Hermione didn't expect to see her brother sitting outside the classroom. Yet he did, with a quite sour expression on his face. Did he dislike the books?
"Hey, is everything okay? I thought you'd be off reading by now."
"I would be, but someone must've snatched all the copies already. Any chance to lend me your own?"
Of course, she could, but that was not the question. How are the books gone already? She hasn't announced that they would be available, so where did they go?
"Did you check with Madam Pince? I've just put them there before we started."
"No, she wasn't at her desk, so I just looked around the muggle literature section. Merlin knows it's small enough for me to notice some new books."
That was true. Still, something bothered her about the situation. How do thirty books just go missing in a few hours?
"Do you want to go and check?" Draco asked. She nodded.
"Not that I don't trust you, but I feel like something's wrong."
"Let's go then."
They marched to the library as quickly as they were allowed, without breaking the "no running in the hallway" rule. At first glance, Hermione didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Some students were playing wizarding chess, some were catching up on some late-night studying, and as usual, no one was anywhere near the Muggle section.
She spied Madam Pince between two tall bookcases, watching like a hawk for any disrespectful activity towards the books, so she darted to ask her.
"Madam Pince, please, a moment of your time."
"Yes, Miss Granger?"
"We're looking for the books I just brought in. The Muggle ones?"
She looked annoyed. "You know as well as I where the Muggle section of this library is, so please go and find them. None have been lent out just yet."
Oh, this was getting more complicated by the second. She had to be very careful about her next step. If the books were indeed gone, revealing that Theo was the one who discovered the disappearance could lead to some serious allegations. But asking the witch to follow them could feel like they're trying to fabricate some claims. Hermione worried her lips. How can they get Pince to believe them?
"Madam," Draco started to speak, shaking Hermione out of her rumination. What has he planned? "We are just returning from the showing of the Muggle movie adaptation of these books. As the turnout was so high among the students, we determined that some additional book donations were in order to satisfy my fellow schoolmate's curiosity."
The librarian's eyes shone at the sound of this.
"It's apparent how clear and concise a selection you prefer to keep, so we were hoping to receive some guidance about an acceptable number to be added. Of course, considering the additional works that will be added as the cultural exchange progresses."
Hermione felt stunned. She was not used to having help with the challenges of the wit. She had full trust in Draco, however, and when she saw Pince nod, she relaxed completely.
"Yes, Mr Malfoy, that would be an appropriate approach to this situation. Not... rushing in and trying to decide on your own." She briefly looked at Hermione, then turned to walk to the section. "Please follow me so we can assess the books."
They followed her quietly to the books. Or rather, where the books were supposed to be, since, just as Theo said, the shelves had visible empty spots on them, where the four copies of the trilogy used to be.
The look on the librarian's face turned from shock to confusion to anger. She pulled her wand out of her pouch.
"Give me the title and author of these books, Miss Granger," she whispered. "Please."
"The Lord of the Rings by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien."
The witch called out three spells Hermione had never heard before while looking wildly around, like she was expecting the books to show up. But nothing came fluttering through the skies.
Pince looked shocked. "I am not quite certain what happened. I only left for a brief chat with the Headmistress, and none of the students were informed of these new books. She shook her head. I'm afraid they're not within the bounds of Hogwarts anymore.
Before Hermione could ask any follow-up questions, Theo pointed at a dark corner close by. "Something is moving there."
And indeed, there was. But when Hermione picked it up, she could not believe what she saw for a moment.
It was a piece of the hardcover of The Return of the King, charred by fire.
They were asked to leave with all the other students. Even if they weren't, the survival instinct would not have let him leave Hermione so close to a furious Pince. They had to leave, hide, weather the storm, and plan their next step.
Draco had to nearly pull his girlfriend away from the library, as she looked overwhelmed and irate. He wished he could talk to her, soothe her, and care for her, but clearly, the enemy was hidden in Hogwarts, and they had no way of making sure to not be overheard without stopping to cast charms, making them look even more suspicious.
At the grand staircase, Hermione suddenly stopped. Her face hardened, and her voice trembled.
"Come to the tower with me." She was shaking, but the resolve in her eyes made Draco nod before he even thought about what she was asking. To walk into the lions' den.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Theo asked.
"No, but I don't have a better one." She admitted. "Unless you do."
They both stayed silent. If there was a spy amongst the students, they'd most likely be in Slytherin. It was a harsh truth about his house, but one he did not contest. So after a few moments, Hermione took the lead all the way up the stairs and to the Fat Lady portrait, giving her the password "Veritas Vincit" without even trying to hide it from them. She was right; the biggest repellent for Slytherins not entering the common room was not the secrecy of the password but the fact that the place was full of the red and gold menace.
As they entered the uncharted territory, Draco expected at least some animosity, but they crossed the room with no one trying to stop them. The worst they got were some questioning looks.
'Mi? Is everything okay? You just vanished after the movies." As Ronald approached, Draco wanted to pull Hermione closer to himself, but appearing jealous under these circumstances would've put unneeded pressure on his lioness. So he crossed his arms and relaxed his face, letting her handle him.
She took a deep breath, giving a quick hug to the Weasley. "Can we talk in your room?" she asked, and he nodded a bunch, immediately turning towards the back of the common room and presumably towards the dormitory.
Draco exchanged a quick glance with Theo. They were getting close to curfew, and one close run-in with filch was more than enough for a year. And yet, he was curious. Not many had the chance to see the golden trio at work before, and he had to admit that every time Hermione had her deep-thinking face on, his heart fluttered. She was smart and beautiful, and no doubt she had a plethora of plans waiting in her wicked mind to be put into action.
In agreement, they followed the lions up the staircase and into a large room, decorated boldly in red and gold, with multiple beds arranged next to the wall. It was so strikingly different from the single rooms they had. They felt more… welcoming. Friendly, even. No cold stone walls, no green hue from the lake. What they lost in aesthetics, they gained in camaraderie.
Hermione quickly recounted what happened to the books to Ron, and also to Harry and Ginny, who were already in the room, no doubt snuggling behind the curtains of a bed. None of them could really add to the conversation, other than hugging the soul back into his upset girlfriend.
"So, what are we going to do now?" Ronald asked, looking at Hermione, like Draco assumed he always did. She would solve the issues. She would bring justice.
Hermione had way too much on her shoulders still, and Draco felt useless. He had no idea how to get out of this. His father's reach is thorough, but not as much as he previously thought. His one true friend stood just as silent as he did, and he was too powerless to do anything himself.
"Ron, please contact the twins for some Extendable Ears. Ginny, I need you to get some eyes on Hyde all the time, if possible. I think she's up to something. Harry, I'd like to borrow your map." After her friends gave acknowledging nods, she turned to face them—the snakes in the lion's den.
She was fury personified, her cheeks red and her eyes sharp. "Theo, please get your contacts to buy a dozen copies of the trilogy and deliver them as soon as possible. Draco, I'll be sending a Patronus message to your parents, telling them what happened. If Hyde is working with someone, we have to find out who."
Draco nodded, as he saw her friends do, and was about to turn and head back to their dorm when Hermione crossed the gap between them, practically crashing into his arms with a hug.
"Thank you for coming here with me," she whispered into his ear. "Thank you for dealing with Pince. Thank you for being here for me."
Her words were just the salve that Draco's soul needed at that moment. He hugged her back and whispered, "You couldn't get rid of me if you tried."
