Really subtle," Hermione commented. "And no curses so far. Is Parseltongue the only gate he put on it? That seems weak."
"Well, there was a big fuck-off basilisk down here too, Hermione," Ron said. "But I'm glad some rotted pureblood jinx hasn't triggered."
They all walked towards the end of the chamber, where a huge basilisk corpse lay beneath a statue of an ancient, wild looking man.
"This was Salazar?" Hermione asked, taking in the beard that trailed to the carved feet. "Not what I imagined, I have to say."
"Definitely giving off Lovegood vibes with the bare feet," Ron said.
"Can one of you hold this?" Harry called out. He was tugging at the basilisk's mouth.
Hermione and Ron both went over to help. Ron held the basilisk's head as Harry carefully pulled on a fang. Hermione aimed her wand.
"Ok, get ready for some Muggle-born curse nonsense," she warned them both. "Diffindo!"
She sliced the basilisk's mouth precisely. They all waited in place for a moment, but when nothing happened, Harry and Ron continued to try and yank the fang from the mouth.
About fifteen minutes later, they had removed all three of the remaining fangs. Hermione carefully put two of them in her bag and started shielding the bag with several protective spells.
"Should we leave one here?" she asked Harry and Ron. "It might be smart to hide one in a backup location. I guess the only other person who might come down here is Voldemort."
"That's a good idea," Harry said, "but maybe somewhere else that Voldemort doesn't know about."
"Yeah, somewhere non-magical," Ron said. Hermione nodded.
"Good point," she said. She stared back at the statue of Salazar.
"Let me try one more thing," she said suddenly, aiming her wand at her finger and casting a weak Diffindo to prick it. She ran her blood along the edge of Salazar's carved foot.
Nothing happened.
"What a dumbass," Harry remarked. "I bet he thought a Muggle-born would never come down here."
"Or maybe you can't even come up with a curse to target Muggle-borns," Ron suggested. "It's not like the magic is any different."
"I thought he might have done some blood coding – like something would trigger if you weren't related to the pure-blood lines around during Slytherin's time? But apparently not," Hermione said.
"Well. In case You-know-who does fancy a visit to the sacred Chamber of Secrets. I think we should leave this place better than we found it," Ron said, aiming his wand at the base of the statue to carve a message.
"Gotta channel Fred and George sometimes, I reckon," he said. "There. What do you think?"
One of Salazar Slytherin's giant stone feet now proclaimed, 'BLOOD PURITY IS BULLSHIT'.
"I reckon Exceeds Expectations," Hermione said, trying to hide her smile. "Fred and George would have come up with something punnier."
"Maybe they can come down here and do the other foot," Harry said. "Let's go. I'm sick of this sewer."
They wandered back to the entrance pipe, snickering about Salazar Slytherin along the way. Harry ducked his head into the pipe, looking around.
"Last time we came back up this, we were twelve and Fawkes carried us. I think it'll be a tighter squeeze on brooms," he said. Hermione shifted uncomfortably, and Harry caught it and laughed.
"Of course this is the part you were most worried about," Harry said. "Not triggering an ancient pure-blood curse." Ron laughed and Hermione blushed.
"I'm not good at flying!" she exclaimed. "Shut up, Harry."
"Hand me the basilisk fangs," Harry said. "We don't need you getting stabbed on the way up." Hermione passed her bag over carefully and Harry put it over his shoulder.
"You'll have to lean forward, keep your heads down. Hold onto Ron!" Harry said, green eyes glinting evilly as he jumped on the Firebolt and took off. Ron rolled his eyes and Hermione crossed her arms, annoyed.
"Come on, Hermione," Ron said, gesturing for her to climb onto the back of his broom.
"Don't make fun of me," she huffed, wrapping her arms around his stomach tightly and squeezing her eyes shut. Ron snorted and kicked off.
It was as horrible as Hermione imagined; Harry might have laughed but she did honestly think she might have felt less scared of a nasty Slytherin curse, even if objectively that was worse than flying up the godforsaken pipe. Her and Ron bumped unpleasantly into the slimy sides of the tunnel, and after a few minutes emerged into Myrtle's bathroom. Hermione let go very quickly, falling gladly to the solid floor as Harry laughed at her.
"That place needs a better exit," she said shakily, pushing herself to her feet. Harry chuckled all the way back to Gryffindor Tower as she bickered with him and Ron about flying. His happiness and sass still rung in her ears as she jumped into a hot shower, carefully packed the basilisk fangs in her trunk, and fell into bed.
