"What?" Neville asked, stepping back towards us. I glanced at Ron and George, they stepped nearer me.
"We need to get a few fangs, but some of us need to stay here, keep the others safe."
"You two go, Fred and I'll stay." Ron said, backing up and looking at the others. I nodded my head, gripping George's hand in my own.
"How will we get the chamber open though? None of us are Parsel tongue." I asked, realizing the problem.
"I heard Harry say open when he did the locket, I could show you how."
"Wait," I said, grabbing out my wand. "Focus on that memory," he nodded his head, his eyes looking distant. I put my wand to his head and cast the spell that would copy the memory. I pulled my wand away and a silvery stream followed it. George summoned a vial out of thin air and I poured the memory into it.
"Okay, let's go." I said, turning back to Ron before I left. "Keep everyone safe, and don't get hurt." He nodded his head before stepping back over to Fred. I gripped George's hand again and dropped the vial in my pocket.
"Can you show us how to get out of here?" I asked, turning towards Neville.
"Yeah, right over here."
We followed him to a corner, where a small cupboard opened onto a steep staircase. "It comes out somewhere different every day, so they've never been able to find it," Neville said. "Only trouble is, we never know exactly where we're going to end up when we go out. Be careful, guys, they're always patrolling the corridors at night."
"Thanks, mate." George said, shaking his hand. "We'll be good." A smile quirked his lips up as I opened the cupboard door. "No one knows this school better than Fred and me." I stepped into the cupboard, almost laughing as I remembered the nursery rhyme 'old mother Hubburd.' Well, this cupboard was no longer bare.
George climbed in beside me and shut the door. We waited a moment and then I reached out and pushed the back wall, it gave way and I pushed it open. A clear, open hall greeted us and we slowly stepped out. We were somewhere on the third corridor, I recognized the hallway instantly. I'd never have trouble remembering this space, not after our escapade in first year, I still had nightmares about it.
"Okay, we're going to need to find some brooms first." George said quietly, emerging from the cupboard beside me.
"Brooms?" I asked, hating the way my voice shook. I'd just flown on a bloody dragon, a broom shouldn't be a problem for me.
"Yeah, according to Harry and Ron the Chamber of Secrets doesn't have any way of getting back out unless you can fly."
"Oh, right." George stepped up beside me and laid an arm on my shoulder, he was looking me in the eye and it was making me pleasantly warm. Adrenaline always made me want to smother him, but now was not the time.
"This way, Hermione." He said, tugging my arm and heading down the empty corridor. "Remember, be quiet and quick, we don't want to get caught."
"No, that would be bad." I said, following him as quietly as I could.
"You're with me, you've got nothing to worry about, I never get caught." George said, catching my hand in his. He stopped in front of a closet, a grin quirking his lips. I stepped forward and opened the door, stepping into the closet. A crash sounded at the other end of the hall and I felt someone push me into the closet and shut the door behind us. I fell on top of a broom, George falling on top of me. I was leaning against the back wall now, and George was leaning against me, his lean body pressed up against mine in the confined space. My heart rate tripled and my breathing grew heavier, his musky scent filled my nostrils and clouded my mind. George's hand, which had been pressed on the wall beside me, moved to my waist, gripping me gently.
"You know," he said quietly, his voice deep and sensual. "I always wanted to get you in a Hogwarts broom closet."
I smacked him on the chest, a blush rising up on my cheeks despite myself. "Mind out of the gutter George." I said, but it came out far airier than I had wanted and wasn't even slightly convincing.
"Fine, but after all this is over, we're coming back here."
"I can agree to that." I said quietly, running my hand up his chest. "Come on now, let's grab those brooms and get out of here."
"The corridor's being watched though." He said, leaning back from me a slight bit, there wasn't really enough room for him to get very far.
"I have your cloak, it's in my bag."
"You're amazing, you know?" He said, grabbing a broom. I smiled and pulled the bag out of my pocket. I retrieved the cloak and wrapped it around us.
"I've been told that once or twice."
{}o{}o{}
We made it to the girls bathroom without further incident, and I could hardly believe it. The room hadn't changed too much, it was still poorly taken care of and drenching wet.
