How do I always end up in these situations?
This is what Trinity asked herself as she crept through Tom Riddle Senior's old house.
It had been another of Harry's idea, that maybe he had hid something in there. They, she and her friends, were taking a big risk, considering that now Voldemort knew what they were up to and this was like Voldemort's headquarters.
Dressed in black caprice, a black t-shirt, and black tennis shoes with her hair tied up in a bun, a Muggle device called a 'walky-talky', and her wand lighting her way, Trinity snuck into Tom Riddle Senior's den.
She and her friends had split up almost an hour ago, trying to stick to different sides of the house. Trinity had chosen the west. But she had a sick feeling that they weren't alone.
"Trinity."
Trinity jumped as the walky-talky came to live on her hip. Sure, her mother had been Muggle-born, but she had no use for walky-talkies.
Quickly, she snatched it from her built and held it up to her mouth. "Who's this?"
"Ron. Where are you at?"
"Still in the West Wing. Where's everyone else?"
"Still in their same places."
Trinity froze. She had heard something.
"Trinity are you okay?" Ron's voice whispered over the device.
Looking around, Trinity spotted another door on the other side of the door. "I don't think we're alone," Trinity whispered back as she went through the door, putting out the light on her wand.
She was in a hallway, somewhere else in the house. Lost.
The sound came from within the den now. It sounded as if something was slithering towards her. Quickly she ran down the hallway, checking each of the doors. Each was locked. "I'm being followed," she whispered frantically.
"Where are you?"
"I don't know. I was in the den when I heard the noise. Now I'm in some hallway."
She reached the end of the hallway and entered into the room. A bedroom.
Trinity swiftly crawled into the closet, clutching her wand and her walky-talky to her chest. "I think Nagini's in the house with us," she told Ron.
"The snake?"
"Know any other Nagini's?"
Trinity turned off the walky-talky as she heard the creak of the door opening.
Come out, come out, wherever you are. I hear you breathing.
Trinity placed a hand over her nose and mouth, trying to quiet her breathing and her pounding heart. She understood the snake. How? Merlin that was supposed to be Harry's area of work.
Come out, come out, came the hiss again.
Trinity pressed her back harder against the back of the closet as the slithering came closer. Snake's couldn't open closets could they? Apparently so. This one had opened the doors to the den, the hallway, and the bedroom.
She closed her eyes as a shadow stopped in front of her hiding place. As the door began to open, Trinity fell backward.
Stifling her scream, she twisted onto her stomach as she slid down a hidden passageway, heading to who knows where. A couple minutes later, she hit a square shape door and fell through, landing on a hard wood floor.
"Who's there? I'm not afraid to fight you!"
"Ron?"
"Trinity?"
Trinity hopped to her feet and ran to the wand light, jumping into Ron's arms.
"I was so worried," Ron said, running his hand up and down her back. "You weren't responding. I thought I lost you."
"I had to turn it off," she said, pressing her face into Ron's shoulder. "The freaking snake was talking to me, Ron! It almost found me."
Ron lifted his up his walky-talky and changed the channel like Harry had taught them. One arm still wrapped around Trinity's waist, he pressed the button. "Harry," he whispered into it.
"What's up? Did you get a hold of Trinity?" Harry said.
"Yeah, she's right next to me. Harry, his snake is in here with us. It talked to Trinity."
There was silence. "All right, here's what we're going to do. Nagini is the other Horcrux. There probably won't be another time to get rid of her. Hermione is somewhere in the North wing. I want you to find her and get outside. I'll meet you out there."
Trinity's ears pricked as she heard the sound of something sliding down the hidden passageway. She snatched the walky-talky from Ron and turned it off saying, "Turn your wand off."
"What?"
Taking a deep breath, Trinity transformed again, turning back into a panther. She could see in the dark now. Tugging at Ron's sleeve with her teeth, she led him out of what appeared to be the ballroom.
He followed her blindly down an empty hallway, heading in the direction of the North Wing. The snake was following them, she could hear it. She and Ron rushed into a room and Ron closed the door behind them.
"What in the world?"
Trinity transformed back to normal in front of the amazed Hermione. "You're a – a –" she spluttered.
"I'll explain later," Trinity said. "Right now you guys have to get out of here. Call Harry and tell him where I am, where Nagini is."
"The three of us have to get out of here, Trin," Ron said. "What do you expect to do?"
"I'm going to hold her off so you guys can get away."
"Trin –"
"It'll be fine, Ron."
Nagini's shadow stopped outside of the room they were in. Trinity transformed back into a panther. Roaring at Ron and Hermione she turned towards the door as it opened.
Ron and Hermione ran. Nagini came in.
So, little one has a big secret, the snake hissed.
Trinity growled angrily. Let's just get this over with, she thought to herself.
The snake rose, hissing at her, and lunged.
Harry POV
Harry rushed towards the North Wing, trying to take the route Ron and Hermione had given him. He reached the ballroom, running through the opposite door and into a hallway.
The loud sound of hissing and growling reached his ear and he headed for the door at the end of the hallway, his wand held out in front of him. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.
There, in the center of a large dining area, was Trinity as a panther and Nagini the snake, fighting viciously. Trinity had the large snake's tail trapped between her teeth. The snake rose up and lunged.
Harry shouted out a warning but it was in vain. The snake's teeth entered into Trinity's side. Trinity gave a loud roar of pain, releasing the tail. Nagini let go of Trinity and slid into a corner.
You're just like me now, girl, it hissed. The snake's eyes turned to Harry. It almost looked like it was grinning. Tell me, Harry Potter, how far are you willing to go to destroy Voldemort.
As far as it takes, Harry hissed back.
Does that include letting your friend die?
Angrily, Harry raised his wand and shot Nagini with the Horcrux destroying spell. The snake writhed around, withering down to nothing. A wisp of smoke came from her body. A bit of Voldemort's soul.
Harry rushed to Trinity, who had fallen to her side and was transforming back to her normal self. Her side where Nagini had bit her was bleeding.
"Trinity, are you okay?" he said, slipping his hands under her arms.
She nodded slightly. "Never eat snake, Harry," she said, weakly.
Harry gave her a small smile, lifting her to her feet. "We got to go, this place will be swarming with Death Eaters in a minute."
He pulled her outside to where the others were waiting. Ron rushed forward to help hold up Trinity, who didn't look well at all. Together, the four friends Apparated back to the castle.