It took the midday sun boring into Hermione's eyelids to finally rouse her from sleep the next day. Everything was warm with early summer sunshine – her bed, her arms, her bangle –
Hermione blinked and pulled at her bangle, suddenly remembering it had been several hours since she had checked it. It had been stupid and distracting fun to charge into the Chamber of Secrets with Harry and Ron…
Can always rely on Granger to work hard and fast.
She couldn't tell if he was upset or being crude. Maybe both. It was hard to read tone over Proteaned etchings, sometimes. She decided to send back a half-related question.
If I were to steal from the library, which books would you recommend?
Lavender's bed was unslept in this morning, too. Hermione frowned and looked around the dorm – it seemed like it was just her left. And she would be leaving shortly too, because Dumbledore's funeral was tomorrow. Hermione rolled her shoulders to stretch and started looking for something comfy to wear when her bangle pinged.
You were the only good thing in the library. I wouldn't bother.
She rolled her eyes, but was slightly heartened that a return to flirting must mean Draco wasn't in constant terror at home. The message disappeared, though, and a new one made her happiness fade.
When will you be leaving Hogwarts?
Hermione sighed, opening the window and leaning against the cool breeze as she replied.
Tomorrow, after the funeral.
Outside a vague laughter floated up and across the castle, from some of the younger students that were running around and playing. She stared into the bangle and exchanged depressing, practical messages with Draco.
Have you sorted protection from your lot, for you and your family?
"Alan, you're it!" a girl screamed loudly from the grounds below.
Do I need it for tomorrow? We'll all be moving shortly.
Someone – maybe it was Alan – started yelling to anyone who cared that Tanya cheated.
I haven't heard anything. But don't take unnecessary chances.
After the Department of Mysteries, Mr Weasley had kindly cast some basic Shield Charms over her parents' house, but to Hermione's knowledge that had been it. She didn't want to admit to Draco that no one had ever talked to her about protection. Or that it felt weak to ask. And the Order was barely tolerating Harry's mission as is; Harry had told her how unimpressed McGonagall was the night of Dumbledore's death, and she had seen it for herself last night when they asked to enter Dumbledore's office. Asking the Order to help brainwash her parents and put them into hiding would never work. It would have to be just her.
Alan or Tanya or someone in the grounds started crying – the game had taken a turn, it seemed. Hermione shoved the bangle back on and got dressed to go find Harry, Ron and Ginny.
Hermione found them having tea in the Great Hall.
"Hello, sleepyhead," Ron said.
"You were up at the crack of dawn, Ron?" Hermione asked, voice full of fake brightness. Harry and Ginny laughed.
"I had a glorious sleep in," Hermione admitted, sitting down beside Ginny.
"Do you want tea?" Harry asked, and Hermione nodded.
"We were going to visit Bill after this," Ginny said. "Do you want to come?"
"Yes, definitely. Thanks, Harry," Hermione said, taking the mug of tea from Harry and pouring in milk. "I want to talk to Bill about curse breaking literature."
"Ah-h. Well, he's fully awake now, Phlegming it up, so I'm sure you can," Ginny said.
"Do you reckon Bill knows how to break Madam Pince's library curses?" Hermione asked her, stirring her tea.
"Dunno. But I doubt you could afford it, Hermione," she said. "Bill's on Gringotts rates."
"Aw, you're probably right," Hermione replied sadly. "Maybe he will give me some pointers though."
They finished their tea and wandered up to the hospital wing, where Ginny shoved Hermione strategically towards Bill's bed and started distracting Fleur with wedding talk.
"How are you feeling, Bill?" Hermione asked him politely.
"Good. Well," he paused, leaning closer to her. "Worried about what Ginny is up to."
Hermione followed his gaze to Fleur and Ginny, a cold smile plastered on the latter's face as she nodded along to ideas about floral arrangements.
"Ah. Well, erm, that might be because…I have a question to ask you," Hermione admitted. Bill was too sharp for them.
"Yeah?" he said, turning to look at her.
"Er…do you know how to get past Madam Pince's curses?" Bill's one visible eye sized her up too well, she could see it.
"What are you after that's worth the cost of incurring that librarian's wrath?" he asked her.
"The curse stuff, mostly," she replied. "Maybe the Dark arts and history stuff."
"Hogwarts' curse book collection isn't bad," Bill said, "but it's not very advanced. You can borrow my books."
Hermione jumped back like she had touched something hot, rebuttals falling from her lips, but Bill was already shaking his head.
