Chapter Twenty-Four
No one in the Order was pleased to learn that Hermione snuck out of the house to go on such a seemingly foolish mission, least of all Kingsley. As soon as she returned safely from her unexpected private meeting with Antonin Dolohov in Leicester Square, she announced that she had just received some valuable information from a surprising source. Trust in their fellow man was down to an all-time low. Before she even had the chance to tell them she felt certain there was a horcrux inside Hogwarts Castle, multiple members demanded to know who she had been speaking with. They weren't willing to just blindly trust anyone.
"I was in London and I was approached by Antonin Dolohov."
Gasps around the room made her want to roll her eyes. One of the most dangerous and infamous Death Eaters, it was asking too much of some of those assembled to trust a single word that came out of his mouth. Several of the witches and wizards gathered had actually lost loved ones and family members at the end of the unhinged wizard's wand. While she respected their reluctance to want to trust him, she wasn't going to ignore valuable information just because he was the one who let it slip.
"How could you be so foolish? Especially when he was the one who captured you the first time?"
Of everyone gathered, she was most surprised to hear the anger coming out of Kingsley's mouth. More than once since she was rescued from the Shrieking Shack and she made some decision to rush out of the safe house to do something reckless, he asked her if she valued her life in the slightest. Though it wasn't the first time he'd criticized her for going off alone, it was the first time he'd done so in front of other people. A big proponent of the 'praise in public, criticize in private' way of thinking, she didn't like him bringing an argument out where everyone could hear.
"It wasn't planned. I was supposed to meet someone else and…"
"Hermione, why would you go alone? That's just asking for trouble."
She wasn't going to engage in the argument. Not when there were curious eyes watching the exchange. While a part of her was well aware of the fact that Kingsley was so angry because he cared about her a great deal, she wasn't in the mood to be chastised. He could save his concerns for later when emotions weren't so high. Ignoring what he said, she turned her attention to the others. Maybe one of them would be pleased with what she had to tell them.
"I believe that Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem is hidden somewhere inside Hogwarts. Dolohov said that he held it when he was in Hogsmeade right before You-Know-Who went to the castle to ask Professor Dumbledore for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Dolohov said he never saw it again after that."
There wasn't as much enthusiasm in the room as she initially expected there would be. After weeks of sitting around just waiting for something, how could they not be excited that they had another viable lead? They could be on the verge of uncovering another horcrux to destroy. If they found it, that would mean only the snake remained. It was enough to give even the most cynical of them hope, but they didn't seem to agree.
"You're trusting the words that came out of Dolohov's mouth? He's not a reliable source, is he?"
"I got to know him while I was held captive, Remus. He's violent and awful and would rather kill me than look at me, but I know he's not a liar. It's a matter of honor for him. Besides, even if he was a liar, what would there be to gain by telling me that lie?"
Convincing them to trust the word of the Death Eater was going to be next to impossible. She could tell just by the way they kept cutting their eyes to each other and engaging in silent conversations she wasn't allowed to be a part of. It didn't matter. She would take the entire castle down stone by stone, if necessary, to find the damned diadem. Their help wasn't necessary. They hadn't been all that much help with to start.
"Even if Dolohov was telling the truth, which I'm not convinced, and even if the diadem was a horcrux hidden somewhere in the castle, what makes you think we can find it? It could be impossible. The castle is massive."
She wasn't sure when Remus became so negative, but she was getting sick of listening to him tell her all of the reasons why they would never be successful. Wasn't he the wizard that was willing to abandon his family twice just to go on a hunt with them and then just with her? Being stuck inside his wife's house was getting to the man.
"Don't Ravenclaws spend all seven years they're in Hogwarts looking for the diadem? If it hasn't been found by hundreds of students in thirty years, how are we going to be any different?"
Bill Weasley was another one she was getting tired of listening to. Maybe because she proved him wrong about breaking into Gringotts, he had become almost unbearable. She was glad that he wasn't in the house very often. His presence was tiring. In truth, Fred was the only Weasley she could stand much of those days. While most of them were kind to her, she didn't care for the reminder they gave her about Ron. Most of the time she was able to push thoughts of him out of her head because it was too hard to miss him. When his family was nearby, it was impossible.