"Okay, look for the faucet with a snake on it." I told George, stepping forward and looking around the faucets. He nodded his head, moving to investigate the faucet next to me. I examined my faucet and moved to the next. A few minutes, and several faucets later George called me over. Sure enough, there were two little snakes engraved into the side of the faucet. I pulled vial out and poured the memory into a little cup I had taken from the Room of Requirements. The liquid swirled around, and then a figure emerged from it. A terrible hissing noise echoed, and then the faucet began to move. It pushed back into the wall, and then a huge hole appeared where it had once been.
"They weren't kidding about the broom, were they." I said, staring down into the depressingly deep hole.
"Nope, good thing I'm a brilliant flier." George said, a cocky grin lifting his lips as he settled onto his broom. He held his hand out to me and I took it hesitantly, I hated flying.
"Don't worry, love, I'll keep you safe." He said reassuringly as he pulled me up onto the broom. I gripped the handle tightly as he tightened his grip around my waist, holding me against his chest securely. He steered us into the dark tunnel of the whole, and we were on our way. The tunnel ended in a circular pit, with a huge metal door that we used the memory to open. The cavern that led to was massive, but the dead basilisk lying at the end of it really made the place terrifying. I hopped of the broom once we reached it and dropped Hufflepuff's cup in front of it before kneeling down and prying its mouth open. George was by my side a moment later, helping me pull a tooth out.
"I think you should stab it." he said, grunting when we finally pulled the blasted tooth out of its mouth.
"Me?" I asked, feeling scared. "Why?"
{}{}{}
George's View Point
{}{}{}
"Well, Harry and Ron have both got to do one, it's only right that you have a chance." I said, picking the cup back up and setting it in between us. She looked terrified as she stared at me.
"Very well, hold it tight. According to Harry and Ron, these things put up one hell of a fight." She gripped the fang more tightly in her small hands and then raised it above her head. She took a deep breath , but before she could move again a translucent black smoke poured out of the cup and swirled around Hermione before it formed into a pillar above the Horcrux. Two figures I recognized formed from it, her mum and dad. Their mouths opened and they started to scream at her, telling her she was a terrible daughter and that they would never take her back. That they were glad she had wiped her from their memory. I yelled for her not to believe them, to stab it, but she couldn't she was spell bound and horrorstruck.
The shape then changed, reforming into two different people. I realized one was me with a startling shock, and the other was Katie Bell.
What the heck?
The me wasn't quite right, I didn't really look that good, he also had both his ears and he looked malicious. The Katie was unnatural as well, she was more terrible and pretty than she really was, and she wasn't wearing much. I was naked waist up, what was going on? The fake Katie was wrapped around me, and my arms were holding her tight. Hermione's eyes had grown wide with horror and she looked shocked. The tears that had already filled her eyes at her parents terrible words poured from her eyes. The fake Katie opened her mouth and spoke.
"What ignorance from one who is supposed to be so bright."
"Ignorance! She really believed I could love her, as if anyone could look at her! As if anyone could want her next to you." The fake me said, his voice darker and deeper than my real voice. Hermione was staring at them horrified, but transfixed. "You've never done anything worth while! Even now you're failing Harry!"
"And she believed it so easily!" Fake Katie said, jeering at Hermione. "She gave you everything, her time, her love, her attention, her virtue, never questioning you, what idiocy!"
"Stab it, Hermione, STAB IT NOW!" I bellowed, jerking my hands away as the Horcrux glowed red hot. "It's not true! You know it's not true!" I yelled, terror and rage filling me. How dare this thing use my form against me, how dare it try and make my girl think I didn't love her, that I was using her!
"You're nothing, nothing to me! How could you be? Look at what I could have, my pick of women, why would I pick you? Even you're parents don't want to be stuck with you. You're nothing more than a boring know-it-all, bookworm ! Read the mark on your arm, you're a Mudblood, beneath me."
"I'll never know how you could stand her filthy stench." Fake Katie hissed.
"I never will again." The fake me stopped talking turning towards the fake Katie and wrapping his arms around her. The smoke swirled up around them before it lowered, leaving fake me and Katie completely intertwined in a tight embrace, and completely naked. My eyes widened in horror as they kissed and she wrapped her legs around fake me. I forced my eyes away from the abomination and looked at Hermione.