"No, I won't hear it, Hermione," he said. "I'll bring them to the Burrow. You'll be there soon, right? For the wedding?"
Who could argue with that? Of course she would be there, Hermione assured him, wondering if Bill's charm might be even more lethal without his looks to warn people from a distance that here was a dangerous man. Ginny winked at them both and Hermione laughed as Bill fixed his remaining eye on her, warning her to behave with his fiancée.
"That was nice of Bill," Harry said, surprised as they left the hospital wing.
"Very generous," she agreed. "I'll go pull some Dark arts texts and accounts from Voldemort's first rise to power this afternoon, but I think that might be it? Oh…although…" Hermione trailed off, looking away as Harry turned to look at her questioningly.
"What?" he asked.
"Well." She didn't get to stall much; Ron was already annoyed with her trailing off and poked her in the ribs, tickling her. "Stop that! I was just – thinking of the Half-Blood Prince's identity. But it's dumb, I shouldn't –"
"Did I not tell you?" Harry asked, focussing on his shoes. "It was Snape."
Hermione looked at Ron, but he also seemed nonplussed by this announcement. "O-oh," she said lamely. That would expl-
"Quite obvious. In hindsight," Harry continued, saying exactly what she was thinking and still not looking at either of them.
"I – um, I guess it does fit," she said. "Well."
The atmosphere was unhelpfully heavy with the expectation and urge to say 'I told you so'. Hermione decided to push past it.
"We should definitely get that book back, then," she offered Harry. That broke it - Harry finally looked at her.
"What?" Ron asked, at the same time as Harry said "Why?"
"Because Snape knew what he was bloody well doing with those potions, didn't he," Hermione said, as smoothly as she could manage. "I can admit when I'm beat. But more than that. He wrote all that nasty Dark magic in the margins, didn't he. We need all the information we can get about what the Death Eaters might throw at us. It might help us defend against it."
Harry looked at Ron; Hermione realised if he agreed too, Harry would relent.
"Think she's right, mate," Ron said, and Hermione breathed out. "What if Snape does that Sectumsempra curse again. I'm sure the counter-curse will be in the book somewhere."
Harry sighed and Hermione knew they could proceed.
"Come on," she said, leading them both to the eerily familiar seventh floor corridor. She stopped suddenly, trying to remember if Harry had told her exactly what Room of Requirement he had hidden Snape's textbook in. But Harry did not seem to notice her hesitation; he strolled up and down the hallway whispering under his breath, and eventually a door Hermione recognised appeared.
With a quick look around, the three of them ducked into the Room.
There was no sign the Death Eaters had been here. It made sense they wouldn't have dawdled or started causing havoc in the Room of Hidden Things, Hermione realised – it did not help with their mission in the castle. She wondered if the Order had been in here yet to destroy the cabinet.
But Harry was already leading the way. She couldn't help but think of how strange it was that in trying to hide Snape's book, Harry had accidentally guessed the Room that Draco was in half the year. When he wasn't screwing around with her.
Hermione blinked as Harry took a familiar path, and then –
"It was here," he said suddenly, gesturing to an empty space amongst all the broken crap. "I guess the Order or the Ministry has removed it."
"What was here?" Ron asked. Hermione refrained from commenting on his obtuse question.
"The broken Vanishing Cabinet," Harry said. "Well…not so broken, I guess…"
"Maybe the Order or Ministry took it," Hermione suggested.
Harry continued walking. "It's not here anymore. Guess that's the important thing," he said.
They all continued walking, Harry tip toeing at corners of makeshift corridors to crane his neck.
"Ah," he said after a time, pointing to a funny looking statue. "There we are."
They hit another dead end, but quickly reached where Harry was pointing. It was an old closet; the statue was actually just a stone bust, Hermione realised, with a wig and a…
Hermione blinked. And blinked again – harder. Concentrating. Watching the false hair warp around it. Small ripples around the singularity of the black hole within the roughly cut sapphires.
Harry opened the closet door and rummaged around within it, quite, quite far away.
"Harry," she said, as outside herself as she was the night he almost killed Draco. If he slammed the closet door shut…"Harry."
Keeping her eyes locked on it, Hermione pulled her T-shirt off, barely noticing Ron jump back in the edge of her vision. She wrapped her hand in her shirt twice and stood on a chair next to the closet, reaching up and hearing Harry's sharp inhalation of recognition, as loud as a violent wave crashing on the rocks. She gingerly stepped back down, and knelt on the floor, tilting the diadem in her covered hands. Inside the metal, the old Ravenclaw saying was engraved, confirming what she held in her hands was too good to be true, but her mouth was too dry to say it out loud. Hermione looked up – Ron was confused, but Harry stared at the horcrux with an intensity Hermione had never seen before.
