AN: Don't worry, Ernand will be back soon for Hermione…I just wanted the trio to have a little adventure and up the stakes with Ron a bit. Make that "poor ickle ronniekins"!

Chapter VIII: The Lost Tunnel

The next morning the trio headed up higher into the mountains after transfiguring their spare shoes into snowshoes. The terrain was quite treacherous at times and more than once Hermione lost her balance. Ron was quick to catch her, but even he had to watch his footing at time. Harry almost fell into a hole, and Hermione had made them stop to further examine it. Sadly, it was just that – a hole.

"Maybe we should try searching another pass." Ron said as he bit into his lunch.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I think its here. If we haven't found anything by tomorrow, we'll try the next day."

Ron nodded. Harry simply sat staring at his food. A roll with some meat slices in it.

"Harry, you need to eat." Hermione told him.

"Not hungry." He replied.

"Doesn't matter. It's cold up here, and we're using all our energy." She said a matter of factly. "We'll try the other side once we're done here."

Harry grumbled then took a bite.

As they packed up and hoisted their packs back on, Hermione suddenly stared along the ridge that formed from the side up into other peaks. "What if it isn't a door we're looking for?"

The two boys stared at her.

"I mean, what if it's something else…we only know that that the tunnel leads here, but nothing was said about where the door was. Actually, it's just supposed to be…"

Ron suddenly raced back to the rock he had been sitting against. He had felt the ridge of something bother his lower backside throughout his meal, but hadn't bothered moving since it was so cold. "Look!" He said pointing. Sure enough, it seemed to be a carving.

Hermione gasped. "We need to dig more." She said in reference to all the snow. She got down on her knees next to Ron and the two started digging at the snow.

Harry looked out around them. "We're completely covered here. There's no one to see us even without the shield."

Hermione nodded, but continued a figure emerged on the rock. It was a royal crest. "This is it! It has to be! Harry, look for more."

After an hour the trio had found three more, seeming to form trail of sorts. By nightfall they found themselves having followed the ridge toward another peak which was shadowed by the other. Knowing they were close but couldn't continue, they marked their spot and then headed for lower ground to find a place to set up for the night. Once in the forest again they were out of the snow.

When they had finished dinner, Harry and Ron set for getting ready for bed. Their tent and bags had been set up before they started cooking, and now the boys were left wondering why Hermione wasn't getting in the tent to change yet.

"I just want to do some light reading," She told them as she pointed to the book on her lap. She had taken her old headlamp out and put in around her head (the best source for light when out there for days). She opened the book to a marked page and began reading, waiting for her necklace to cast its signal.

About an hour later she felt it. She had heard the boys start snoring a while before, and carefully got up to leave. Seeing the tissue paper nearby (the boys left it carelessly about), she took it in case they awoke and saw her gone.

"We found it, well, actually, a trail of markings." She told Ernand in a whisper a few minutes later. She had traveled quite a distance into the forest but still worried about voices carrying. "We believe they lead to the entrance.

He nodded. "My wraith contact called to me today. He said there are quite a few people stationed around the castle, but only found three Deatheaters inside. There are also a few people tending to the castle, so you'll have to be very careful inside. He checked the tunnel, too, but didn't find anyone in it or nearby. He also told me that the tunnel leads into a servants quarters, one that is not being used. He doesn't know where the Horcrux is, but does know that they are guarding the library and one of the upstairs bedrooms quite carefully."

A few minutes later, Hermione set back for camp.

Meanwhile, Ron had awoken and decided to check on Hermione. Not seeing her reading lamp on, he carefully got out of the tent, wand ready in his hand.

He looked around, but saw nothing. He listened for any signs of danger, but only heard the sounds of nature…and something else? Worry started to set in just as Hermione suddenly came through the trees without her lamp on.

"Where were you?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Using the loo!" She answered abruptly. But her flushed cheeks told him something else.

"I thought I heard voices."

"You were mistaken, Ronald." She replied.

Something was not right, Ron thought. "Are you coming to bed now?"

Hermione nodded. "Just let me put my book away."

Hermione followed Ron into the tent a few minutes later. Like the other nights they had spent, Hermione's bag was placed in the middle of her two friends. She unzipped her jacket after taking off her shoes, and then crawled into her bag. Tomorrow was going to be quite the day. Dangerous.

As they were packing up the next day, Hermione reminded Harry and Ron to keep their headlamps in their pockets.

"You mean the torches, Mione?"

"Muggles call them headlamps, at least, the camping kind. They'll be the best sources of light in the tunnel." While hers was more of quality, the boys had to pick theirs up at the market.