"Stab it, Love!" I yelled, trying to be heard over the noises the fake me and Katie were making. Hermione wasn't looking at me, she looked at the fake figures in horror, unable to move her eyes from them.
"Hermione!" I yelled again. "It's not true, you're everything to me, you're the one I love, you're the one wearing my ring!" She looked towards me, her brown eyes wide and full of tears that were pouring down her cheeks. She blinked, gasping as she took in a deep breath, a sob breaking from her lips. My heart clenched and I would have given anything to have been able to kill those smoke figures.
She locked her eyes on me, breathing deeply as I stared back at her. I tried to tell her everything she meant to me with my eyes, tried to let her know that I'd do anything for her, that I couldn't live without her. She blinked again, drawing in a deep breath before turning back to the figures, she gripped the fang firmly in her hands and brought it down hard on the cup, screaming as she did so. A scream filled the cavern and the figures disappeared. She pulled the fang back out and brought it back down, still yelling as she slammed it into the Horcrux again and again. I scooted back towards her, feeling horrified and relieved. A black liquid poured from the cup as I reached her. I grabbed her by the shoulders gently and she grabbed hold of me, burying her head in my chest as she began to weep again.
I held her shaking body, holding her tightly as she cried.
"It wasn't true, none of it." I said, stroking her hair and rocking her. "How could I possibly love anyone but you?"
"Sorry," she said, her voice thick from her tears.
"What for?" I asked, still holding her tight.
"For not destroying it faster. I-I-"
"No, that was terrible. I'm so sorry, I never would have suggested you do it if I had known what they were going to do." I said. I took a breath and decided to tell her something I'd kept secret until now. "It wasn't true, what it made your parents say. They're really proud of you, they told me."
"When?" She asked, pulling back slightly so she could look at me.
A blush lit my cheeks and I felt my ear grow red. "I saw them last spring. I snuck over to your house while you were at Hogwarts and asked your father for permission to marry you. He said yes and told me that you were the most important thing to him and that he'd beat me to a bloody pulp if I hurt you." She laughed at that, squeezing me tight, her tears fading away. I held onto her, content to just sit there and hold her but I felt my pocket buzz and grow warm.
Hermione jumped at the feel before pulling away and letting me get at the Galleon.
Snape gone, H and R left to get the crown, McG wants everyone to meet in the GH.
So, Snape had fled. Well that was interesting, I wonder what had happened.
"Should we go after Harry or just head to the Great Hall?" Hermione asked, looking worried.
"I don't know. Any idea where they would go?"
"Not a clue."
"Merlin, I wish I still had the Marauder's Map." I said wistfully. The galleon buzzed in my hand again, making me jump as I looked down at it.
Percy's back, he's abandoned the ministry. B, F, also here along w/ mum, dad, OOP and DA, We're going to fight.
Percy was back?
"That settles it then, we head to the Great Hall. I've no idea where Harry is, but he'll probably know that's where he can meet us." She stood up, shaking the dust off what was left of her robes. I stared at her in shock, I'd no idea she was wearing so little! Merlin, Terry had seen her like that!
"Wait a moment." I said, hating the jealous note in my voice. I reached into her bag and pulled out an extra robe we had packed. "I'm not about to let you wander around the castle in that, it's far too revealing." She smirked, grabbing the robe and shaking her head as she put it on.
"Better?" She asked, not fighting the grin that lifted her lips.
"Much."
{}{}{}
Back to the surface and Hermione's view point
{}{}{}
We got to the great hall in no time, with several extra fangs in case we found Harry or Ron. The hall was full of people, mostly students, but several adults I recognized were also here. We headed towards the front were Fred, Angelina, and Lee were sitting. Once we reached them I realized that they weren't alone. Almost everyone from the Order and the first DA was here. Sirius, Remus, Kingsley, Diggle, Figg, Aberforth, Hagrid, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were all sitting on one side of our table, Lee, Fred, Angelina, Alicia, Katie, Oliver, Dean, Seamus, Neville, Lavender, Pavarti, and even Percy were on the other.