"Harry?" she asked, a flicker of fear running through her heart and returning her voice. She looked at Ron and nodded towards Harry; understanding, he approached and clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder. It worked; Harry blinked and he looked at Ron and then Hermione, for confirmation.
She held the diadem out a tiny bit, uncertain how much of the effort to offer it up was due to the horrific Dark magic or the fear she had for Harry. "It – it says it. Rowena Ravenclaw's motto. But –"
"You can feel it," Harry finished for her. Ron reached down toward her, but Hermione shook her head – they didn't need to risk touching it further.
"I'll carry it. We should re-enter the Room. Somewhere less dangerous. You two stay here with it. I'll come back with -"
"Don't say it," Harry said suddenly. "Don't think it. Very calmly. And quickly."
Hermione nodded. "Empty out your bag."
Harry upended his rucksack and Hermione wrapped the diadem carefully in her shirt. Ron took off his sweater and threw it at her. Hermione placed the package carefully in Harry's rucksack, and put Ron's sweater on, picking up the bag gingerly some distance from her body, Ron's sleeve wrapped over her fingers.
"Okay," she said, as calm as she could. "Let's go."
Hermione couldn't tell what a normal walking speed or feel was, anymore – were they walking too slow or too fast? She steadily held Harry's rucksack away from her as Ron lead the way out of the Room.
Harry turned quite steadily in the seventh-floor corridor, and Hermione felt a shadow of a smile cross her face as they re-entered Harry's old DA room. She put the rucksack down on the floor and pulled Ron and Harry back a few steps further from it.
"I'll be back in a moment," she said, watching them stare a hole into Harry's rucksack as she backed out of the Room and started running as fast as she could for Gryffindor Tower, past the indignant Fat Lady, into the empty dorm where her trunk's hexes gave way under a wave of her hand. She dumped her bag out as Harry had just done, and pulled a pillowcase off her bed to wrap the fang in, to ensure several layers it and her.
Hermione was too afraid to run back to the Room with a deadly weapon in her bag – she walked quickly and tried to get her breathing under control as she tried to reopen the DA room, afraid she might find something horrible –
But the scene was the same. Ron and Harry looked towards her as she opened the door and magically locked it behind her.
"Give it to Ron," Harry said. Hermione wondered why he had made this decision, but did not argue – she carefully unpacked the basilisk fang and offered it to Ron.
"Hermione, you cast a Protego over us both," Harry continued quietly. "It might buy us a moment. I'll hold it in place. Do not argue with me!" he ended fiercely, anticipating her complaint. "Hermione, stay where you are."
"Do it, Hermione," Ron said quietly, and she blinked as an angry realisation came to her. They had been talking in the Room while she was gone about how they would –
"Mind empty," Harry said, grabbing her arms and shaking her. "Empty your mind Hermione. Trust me."
She blinked again, and saw Harry looked worried now, rather than her and Ron. Had it -?
She shook her head hard. "Mind empty," Hermione repeated, pulling out her wand. "Protego."
Harry looked relieved, but it was only for a moment – then he quickly turned to his rucksack, Ron holding the fang carefully behind him, as though it –
Mind empty. Hermione cleared her thoughts and focussed all her magic on the two shield charms on her friends.
Harry carefully unpacked the diadem, his sleeves pulled across his fingers as he held it in place on the floor, and –
Ron moved so suddenly, swinging the fang over his head and aimed precisely for the centre sapphire of the diadem. A force from the horcrux exploded out, like a small bomb, throwing Harry and Ron swiftly into the walls, the basilisk fang clattering to the floor. A high-pitched screech filled Hermione's ears and a loud, commanding voice almost burst her eardrums, echoing all around her.
"FOOLS. THE ONLY ITEM THAT COULD HELP YOU, AND YOU DESTROY IT? SIMPLE PEASANT CHILDREN – BUT WITH MY POWER, YOU HAVE A CHANCE –"
Another buzzing entered her ears, distracting her, and Hermione looked away from the diadem to see Harry's wand pointed toward her, a second spell already –
He Petrified her. She fell hard to the floor, incensed with anger, eyes unmovingly watching Ron jump back up. There was no Shield Spell in place; her charm had lifted with the Petrification. He grabbed the fang, running towards the diadem and stabbing it several times. Each movement reduced the screaming in her ears and the thudding in her heart, as splinters of broken gem flew around Ron as he stabbed the diadem, over and over…
And then there was just the buzz of Muffliato, and an uncomfortable thrown out back aching through the Petrification. Harry towered above her, smiling at her knowingly as he lifted the spell.
