Hermione tumbled through the door behind Ginny, knowing immediately that something was wrong. The two of them stood in a small, round room with an open window at one end. Looking at the sky beyond the window, Hermione could tell they were high up. And they were alone; all the others, who Hermione had just seen walking through the very same door, had somehow vanished.
"What the hell?" Ginny gasped. The redhead began tentatively walking around the perimeter of the room, one hand dragging along the wall. "Where is everyone?"
Hermione shook her head in response. She didn't like this. Unlike every other space they'd entered for each task, this was incredibly closed off. How were they supposed to move on after finishing this test? In panic, Hermione turned behind herself to realize the door they'd just come through had disappeared. They were stuck.
Hermione darted across the room, headed to the window to check if there was any chance for escape. Her feet stalled, however, as soon as she hit the center of the room. Hermione smacked into something solid, though she couldn't see anything there. Backing up to retreat, she hit something again behind her, another invisible barrier. Her panic rising, she felt around her to realize she was indeed enclosed on all four sides, as if shut up in a transparent cube.
"G-Ginny," Hermione stammered, her heart pounding. Her friend turned from where she was inspecting the stone walls. "I think I'm trapped."
Ginny started as if to move toward her, a look of concern on the younger woman's face. Hermione quickly held up her hands to ward Ginny off.
"No, don't come closer. I don't want you getting sucked in as well."
"What is it?" Ginny asked, worry lacing her voice.
"It's some sort of box." Hermione demonstrated by tracing the outline of her prison with her hands. It looked to Ginny as if Hermione was miming an imaginary wall. "I can't get out."
Ginny began a slow walk around Hermione, as if looking for any clue as to what they were dealing with. There was nothing.
"What do you think it is?"
Hermione didn't know. What could it mean? While it was certainly an uneasy sensation, knowing she was rooted to this square of space, it wasn't exactly the most dangerous thing she had faced that evening. Still, the situation gave her an unsettled feeling, making her short of breath.
"I'm not sure," Hermione replied, taking a few deep breaths. "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now."
Ginny was quiet for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face as she studied Hermione. Then, as if remembering something, Ginny hurriedly felt through the folds in her gown. Pulling her hand out, she revealed the thick Sylvan book Hermione had been carting around the last few days.
"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed, stepping as far toward her friend as the box allowed. "Where did you get that?"
"I brought it," Ginny said with a shrug. "I figured being a good lady in waiting meant being prepared. And I knew whatever we were getting ourselves into tonight, you'd be more comfortable if we had a book on hand."
"That's brilliant!" Hermione was overcome with a want to hug her friend, which was of course impossible. "See if you can throw it to me."
Ginny tossed the tome forward. It sailed easily past the magical barrier and Hermione caught it with two hands. Experimenting, Hermione tried to toss it back. The book hit the invisible wall with a thud and flopped to the floor.
"It was worth a shot," Hermione mumbled. She bent over to pick up the book where it had landed within the confines of her prison. Standing upright again, Hermione immediately began flipping through the pages.
"Do you think there's anything helpful in there?"
"I'm not sure," Hermione replied, already scanning the text. She didn't know where to start. There were chapters on the magical elements used in the tests, chapters on how the tests were built, chapters on those princesses who hadn't survived. Hermione flipped quickly past that last one.
"Hermione, I think we're in a tower!"
Hermione looked up from the book at Ginny's exclamation. The redhead was peering out through the lone window. The room they were in did look similar to the insides of the towers at Hogwarts, like the top of a castle's turret.
"That's it, Gin," Hermione said enthusiastically, excited to understand some part of the puzzle. "I think we must be back at the Sylvan castle!"
"So, then, do you think this is the end?" Ginny asked hopefully. "We get through this and then we're done."
Hermione nodded. It was a possibility. Of course, they had no idea what this test was, so how were they supposed to end it? And there was something else, something that didn't make sense.
"If this is the end, where are the knights?" Hermione asked quietly. Ginny's attention snapped to Hermione at the question.
"Right. Aren't they supposed to reach us at some point?"
Hermione snapped the book closed in annoyance, placing two fingers at the bridge of her nose. Of course. It was the perfect ending to this ridiculous fairytale metaphor. She was supposed to stand there, quite literally stuck in a tower, and wait for her knight to come rescue you.
"Oh for heaven's sake," Hermione said out loud. "I'm the damsel in distress!"
Understanding was written over Ginny's face and the redhead began to laugh behind her hand. The sound rose until it turned into snorts and Ginny was bent over at the middle, clutching her sides in merriment.