"He's right, you know. It could be anywhere. Maybe he even put it in the Chamber of Secrets. None of us have any way to get in there. We would need a Parseltongue."
Why had she even bothered to say anything? Remus and Bill could sit around the table complaining or shooting down every plan she had. She didn't need to be there to listen. Yes, it had occurred to her that the diadem could be hidden in the Chamber. When Harry described it to her, she knew it was massive. With all of the excitement happening inside, he didn't get a chance to inspect every inch. And yes, Remus was correct that they would need a Parseltongue to open the Chamber. That was a rare magical skill and not usually one that people boasted openly about.
"We could check the Room of Hidden Things. It's full of items that have been hidden over the centuries. What better way to hide something than with a room full of other hidden things?"
Part of her wanted to cross the room and kiss Fred right there and then in front of everybody. He was the only one who was willing to offer a possibility or an idea. And, if she was honest, he had a brilliant idea. Also known as the Room of Requirement, sometimes the magical room transformed itself into a warehouse for items the castle inhabitants wanted to hide. She hadn't seen it herself, but Harry hid his potions book in there sixth year and that was where Draco Malfoy spent most of his time trying to fix the vanishing cabinet. It was as good a place to check as any.
"Yes, let's check there. I want to go to the castle."
"I'll send Snape an owl."
Glad to have an ally, she smiled when Fred jumped up from the table to seek out some parchment. They needed to have permission to enter the castle. While they waited to hear back from the current Headmaster, Hermione worried she would get too impatient.
"Come to my bedroom. We need to talk."
Kingsley's whisper wasn't a request. It was a demand. Knowing that they were going to have to have the uncomfortable argument at some point, she thought it best to go ahead and get it over with. Besides, it would be an excellent way to kill some of the time waiting for a response.
Feeling like she was being led to the slaughter, she tried to keep her frustrated sighs to herself as she followed Kingsley up the narrow staircase. As much as she knew they needed to have it out, she wasn't looking forward to the conversation. Usually more able to compose himself in front of an audience, the fact that he nearly lost his temper was telling. He was reaching the end of his tether.
Inside the privacy of his bedroom, Kingsley allowed his emotions to show through. He was furious. Coating the entire room in silencing spells so no one downstairs could hear what they said, he looked on the verge of shouting. A passionate man, she didn't like being on the wrong end of his wrath.
"Why would you go to London alone? Without telling me? I had no idea you even left until you were back."
He tried to keep his words measured and calm. There was no hiding his frustration, his fear. She didn't have a good excuse.
"I thought you would try to stop me from going if you knew what I was doing."
Taking a deep breath, he rubbed the top of his bald head with both hands. Even furious, the man was adorable too. The tension was thick in the room, but she had to bite back a smile.
"Of course I would've tried to stop you. It's dangerous to be alone. You know that."
"I do know that, but I also didn't expect to see Dolohov. I was meeting someone else."
"Who?"
"Doesn't matter. If I didn't go, I wouldn't have learned about the diadem. That is what is important right now. We have to find the horcruxes and destroy them. That's the only way we can win this war."
"What's the point in winning this war if you get yourself killed in the process?"
His voice was softer than it had been just moments before. Some of his anger disappeared, but his fear became more obvious. He took her hand in his to gently squeeze it.
"I… I don't care about the future if you're not here to live it with me."
"Kingsley…"
"I know. I'm far too old for you and this is all just madness, but I can't help it. When you leave the room, I get anxious and worried that something terrible has happened to you."
She leaned up to place a tender kiss on his lips. That wasn't how she expected their conversation to go. The kiss was over almost as soon as it began. He had more that he wanted to tell her, more that had been swirling around in his mind for weeks.
"There's no future for me without you, Hermione. Not a future I want, at any rate. You have to be more careful. If something happened to you, I truly don't know what I would do."