Her sense had returned, as had an unthinkable, enormous feeling of failure. Hermione covered her face with her hands, unable to move any further through the pain in her back.
"Don't be upset," Harry said.
"It – spoke – Harry, it knew!" she whispered through gasps. "It knew I was –"
"Told you she'd be like this," Ron said; she could hear the roll in his eyes.
"Hermione, of course the ruddy cursed Ravenclaw item was going to have a go at you," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "That's probably why you noticed it in the first place."
Tears streamed down her face as Harry helped her sit up through the twinging muscles by her lower spine.
"Don't cry, Hermione," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "It's a compliment, it thought you were the smartest of us! Bloody hell, if anyone should be upset it's me. 'You have to kill it, Ron, you oblivious dumbass,'" he said, imitating Harry's voice.
"I didn't say that," Harry responded, sounding hurt.
"Well you know what I mean." Ron said, shrugging. "I don't care, I just killed a bit of You-know-who. I feel great." He knelt down beside Hermione and ruffled her hair, making her hiss and swat his hand away – he knew she hated that. "Hermione. We can't all be good at everything. And not all of the horcruxes are Ravenclaw remnants that'll go straight for the witch with half the library packed in her bag. We're going to need to work together on destroying these things. There'll be ones that you'd be better suited to taking on than me, I know it." He patted her on the back and she whelped in pain as he accidentally hit a pulled muscle – Ron withdrew his hand immediately.
"I hit the floor weird – Harry, you threw my back out with that jinx," she huffed, stretching the left side of her torso gingerly and rubbing where the muscle had seized. Hermione didn't want to think about what Ron had said. He was wrong – she was just no good at this, she could tell. It had spoken to Harry and Ron too, but Ron hadn't hesitated. He slammed that basilisk fang into each of the sapphires in the horcrux within a few seconds.
"Alright, let's get you to Madam Pomfrey," Harry said, holding a hand out to help her up.
"I'm not going back to her," Hermione said, crossing her arms. She knew she was being very childish now, but she was too upset to stop. Ron shook his head.
"Not taking this well, are we?" he said, looking at Harry. "Found a hor-crux, but no, that's not good enough for Hermione Granger."
"Hermione, I think I even picked it up earlier this year," Harry said. "When I was hiding the Prince's book. I didn't even notice it at all - you did amazing to see it. I think it must have been charmed to not notice it, or something…we'll need to think about how to overcome that. I doubt each of the horcruxes will sing out to us like a cursed Ravenclaw item would to you."
Hermione flushed angrily, but before she could respond Ron pulled her up by the arm. "I refuse to entertain sulking when we were just so successful," he said flatly. "Go to the hospital wing and get your back fixed. And then we're doing beers by the lake."
She stalked out of the Room as Ron continued muttering under his breath, so mad at herself for being the weakest and most immature of the three of them.
Several hours and muscle relaxant salves later, Hermione approached the tree by the lake that they usually hung out under. Harry, Ginny and Ron were already stuck into butterbeers, stretched out lazily and enjoying the sunset. Maybe that would make this apology less awkward.
"Hi," she said stiffly, sitting down beside Ginny and rummaging around in her bag "I brought gin..."
"Did Madam Pomfrey help?" Harry asked, too casually.
"Yes. Sorry I was being a twat," she forced herself to say. Ron clapped his hands together.
"Don't worry about it," he said bracingly, obviously keen to move on from her pointless tantrum.
"You guys shouldn't be fighting," Ginny said. "It's too peaceful out here to argue."
The warm evening air was very nice, Hermione had to admit. "It is nice. I'm so glad it's summer," she said, unscrewing the cap on her gin. "Is it ok if I come stay at the Burrow soon? Bill asked if I was going to the wedding."
"Of course!" Ginny said, while Ron snorted and agreed, like what Hermione had said was obvious.
"I've only been to one wedding before," Hermione said. "I know how you feel about it, but I'm looking forward to it."
Ginny sighed. "I'm resigned to the fact he's going to marry her," she said, taking the drink Hermione offered.
"I haven't been to any," Harry said. Hermione looked away and sipped her drink. Every time Harry mentioned things like this, it broke her heart – each time, it was absurd she wasn't over it yet, that Harry's life had been so horrible and unfair.