We sat down next to Fred, squeezing into the overcrowded table. I scooted as close as I could to George without actually sitting on his lap. Katie greeted us eagerly, and I had to fight not to glare at her as the images of what I had seen in the Chamber of Secrets flashed through my mind. McGonagall had just finished speaking and was sitting down. Kingsley stood up as her, Sprout, and Madame Pince led the underage kids out of the Hall, amidst several protest.
"Okay, we haven't much time before Voldemort arrives." He said, standing at the head of the hall. He explained our defensive plan, we would be split into eight groups. Three would defend the grounds, locating themselves at the forest, the lake, and the quidditch pit. Three teams would defend the towers, one would take the entrance, and the last would guard the secret passages. George, Fred, Lee, Percy, Angelina, Alicia, Oliver, Leanne, myself, and Katie were assigned to the passages, Fred and George would lead the group as they had the best knowledge of the tunnels.
We ran down the hall splitting up into two groups. Group one consisted of Fred, Angelina, Percy, George, and Me, we were taking Smarmy's passage. Group two had Alicia, Lee, Oliver, Katie, and Leanne. The other passages were either blocked or had a giant attacking tree protecting them.
"George, you and 'Mione want to take the end of the hall while Ange, Perce, and I take the passage?" Fred asked as we reached the familiar statue. George looked worried for a moment before he nodded his head. I understood, I hated the idea of splitting up, I really hated the fact that I was split up from Harry and Ron, from Fleur, Neville, Luna, Dean, Seamus, Bill, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Sirius, Remus, Hagrid, heck, I hated the fact that we couldn't fight in one big group-I wanted to keep my eye on everyone. George and I ran to the hall entrance, our wands drawn and ready.
"I love this hall." George said quietly once we reached the entrance.
"Hmm?" I asked, turning towards him.
"I love this hall." He said, smiling slightly.
"Why?" I asked, a slight grin quirking my lips despite myself. We were standing on the edge of a battle we most likely would not walk away from, and he was making me smile.
"Well, it was the first passage way Fred and I found, we found it during our first week too."
"Really?" I asked, "How?"
"We were trying to hide behind it to get away from Filch." That was certainly believable. "I also love it because it was where we made our greatest stand against Umbridge." He pointed towards the roped off swamp. "One of our greatest feats if you ask me. Also, it's where we had those wonderful walks last year." He finished, wiggling his eyebrows at me. I remembered those walks very well, they were one of my favorite parts of sixth year.
"Well, we'll have plenty of time to make even more good memories for it." I said, stepping closer to him. "I saw something at the other end of the corridor." I stepped even closer so that our shoes were touching. "There's a broom closet down there." I whispered, smiling innocently up at him. George's eyes darkened slightly, and his tongue shot out moistening his lips. I leaned closer to him, closing the gap between our faces. Our lips met roughly, frantically. He pulled me towards him, tugging my body flush against him. I grabbed onto him, letting all the fear I felt lose, holding onto George in a desperate attempt to not lose him.
His arms tightened around me, holding me close and secure. It was a wonderful moment, and it was ruined by our galleons. Both buzzed before flashing warm in our pockets. We pulled apart and looked at each other. That was the signal, they were here.
The battle for Hogwarts had just begun.
We stepped apart raising our wands and casting protective wards around us and the others. A terrible howling noise started out side, and the castle began to shake. It happened in less than a minute. Fred gave a shout and his group all stepped back from the wall, raising their wands and aiming them at the statues. A shatter sounded somewhere down the hall, followed by a screech of pain. Lights started to flash from around the corner, and we both tensed up.
"At least it's a good night for this." George said, readying himself to strike.
"What do you mean?" I asked quickly, going through a list of spells in my head.
"Well it's really clear, so we have the moonlight on our side-also, it's not a full moon."
I was forming a reply to that in my mind when I suddenly saw a red-headed figure run around our corner, we both raised our wands and barely had time to stop ourselves before firing a spell. It was Ginny, her eyes were wide and she was running for us.
"Some have infiltrated the castle!" She yelled, sliding past us and running onto Fred and the others. "They got in through the windows in the Great Hall, they're coming this way!"
A/N: We're nearing the end now, not too much is left...