A/N- I give thanks to my beta Excessivleyperky for her continued help with this story. I also want to thank everyone who has reviewed, for every new review I find, I jump for joy and write another paragraph. LOL. Sorry for the wait, it should not take so long for the next chapter.

Note- Now irrevocably AU due to HBP.

Disclaimer- Alas, not mine. :Sobs silently to herself:

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Chapter 21- Inside the Booming Room

It all happened too fast, at least in her mind. The moment the door closed, a magical wave seemed to pass over her like a breeze, and an eerie silence sheathed the room in its wake. Everything was silent. Everything in the room became motionless. The water from the fountain hung in the air like ice, the chimes in the air stilled, the many clocks stopped ticking, the fans came to a halt, and the train stopped where it was- its small trail of smoke unwavering. She felt oddly like she was in a picture. It was rather unnerving, and she felt primal fear ebb its way into her mind. Yet, in spite of her fear, in spite of her hopelessness, Hermione had a precious moment of silence to think. It wasn't real. The fear, the hopelessness, the grim acceptance, and the desire to do nothing; none of it was real.

That fact seated itself deeply inside her mind, when a small whistle began. At first it was soft, barely audible at all. Then, slowly, gradually, it became louder. It was similar to that of a teakettle when it was done brewing, yet oddly, higher pitched. The sound continued to get louder, began to hurt her ears as it grew, and she struggled against her magically induced captivity. It was so loud…Thankfully she felt her bonds fade away and she put her hands to her ears to help deafen the noise. It still grew louder. The high-pitched whistle soon became deafening, its screeching going straight through0 her body with its vibrations. The atrocious sound lasted for minutes, how many she could not tell. Make it stop, She pressed her hands as tight as she possibly could to her head, whimpering out a "Please…"

As if the room was actually listening to her, the whistling suddenly stopped, making her ears hum from the sudden loss. She waited a moment, and waited to see if the sound would return. When it did not, she shakily dropped her hands from her ears, and breathed in a sigh of relief. She slowly stood up from her spot in the room, and noticed that everything was motionless. Not even the water had moved. Now that she was fully free, she could look at her surroundings a bit better. The room was astonishingly beautiful, even more so with the stillness it now held. Everything except for her looked like it had gone through some sort of time paralysis. Even the crystals from the chimes held their wind-blown pose as they hung suspended in the air. After taking a deep breath, she turned to look at the sculpture of the snake and drew near it. For a moment she stared at it before she remembered its significance. It was Constance's words before she left her there to die… No, better not to think of it… She clenched her jaw and glared at the statue.

She could still hear the cold voice of the woman. In the eye of the snake is a small camera, not that you will remember in a few minutes, but it is there. "I won't let you have this. No matter what happens to me, I won't let you have this." Slowly she drew out her wand. She would not give that mad woman the satisfaction of seeing her suffer through whatever tortures this room held. The room was breathtaking, but from what she heard from Constance, it was maddening, and possibly fatal.

She pointed it at the snake's head, the incantation played on her tongue, her breath drawn to recite it and… VWUM! Before she could speak the incantation, the sudden deep, metallic sound reverberated through the room with such force she found herself sprawled on the ground and more than a few feet away from where her wand had landed. She groaned. She pushed herself off the ground, failing to notice the fact that the chimes were once again animated. Just as she took her first step towards her wand, she was once again catapulted to the floor. VWUM! The water from the fountain unfroze and started to fall again, and she realized that the things in the room started up again with every wave. She rolled onto her back, and waited for the next wave.

VWUM! The fans began to spiral almost immediately. She was right. She decided she would simply wait out whatever it was that was happening. VWUM! She felt the pressurized wave wash over her, and watched as every clock in the room began to tick. Only one more… VWUM! She gave a slight whimper as the next wave passed and then gave a sigh of relief when she heard the train start to move on the track, briefly listening to the 'thump, thump, thump' as it passed over the cross rails, which oddly seemed to be placed in such an order that the 'thump, thump, thump' was never-ending. Just as the train would pass the last tire, it would start over again. Somehow, she couldn't shake the thought that it might be deliberate.