"Wanna be my date, Harry?" she asked teasingly, shifting the sadness with a joke. Harry and Ginny laughed into their drinks; Ron's eyes flickered to her but quickly returned to watching the lake.
Harry jumped up. "I'll have to discuss with my girlfriend," he said, holding his hand out for Ginny, who quickly took it. And then they were gone.
Hermione looked around to see if a Ministry official was approaching, but there were just other students and funeral attendees enjoying the dying sun. Perhaps Harry had noticed Ron's look.
"You shouldn't have said that, Hermione," Ron said suddenly.
"Huh?" she said, looking back at him. "It was a joke, Ron."
He didn't reply, merely frowning at the butterbeer bottle in his freckled hands. "What did you think," Ron eventually said.
Hermione unfolded her crossed legs and stretched them out in front of her. "About today?" she confirmed. He nodded.
She sighed, forcing herself to be more mature than she had been. "Thought you did really good," she said.
"…really?" Ron asked. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Yes," she replied tersely, generosity not extending to repeating her compliment for the benefit of Ron's insecurities. They didn't look at each other, both staring determinedly at the lake.
"Harry was right, though," Ron said. "Wouldn't have happened if you hadn't seen it."
She sighed. That might be true, but it wasn't good enough to only notice a horcrux when they needed to be destroyed. "I hope you're right…about your theory," Hermione clarified. "That some of them will be…that I'll be more helpful for others," Hermione said, squeezing her glass. "And it's not just that I suck at this."
Ron groaned, fishing out another beer. "You worrywart. Don't try to be unhappy, Hermione." He tried to skip the beer cap across the lake, but it merely rolled into the water.
"Ron!" she chided him. "Accio beer cap," she cast, pointing her wand to where it had fallen under the gentle tide. The cap zoomed back into her hand and she flicked it at his head.
"Ow! Oi, you," he grumbled, chucking it back at her. She giggled, catching the cap so it didn't hit her.
"Ah! I caught it!" Her reflexes for stuff like this were normally terrible.
"I'll tell Harry he's got competition for Seeker," Ron said. They both grew quiet as his joke breached a more serious topic.
"Has he talked to you about leaving Hogwarts?" Hermione asked.
"You think he will?" he replied, sounding slightly surprised.
She nodded. "The only reason he was here was because Professor Dumbledore was teaching him. I guess we can wait to raise it until…until after the funeral," she said uncertainly. They were both silent for a moment.
"But then…if you're sure he's going to leave…what does he plan to do about Ginny? Has he said anything to you?" Ron asked. Hermione shook her head.
"But I don't think it's our business, Ron," she said, holding her hands up in a vague surrender motion as he unlocked his jaw, ready to argue with her. "I know – I know she's your sister. But it's their decision."
In the past she would not have treated Ron so gently about his abhorrent attitude towards Ginny and her love life. But Hermione was so tired. She didn't want to fight with Ron anymore. She'd decided over his comatose body in the hospital wing that she would no longer waste her time with Ron fighting. It never achieved anything.
"What about your parents?" he asked suddenly. Hermione blinked. She hadn't expected Ron to bring them up.
"You know what Mum'll be like…this is maybe the one thing Harry doesn't have to worry about, I guess…" Ron trailed off, staring into the grass. Hermione understood his train of thought. She drained her glass and said it quickly.
"I'm going to Obliviate them," she whispered. "I'm going to send them overseas with false memories." She could tell Ron had jerked his head up to look at her, but she focussed on her empty glass.
"I've been lying to them for years. About what was happening in the magical world. There's nothing they can do about it. What good would it do?" She didn't know why she was saying this now, to Ron. They never talked about her family. No one in the magical world ever did - unless it was to be magically prejudiced.
Hermione finally turned her attention from her glass to look at him. His discomfort at the conversation was written all over his face. She wondered why she'd brought this up at all. The sunset and beer must have loosened her senses if she thought Ron was going to have anything sensitive to say about her parents, she thought viciously.
She stood up. "Come on, let's go inside before it gets cold," Hermione said, waving her wand to magically pack her bag. They were halfway back to the castle before Ron finally responded.
"It's the right thing to do," he said suddenly. "If we're with Harry. Death Eaters go after families. They did last time."
"Yep," she replied flatly.
It felt cold, now that the sun had gone down. Everything felt cold, actually, these days, with steadily increasing Dark magic sucking all the warmth out of her. It was like she'd put all of the heat in the world into Draco, into their high proof liquor and angry fighting and fierce kisses, and he had taken it all with him when he fled.