The boys finished packing the only items they needed for the tunnel while Hermione hid the rest of their belongings and cast a spell over them.

Before they set off Hermione went to the "loo" again, after the boys did the same, and Ron took the opportunity to tell Harry what happened the night before.

"I'm telling you, Harry, I heard her talking to someone."

Harry frowned. "Ron, you can't be suggesting that Hermione is a traitor?"

"No! Of course not! But I know I heard something."

"Perhaps it was nothing. Or maybe she's been contacting Ginny. I know I lost my mirror sometime ago, after Ginny tried to convince me to take it. I asked her if she had the other, but she never replied."

"When did Ginny say this?" It was news to Ron.

Harry turned red. "Er, it was when I first arrived and tried talking with her those couple of times. Sorry I didn't tell you, but I really didn't see the point."

Ron thought about it and figured it to be the only logical explanation. Hermione must have Harry's mirror. "Would explain why she always goes off for quite awhile." He whispered to Harry. "And the time she stayed behind to go in the gardens. Maybe she did it then, too! Maybe she's just trying to let Ginny know we're okay."

Little did the boys know, but Hermione heard their conversation. Relief came when Harry mentioned the mirror. She hoped they wouldn't confront her, as she knew she couldn't lie very well to them. And if they thought otherwise, she couldn't tell them about Ernand and would have to risk their distrust. Would it ever come to that? Hermione shook her head. No, their friendship was solid. She would have to make them believe something, however. Maybe it would be the truth. In a matter of speaking.

The three trekked up the mountain once again, knowing this was likely the final time.

"I found it!" Harry cried an hour later. He had been digging in the snow while Hermione and Ron went to see if there was yet another marking even though they were sure they had found the final one. The two scrambled over to where Harry was and got their day packs on.

Harry and Ron opened the trap door as Hermione got out her headlamp and cast the light inside. They saw a small ladder but couldn't see the bottom of the shaft.

"Whose first?" Hermione asked.

"I'll go," Ron offered. He got out his own torch and used to help him look down during his descent. The ladder was still strong yet rusty, and he told his friends that it would still carry all their weight.

Hermione went next, then Harry who closed the door above them. He paused as he did, then called to Hermione who was only a few steps down. "Should I cast a spell to cover it?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, it was snowing when we left and it looked as if a storm is coming, so we should be fine. We don't want it to be too heavy, in case we need to leave this way."

"What about disapparating out?" He asked. But he knew the answer. If Voldemort had in fact left the castle guarded, then likely wards were put up to prevent apparating within or disapparating out of the castle. He noticed that Hermione was already continue down the ladder and followed suit.

The descent took quite some time and Hermione called out when they reached 100. As the one in the middle, she was in charge of this task. They needed to know, just in case.

When they reached the bottom Hermione told them it was exactly 384 (an: the exact number I gave suggestion for Hermione's seat in Falling for Celebrity II – thought I would use it here :P).

"We're going to have a heck of a climb up if we need to leave this way."

"Better leaving without them knowing we're here at all," Hermione said. She couldn't tell them what Ernand had told her, but would have to find some way of them finding out that Deatheaters were protecting the cup.

"Wait," She told the boys who were ready to continue their journey. "We don't know if we'll be able to use magic inside the castle without being detected. We should make a cup, just like the one we need to take." She took off her pack and reached inside, then pulled out her toothbrush. "Harry, can you make this look exactly like the one Dumbledore showed you?"

Harry nodded. He took his wand out and easily cast the spell. Hermione and Ron marveled at the cup. "Good thing we were able to do this here. Don't think I would have fancied going back up those steps again."

"Me neither, mate." Ron added as Hermione nodded. They had already agreed to not leave each others site again once entering the tunnel. This included any bathroom breaks. All modesty would have to be forgotten from hereon. (an: Hey, you know what it's like going out with a buddy in the wilderness when said buddy is a student as I'm usually the only female instructor? I do! Modesty is out!)

Hermione had figured that wizards weren't used to muggle technology, and wouldn't be tracking them. To save battery power, even though they took spares, they only used one headlamp to forge ahead. Wands were out, just in case.

They walked down the tunnel for what seemed hours. A noise startled them, it was only a rat but Hermione jumped and Ron tentatively took her hand. None of them were anxious to find out what other creatures lurked about, but they did occasionally shine the light around to make sure nothing was amiss. They also saw a few carvings along the wall, and at first the boys wanted to ignore them in order to make it to the castle. Hermione insisted that they try and read them, but in the dark it was hopeless. And Harry and Ron wouldn't wait for her to drag her "torch" out.