It had been a full minute since the last wave hit, so she climbed back up on her feet and dove at her wand. She laughed triumphantly as she held it in her hand and once again pointed it at the statue. "Don't think I am going to forget that easily." She gave a slight swish of her wand. "Marm-" VWUM!

She cried out as she hit the floor, already feeling as if she were entirely covered in bruises. Thankfully her wand was not far from her. Was there something else in the room she hadn't thought about that needed reanimation? She could have sworn she had spotted everything… She sighed and got on her knees. VWUM! What the… Wait… Out of sheer luck she landed on her wand. She moved so that she could grab it at ease, and waited. Something told her that her ordeal was not yet over. VWUM!

She was right. She rolled on her back again, intent on waiting it out again. VWUM! Except… What was the wave doing now? It had a purpose before… But… There was nothing else to reanimate in the room. VWUM! What was going on? Her mind was getting more and more clouded with emotions that were not her own. There was only one there that she could identify as her own. Panic. It wasn't the best of emotions, but darn it, in this situation, she very well had the right to be panicked. VWUM! She growled in frustration when her brain couldn't answer the question of why the waves were now coming. They made no sense… Even in a psychotic place as this, everything had some point to them, no matter how strange it might be. VWUM!

Blast it, but that wave was starting to make her feel nauseous. VWUM! Well, that was sooner than expected… VWUM! Was it just her, or was everything starting to get louder? VWUM! Not to mention faster… VWUM! Yes, it was definitely getting VWUM! louder, she could now hear the VWUM! ticking of the clocks clearly. VWUM! Not to mention that VWUM! the waves were only about VWUM! two seconds apart now.

VWUM! The sensation was starting to VWUM! make her stomach churn. VWUM! Oh gods! Please… VWUM! She turned on her side, curling her legs closer to her chest. VWUM! A small whimper escaped her mouth as the sickness in her stomach grew, and grasped her knees even tighter. VWUM! She couldn't hold back anymore, it was getting to be too much. VWUM! The entire room became louder with every pulse. VWUM! Everything had become a dull roar, the sounds blending into each other. VWUM!

The soothing sounds of chimes blending into water, blending into the buzzing sound of the fans and the ticking of the clocks until each sound was no longer recognizable as individual. VWUM! Something just occurred to her. VWUM! She couldn't hear the train above anything else. VWUM! How much louder could it honestly get? VWUM! She had to ask didn't she? VWUM! She clenched her eyes together in wait for the next wave… And… Waited?

Nearly thirty seconds passed, and still no waves came. She eyed the statue again, wincing at the roar that now surrounded her. She grabbed her wand, and pointed at it from where she was on the floor, half crawling towards it, half slithering on her stomach. Finally she was where she needed to be for the spell to work. "Marmoris ab lapideum dilabi!" Almost instantly the statue looked like it had just been cut up by a shredder, and fell to the ground, piece by piece. She cried out and dropped her wand again in favor of covering her ears as the thunderous sound of falling stone filled the room. The water, now without direction, spewed everywhere, including soaking Hermione, but she didn't care. "You won't have me on your walls. YOU WON'T!"

VWUM! What? VWUM! More? VWUM! Her stomach gave a violent lurch. VWUM! The wave was no VWUM! longer two seconds in VWUM! between the pulses. VWUM! It was going faster. VWUM! And now… VWUM! She found out why she VWUM! couldn't hear the VWUM! train before. It wasn't amplified VWUM! from the previous waves.

VWUM! VWUM! VWUM! VWUM! VWUM! The waves came in quick succession, coming so quickly Hermione felt as though she was going to be torn apart from the pressure. VWUM! VWUM! VWUM!

She cried out as she again curled into a fetal position. VWUM! VWUM! VWUM! She could no longer tell if the wetness on her face was simply from the spray off from the fountain, or if the water was mingling with her tears. The waves seemed to intensify, coming faster until it seemed there was absolutely no time in between. VWUM! VWUM! VWUM!

Then… It stopped. Without warning, and it made her stomach twist painfully. She now knew… As she now heard the train… The Booming Room. She now knew why it was called this. The thumps the train made as it hit the track before now sounded like reverberating booms. It was like an outside induced migraine, and she found herself sobbing from the sheer pain of it. None too soon she found out why the clocks were set to different times. A loud DONG! bellowed throughout the room as one hit the marked time. As it continued, she lost her battle of wills with her stomach, and found herself losing the contents of it. She rolled over until she was propped up on her knees and did her best to bury her head. It was a long while before she lost herself to unconsciousness.