"I'm s-sorry Hermione," Ginny laughed. "But you have to admit it's funny!"
Hermione saw absolutely nothing humorous in the situation. In fact, with each passing second her whole body was becoming more and more tense. Her lungs constricted and she placed a hand over her chest, trying to steady her breathing.
"Relax," Ginny said, wiping tears from her eyes. "It may be a bit…un-feminist…but at least you're not in any immediate danger."
That was true, it should be a comfort. So why couldn't Hermione calm down? She kept her hand over her chest, taking deep, slow breaths, trying to force her breathing pattern into control. It wasn't working.
"I have to say," Ginny continued, taking a seat on the floor as if making herself more comfortable, "I'd like to see how Lav is faring with this. She's probably beside herself with joy at the thought of being rescued."
Lavender, Hermione thought. Lavender. She had said something before…something about…Hermione flipped through the book with renewed energy. Her lungs constricted again and for a moment Hermione had the very distinct feeling she was drowning.
"I mean, I still have no clue who it will be coming to her defense," Ginny chatted animatedly. "You don't think it could be Ron, do you? You don't think there was anything to that rot about the one you take to the feast is the one who becomes your knight?"
Hermione was ignoring her friend. Her eyes pored over the paragraph in front of her, reading it over and over, wishing it untrue. But it was no use. The words were there in black and white, and Hermione had always put her trust in books.
"Lavender was right," Hermione said in a hushed whisper.
"What? That was a joke!" Ginny said in disbelief. "There's no way Ron came after her. If anything he jumped in after you…"
"No!" Hermione interrupted. "Don't say that!"
Ginny looked back at her, confusion plain on her face.
"What is it, Hermione?"
Hermione looked down at the page in front of her as she spoke.
"All that time, Lavender kept talking about how romantic it all was…how love was going to be the thing to save us in the end…" Hermione trailed off, her sentence ending in a small cry. She gasped for breath.
"Yeah, so?" Ginny urged frantically. Hermione slammed the open book against the enchanted wall in front of her, its invisibleness making it so Ginny could read the words written on the page. Ginny read aloud from the portion Hermione pointed to.
"'The magical components of true love have been used in several elements of the Sylvan kingdom," Ginny narrated. "Which gives strength to the natural compassion and empathy that makes the Sylvan Court so powerful."
Ginny looked up from the book, still appearing confused.
"Don't you see?" Hermione prompted. "Things can get in but they can't get out."
Comprehension dawned on Ginny's face.
"The knights are coming," Ginny said slowly. Hermione gave a quick nod.
"I'm only getting out of here," Hermione said gravely, "if someone takes my place. Someone I love…am in love with."
Ginny was quiet, her hands on her hips as she considered the situation.
"Okay," she said finally. "I can see your concern. You're worried it'll be Ron? That he'll be the one to come through? And of course he'll take your place, because he's him and, well, you're you."
Ginny gestured toward Hermione as she said the last part.
"M-maybe it will be Viktor," Hermione said, her pulse quickening. "Ron would be safe. And anyway, it won't work with Viktor."
Hermione turned from Ginny at that, hiding her face from her friend. She didn't want Ginny to see the terror she knew would be written on her own face. There was something more, something she didn't want Ginny to know. If her friend knew, panic would overtake them, she was sure.
Ginny's face twisted in compassion for her friend.
"It's okay, Hermione. Even if it is Ron, we can handle this. He can take your place and then we'll go get help to release him. You guys have faced worse before than just being stuck in a box."
Hermione suppressed a shudder, still not looking at her friend. If, by some chance, it was indeed Ron who would be storming in, she had to protect this secret with everything she had. Because, whatever else Hermione was confused about, she knew Ron would indeed sacrifice himself to save her. The boggart had been a warning, her subconscious revealing to her something she had understood all along, even before she was meant to. This test was going to be brutal and only one of them would make it out. Hadn't Leopold told her from the start? The princess needed a knight who was loyal, who would protect her at all costs. And this would cost dearly.
Hermione lowered the hand that still rested on her chest. She took a few practiced breaths, trying to appear as if she was breathing normally, then turned back to Ginny with a false smile on her face. For the past few minutes it had become abundantly clear to Hermione that she was having difficulty breathing, was fighting to get enough air. The enchanted box was slowly suffocating her and it was only a matter of time before the oxygen was gone. Whoever ended up in this box was going to be left to die. And she was going to make damn sure no one took her place.