They traveled up and down, left and right, sometimes small, rough steps were laid out on the tunnel floor. Ron almost tripped over the first one, and was more cautious after that. Eventually they came across a long circular staircase before finally coming across a door. It had no handle or anything on it, and the three searched for some sort of hidden release to open it.

It was Hermione who finally did, and the door opened without a sound. They paused, not sure what they would find on the other side. They turned off the flashlight and stepped forward. Nothing happened. No Deatheaters waiting, nothing. Hermione was the first to go forward, and they found themselves in a closet.

Only a few discarded items from long ago remained in it, enough to help their comfort it they should find the need to spend the night. Hermione shivered at the thought. No, they had to get out of there. Apparating to the location of their gear and then to the car was their plan. Hopefully no one would suspect them escaping to such a nearby location. She took a quick glance at her watch. It was only mid-afternoon. Plenty of time.

Once they were certain no one was nearby, they entered the servant's chamber from the closet door. The room was empty except for a bed with blankets on it from long ago. Ernand had told her the castle had been vacant for only a couple of decades, so it really wasn't surprising.

"I'll go check out the area." Harry offered in a low voice. "We need to know if this area has gone unused."

"Look for dust and prints, Harry." Hermione suggested.

Harry nodded. "Likely those that are here are using the more…prestigious rooms."

Hermione wanted to offer that there were only a few people likely in the castle, but then he would ask how she knew.

As if wondering about the same thing, "If only we knew how many of them are here," Ron said.

Hermione nodded, and he figured she was probably thinking the same. Harry donned his invisibility cloak on and slowly opened the door, his wand ready, leaving Hermione and Ron alone.

Hermione pulled out her own wand, but after a few minutes decided to sit on the bed. It was near enough the trap door, and she mentally thought of a strong locking spell to ward the door in case they needed to make a hasty retreat. She then decided to remind Ron of the same spell, in case she didn't have a chance to say it quickly enough…or not at all.

Harry wandered around the corridor outside after muttering a spell over his feet and his breath. He wanted to get a good feel for the layout before taking his friends out here with him. Everything was as empty as the bedroom, only a few disregarded items and furniture about in the room and nothing in the corridors except a couple of old boxes. He didn't dare open them now, and continued on. As Hermione had suggested, he noted the thickness of dust on everything and kept checking for consistency.

Harry stopped when he heard something from down the hall, leading to what he expected was a main section of the castle. He proceeded cautiously, minding where he was. He didn't want to get lost.

As he got closer he realized that voices were coming from the main kitchen. There were two men, one sitting and one cleaning something in the sink. They were dressed like muggles, the kind who didn't frequent the cities too much. He was surprised to hear them speaking English, but only one seemed to have an accent so he figured the other didn't know the native language.

"I'm telling you, Cain," The one with the accent said. "Don't care what they say. I'm going home tonight. I miss my wife, and my daughter is going back to the University after the weekend."

"They shouldn't mind, they're only paying us to clean and tend to the castle, don't know what the bloody hell they're doing here." The other said in a British accent.

"Wonder what's so important with the castle that they want us here. No one has come snooping around. The bloody castle has been deserted for some time. Although some say its haunted, I say they're up to matters we don't want to find out about anyhow. And they can let those guards they have come take a look around later if they want."

The other nodded, but kept at his task. "Well, if you're going, then I'm going, too. They promised we wouldn't have to stay more than four nights a week, and it's been a week for me and you both."

"Well, then, hurry up…I'll go take another look upstairs and then take you to your inn."

Harry watched the one man leave and decided to head back to where Hermione and Ron were to give them the news. He'd have another look around the deserted area, too.

Meanwhile

After waiting some time Ron finally decided to sit down next to Hermione. He could feel his heart racing just sitting next to her, without Harry around.

"Mione?"

"Yes, Ron."

"Er," He paused. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say, or rather how to say it. "The wedding was nice, wasn't it."

Hermione looked at him awkwardly. Why would he bring that up? "Yes, Ron, it was. You and your family did a lovely job preparing for it."

"Thanks. You…you looked very beautiful, Mione." He gulped. Why had he said that? She was going to laugh at him for sure!

Instead she blushed. "You already told me that. You didn't have to say it again."

"But you did! Er, you always do."

"I do?"

"Hermione, I…"

Just then Harry opened the door and crept inside, his invisibility cloak already taken off and held around one arm. "Hey, you won't believe what I saw." He told them.

Now that I've finally edited this chapter and started the next, I can definitely tell you there will be more Ernand and his "adventure" with Snape. It's still in plotting phase, so any ideas/suggestions are welcome! And Hermione finds a surprise with her "necklace". I hope this chapter wasn't too boring...but I love trekking so was inspired from knowing what it's like out there.