It was his turn to initiate a kiss. His was far more heated. Lasting far longer, she knew she was finally ready for it to go further. Since she started sleeping in his bed each night, they had tiptoed around the topic, but right there in that moment, she knew she was ready. Maybe being with a man she really wanted to be with would help her forget what it felt like to be with one she didn't.
Not a single button had the chance to be undone before a loud knock at the door interrupted what was shaping up to be a rather pleasant afternoon. Kingsley's groan of frustration only made Hermione laugh even though she felt just as annoyed. Could they not have a few minutes to themselves?
"If that's Remus, I'm going to…"
Instead of finishing what was certain to be an unkind statement, Kingsley cleared his throat. When he was composed enough to not curse the soul on the other side, he opened the door. It was Fred.
"Snape sent an owl right back. He said he can't have too many Order members sneaking around the castle because there are too many Death Eaters inside, but he will allow one of us to sneak in."
There was no question who it was going to be. Not only did she make the most sense, Hermione wouldn't allow anyone else to go in her place. Most of the other Order members were too old. If they even were brave enough to consider going on such a potentially dangerous mission, they would stand out in a school full of students. She was glad that she packed one of her school uniforms inside her beaded bag. It would be much easier to blend in. Also, she knew she was the best for the job because she read Hogwarts, A History multiple times and had seen a drawing of the diadem. The other Order members agreed she was the one who should go even if Kingsley was also very reluctant to let her out of his sight.
Less than an hour after receiving the permission from the Headmaster, Kingsley insisted that he accompany her as far as the Shrieking Shack. He wanted to see her up until the very last second. She had no complaints. Breaking into the shack through the boarded up basement just like her Death Eater captors had, they were able to get inside with very little trouble. It was eerie being back inside.
"I hate this place. I don't want to stay long."
Kingsley led her to the passage that would take her to the Whomping Willow. With another kiss, he promised her that he would be waiting for her there no matter how long it took to either find the diadem or give up. She hoped that he wasn't serious. If it took her days, even weeks to find the damned horcrux, she wasn't leaving the castle.
The secret passage to the Hogwarts ground was getting to be too familiar. She loathed the dirt and how it smelled. When the war was over, she vowed she would never force herself to crawl through it ever again. Maybe she would even burn the damned shack down to the ground. No one would miss it.
By the time she made it through the passage and onto the grounds, it was just approaching the end of the school day. While the weather was slowly getting warmer, it was still far too cold for most students to spend traipsing across the grounds. Unless they were returning from the greenhouses or headed off to the Quidditch pitch, most students would be inside the castle's warmth.
Sneaking inside wasn't going to be easy. She was grateful for all of the years she had been friends with Harry and had access to the Marauders' Map. Frustrated that she didn't know where such a valuable tool ended up, she just made certain her easily recognizable thick, unfortunately bushy hair was pulled back in a tight braid. It was still cold enough that she could wrap her scarf around her face even inside the castle walls without drawing too much attention. Once inside she sought out all of the hidden passages they'd discovered in their six years as students.
The journey to the Room of Requirement seemed to take an eternity. Not only was she forced to take a long route, every second she feared she was on the verge of being discovered. It wasn't unreasonable to assume that she wasn't the only student who knew of the secret corridors sprinkled throughout the castle. If the wrong person saw her, she would be in trouble she might not be able to get out of.
In the seventh-floor corridor she felt exposed and even more concerned that she was on the verge of being discovered. There was no way to hide in a dark corner and make the necessary door appear to the Room of Hidden Things. She had to think about the room she needed three times as she walked past the stretch of wall where she knew the door would appear. When it finally appeared, she felt an enormous sense of relief. She didn't waste a second pulling it open and rushing inside.
Nothing she had heard about the room itself prepared Hermione for what she would actually see inside. There had never been a reason for her to hide an illegal or restricted item when she was a student. Harry described it to her as having piles of rubbish from the floor to the ceiling, but that wasn't nearly good enough. Far larger than even the Great Hall, she couldn't see the back of the room. How could she find a small crown in a room filled with that much rubbish? What if the horcrux wasn't even hidden in the room?
