Driven by Challenges
Lady Countryrose
Ch. 18
After dinner, Albus Dumbledore had waved for Hermione and Lyra to follow him into his office. Where they sat before his desk. Only to give them some sad news.
"Sadly, Mrs. Pettigrew has been dead since the beginning of school." He gave out a sigh. "I don't know what to do."
Hermione glanced at Lyra, before voicing, "We know how to stop him."
"How," Dumbledore asked with a plea in his eyes.
"Horcruxes," supplied Lyra. "He has made five at this time."
"Dear lord," Dumbledore rushed out of his seat. Pacing across his office. "How can we destroy them?"
It was the first time in all the years that Hermione Granger had seen Albus Dumbledore. It was the first time that he looked unhinged. Ready to strike at anyone, who tells him something else that could go wrong.
"There is a Basilisk in the castle," added Hermione.
Albus Dumbledore was not happy. "What do we need to do?" His eyes full of heated glare.
Hermione shook her head. "No, old man, you are not getting yourself killed." She looked around the office. "We need a few roosters and the sword of Gryffindor."
"I don't have an option, do I," Albus asked. Before, he had gotten up and grabbed the sword. A few moments later, he came back and gave it to Lyra. "As for roosters, you can transfigure something into a few, can't you?"
Hermione smiled, "I can." She turned towards Lyra. "Are you ready to start this?"
Lyra had taken a deep breath. "As ready as I am going to be."
The two turned to the headmaster. "Wish us luck." Before they disappeared from sight and silenced their feet. Then they left the office.
Hermione had held onto Lyra's arm. As she led her to the cursed girls' bathroom. Once inside, they canceled their spells. Then she walked towards the sink with a hidden snake and hissed it to open. Only to be surprised at how it had opened.
"Are you sure that you're ready," asked Hermione.
Lyra turned towards her, with a glare in her eyes. "Stop it Mia. We have a job to do, and it starts tonight. We will be facing Him soon and I would like to knock him down. Before we have to face him."
"You are definitely a Gryffindor." Hermione nodded and took a deep breath. Then jumped down the hole. Just before, she heard Lyra following her down.
The two had collected themselves before walking towards the vault looking door. Hermione had found a couple of rocks and turned them to roosters. She silenced them, just as they were formed. Before going to the vault door, where she had hissed it to open again. The dark underground opened up to a worshiping looking area of snakes.
"Salazar Slytherin's chamber of secrets," whispered Hermione softly.
She noticed that Lyra shivered. "Let's get this done," she hissed out.
They walked to a column and brought the roosters with them. Hermione cast a loud sound, only to hear something moving towards them, with a hiss. When they heard it was within a few yards from them. Hermione un-silenced the roosters and cast a sun charm in the middle of the chamber. Causing them to cry out and the sound of something slither and whip around the chamber. Before, a large thump had sounded.
Once the sounds had ended. Hermione turned the roosters back into rocks. Just as Lyra scraped the sword over the poison fangs. Watching as the venom smeared on the steel. Lyra then laid the sword down on the ground to keep herself from cleaning it.
Hermione whipped out her wand and took a couple of fangs. She then took a rock and made a bag out of it. Then placed the fangs into it.
"Should we," Hermione had started to ask.
Lyra sighed, "Might as well start on it."
The two had gone up the Room of Requirement and destroyed the diadem. Before going back to the headmaster's office. They had given him the sword back.
"In the morning, I want you to plan to be here," stated Albus.
Hermione spoke up, "I would like to bring Lily. We promised that we would put wards up at her home. She's afraid that the Death Eater would come and kill them."
Albus Dumbledore nodded his head. "When did you say you would do it?"
"About Christmas break," answered Lyra.
Albus groaned, "Tom really does know how to mess with people's time." Then he dismissed the two of them.
Hermione glanced towards Lyra, as they walked the halls. "I hope this doesn't bite us in the asses for this."
Lyra huffed, "You Brits better be lucky I know what y'all talking about."
Hermione giggled, "I forgot how American you are," she fired back.
The two were back in the common room. Only to be relieved that they were alone. They two made it to the dorms and fell asleep. It was a long day.