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He sat in his chair and stared at the covered painting in front of him. He still had two weeks before the 'anniversary' of that night. Why couldn't the memories wait until then? Damnable old man… He steepled his fingers and put his joined thumbs to his lips. What to do…

It had been a year… An entire year since Draco had come to him for help. The boy had been frightened, assuming that he would help him, but not knowing for sure. The boy had no idea that he had been working for Dumbledore, and had risked his life on even going to him. Not that it mattered, just a few short weeks later…

Snape growled at the memory and jumped to his feet and stalked away from the painting, only to find himself pacing the floor. He would not face the boy. Not even if it were just his painting. Not after his betrayal. Not after he had given his word… HIS WORD… Obviously, it had meant nothing to him. He stopped pacing and took a deep breath. He forced his mind to become blank, grabbed his cloak and headed out towards Hogwarts Cadacum Heroicus Ut Procare. Fallen 'Heroes' indeed. In his mind, it was not at all heroic to save those who had no intention, nor wanted to be saved.

It took him nearly fifteen minutes to reach the ominous looking building. Standing at two stories high, made of black stone, it had a tall gate that went to its ceiling with glowing letters that held the initials CHUP and a silver embossing three sizes smaller that spelled out the full Cadacum Heroicus Ut Procare. He stood a moment to look at it. He idly watched as the vines swayed and moved about the building, charmed to look as if they had a life of their own. He sighed and entered the building, and took note the moment he entered at the layers of dust. He felt the corner of his lip curl up into a sneer and retrieved his wand out of his robe. "Constantia Akoniti." The dust from the place immediately vanished and he strode to his destination, and muttered, "One would think this place would have more visitors, considering."

He passed the statues of fallen Aurors, until he reached the small sub-room within. He paused at the entry to read the inscription surrounding the door, not unlike that of the Mirror of Erised. Liberi, furtivus immititer per malum. How… Very dramatic of them to put that there. What was it with the all the bloody Latin anyway? Wouldn't have been easier to have just written 'Children, stolen mercilessly through evil,' instead of the Latin version of the same? Honestly, not even in the more magical communities did everyone know Latin. No wonder this place had been half abandoned.

The thought forced another sigh from his lips. It was sad really, that no one seemed to care enough of the sacrifices by the unknowns. Of course, the Ministry never made it well known about their sacrifices; they only listed the numbers for both sides. Twelve Aurors, six officials and three students fell before He-who-triumphed became victorious. They had once again focused all their attentions on Potter. He hadn't been surprised; in fact he had expected it.

He finally reached his destination. It was a minute dark corner in the small offset room where a tall statue stood with an encased tomb behind it. It was a foot taller than he was, and stood there proudly. He felt himself begin to shake and put his hand out to brace himself against the stone wall next to the memorial. It was carved perfectly, long hair tied back into a ponytail at the base of its neck with a few strands falling into its face. The figure was clad in quidditch robes and held a broom to the floor in one hand, and a wand loosely held in the other. A permanent smirk was carved on its lips with a slightly raised brow.

He stood away from the wall and clenched his fists next to his side as he moved closer to the statue. He narrowed his eyes. "Why… Why in the world did you do it?" He moved to sit on the ground, blankly gazing at the lifelike statue and lost himself to memory.

The statue stated; 'He proved himself true and fought his own Father, giving his life in the end for another. Forever bound in heart and memory, he lies forever loved upon Hogwarts grounds. Here lies Draco Malfoy, the true hero.'

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Constantia Akoniti- remain without dust

Cadacum Heroicus; ut Procare. – Fallen heroes; whose sacrifice made evil fall(basically)

Marmoris ab lapideum dilabi - Statue of Stone, fall to pieces.

(Forgive grammar or wording, I am not an expert in Latin)

A/N- Chapter 22 has already been written and I am currently working on chapter 23. The wait should not be nearly so long for the next chapter. As always, please review, it never fails to inspire.