She could feel the weight of hopelessness threaten to overtake her, but as soon as she started to think like the other Order members, she stopped herself. Even if she had to be stuck in there for weeks, at least she was doing something. The alternative was sitting in the large country house dreaming about a future free from Voldemort. Action was better. She wouldn't give up.
"Accio diadem!"
Nothing came flying across the room. Of course it wouldn't. That would be far too easy. None of the other summoning spells she knew of worked either. Voldemort placed curses on some of his other horcruxes. It wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that one was on the diadem as well.
There was nothing for her to do except start at the very beginning. Working in a grid pattern, she made certain that there wasn't a single pile of rubbish that she didn't at least look at. Considering the large number of banned Weasley Wizard Wheezes products she saw at the front of the room, she knew it was most likely that the items from thirty years earlier would be further back in the room, but she couldn't afford to just skip some piles. Something that small could've been moved by a student who didn't realize what they were holding.
Hours passed. She didn't even need a watch to know that she had been inside the castle a very long time. A few shiny objects caught her eye. None of them had been even close to what she needed. It would be easy to get discouraged. Sheer determination and the will of a motivated Gryffindor kept her moving. She would not give up. Let the piles of rubbish collapse upon her first and crush her. That would be a better alternative than admitting defeat.
When her feet and hands started to hurt from all of the climbing and shifting around of objects, Hermione knew she needed a break. It was entirely possible that at some point she would probably have to crawl into a corner somewhere to take a nap. She really hoped Kingsley didn't mean it when he promised he would stay in the Shrieking Shack until she returned. Did he not understand how tenacious and stubborn she could be? If he didn't yet, he needed to learn if he had any hope of a future with her in it.
She climbed up to the top of a rather tall pile of rubbish to sit down. From her perch she could survey the rest of the room while she let her feet rest. It was tempting to build a fire and start randomly throwing items inside of it just to get them out of her way. Of course that thought didn't last long. Many of the hidden things were books. She didn't think there was ever a situation where she could willingly toss one of those into a fire.
As her eyes moved over the piles and other large items still left to examine, she saw a large wooden cabinet only about fifteen meters away from where she sat. Though the piece of furniture itself was unremarkable, she was more interested in the chipped bust of an ugly old warlock placed on top. It was dingy and slightly discolored, but there was a tiara on the warlock's head. Was it possible? She couldn't imagine there were a lot of tiaras hidden in the castle, especially not ones that looked as if they had a large oval-shaped sapphire.
Her energy renewed, she carefully descended the pile of rubbish she was on to go towards the cabinet. She didn't want to get her hopes up. Considering the vast amount of items still left to inspect and the fact that she wasn't even technically certain that she was in the right place, she knew it could very well be a dead end. She might be years away from finding the next horcrux, if ever. Despite reminding herself that she needed to be realistic, she all but ran to the cabinet.
Just a few steps up some other piles got her high enough to grab the bust. She carried it down with her to the floor. Before she grabbed the tiara to see if it was the one she was looking for, she carefully set the warlock's bust down on one of the cabinet's shelves. The anticipation was too much. She could feel her heart racing inside her chest. It even sounded as if there was a loud pounding inside her ears.
There was no question what she held in her hands when she pulled Ravenclaw's lost diadem off of the bust's head. She nearly sobbed right there in relief that she held another horcrux. Darkness seeped out of the metal. What Dolohov said about recognizing the witch wasn't afraid to use dark magic made sense. Of course, it was entirely the fault of his Dark Lord and not the Founder.
As she stood there in the middle of the room holding onto the diadem, she couldn't stop staring at it. So much heartache and pain came about as a result of that small crown. How many lives were ruined because of it? There had always been great power inside of it. She could feel it, calling out to her, begging her to put it on.
It was on top of her head before she could talk herself out of doing something so foolish. There were legends that anyone who wore it would become more intelligent instantly. While she wasn't sure if she believed it, she did feel something moving around inside her brain. Was she imagining it all because she wanted it so badly?
Only the reminder of what happened to Albus Dumbledore's hand when he tried on the ring made her take the diadem off her head. Was it cursed too? She couldn't help but worry that maybe it was. Even if it didn't have the same sorts of protective enchantments that the locket and ring had, she worried she'd made a terrible mistake putting it on. The diadem was hastily shoved into her pocket and charmed to make certain it didn't fall out.
There was no reason to linger a moment longer with the horcrux in her possession. Every second that she remained in the castle was another second she could potentially be caught. She turned towards the door. Only steps away from the cabinet, she realized the loud pounding hadn't been in her head. The noise she heard was the heavy door opening.
"I told you I saw the Mudblood."
Ignoring Crabbe's use of the slur, all Hermione could focus on was Draco's wide eyes. It was evident that he didn't expect to find her inside no matter what his goon told him. While both Crabbe and Goyle looked excited to find her there on her own, he looked as if he was about to be sick. She knew without anyone warning her that she wouldn't be able to leave the room without a fight.
A three on one duel was always dangerous, even when one of the opponents didn't seem as if his heart was in it. The nearly year apart from the Slytherins hadn't been wasted. Though they hadn't been great in anything more than physical, Muggle-style duels in years past, Crabbe and Goyle had become formidable duelists. Or maybe they were just willing to use dark spells they weren't allowed before.
The entire fight was scary. She lost count the number of times she was almost hit by a curse. If there weren't piles of rubbish to hide behind, she would've been. Why would Snape insist that only one person be allowed inside the castle? It no longer seemed reasonable. She wished she had someone else at her side. Kingsley, formerly a respected and powerful auror, would've made them regret ever entering the room.
Eventually, after far too many close calls, she recognized that it was best to run and not fight. The odds that she would win weren't good. Instead of sending more of her own spells in their direction, she looked around for the best escape route. Seeing a path that could get her to the door, she ran.
A wall of green Fiendfyre stopped her from getting very far. Never would she have expected any of the school bullies to go that far. Had they gone mad? She was terrified. It was clear they weren't there to just harm her and maybe drag her to the Headmaster. They wanted her dead.
Forced to turn around to run in the opposite direction of the door, she worried that she would never make it out alive. The choice to fight or run had been made for her. Trapped inside the Fiendfyre, she had to keep fighting. Quickly, the cursed fire started to get out of control. What had Crabbe been thinking?
Hermione scanned the immediate area for anything that might help her survive another day. It must've been a miracle or fate or even God that put the old broomstick within her grasp. While she was certainly a terrible flyer, she could make it work in an emergency. She was capable enough to get the broomstick in the air at least.
Once up high above all of the rubbish and the fire, she was determined to get to the exit in time. As she flew over Goyle she witnessed him get caught unaware by the flames. His screams were hard to hear, but she kept going. Another crash trapped Crabbe underneath a heavy pile of junk with the flames coming closer and closer. If she was a better person, she might have tried to help him. She wouldn't forgive him for trying to kill her. Let him burn.
Somehow she was able to make it the door. A spell from her wand opened it up so she didn't even have to get off the broomstick to make it into the corridor. With her feet back on the solid stones of the castle, she spun around to make certain she wasn't still in danger from either the Fiendfyre or one of the wizards.
She didn't know how he did it, but Draco managed to make it to the front of the room. Only a couple of meters from the open door, he was going to survive. A surge of anger and hatred overtook Hermione realizing he wouldn't die like his friends. He was one of the bastards who kept her away from her friends when they needed each other. Maybe she couldn't have saved them and she would've died right along with them, but they would never know.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Just steps from safety, Draco froze to the floor. No longer able to move, his terror was etched all over his face. The Fiendfyre continued to get closer.
"Hermione, please!"
His begging for mercy only made her smile. Removing the spell from her pocket first, she took the horcrux out. Tossing it at his feet, she watched the Fiendfyre consume them both. It was hypnotic watching him being destroyed right along with the diadem. She loved the sounds of their screams.
Very little time was necessary to reduce the diadem to a hunk of worthless metal and Draco to nothing but ash. Concerned that the Fiendfyre might spill out into the corridor, she slammed the door shut.
She couldn't keep from smiling. She didn't want to. It was a job well done.