They left the ring Horcrux with Lucius that he might destroy it sooner if the Basilisk venom came in or he found another way to destroy them. It was also the least likely place they could think of Tom Riddle checking and thus the safest.
Despite her arguments and their initial plan, Hermione teamed with the four boys to come in via the Honeyduke's secret entrance. They sent a Patronus to the Order to tell them the plan and received confirmation the adults would sneak in via the Whomping Willow, at least one team of them.
Hermione was nearly trembling with nerves when they sneaked their way through the village. She cast a Disillusionment on herself and Draco while Harry and Ron used the cloak.
"Now, if anything should happen, the plan is to meet up at our first campsite and have Draco take us to the manor," she reminded them. "No matter what, we do not engage with the enemy if we are unseen."
"I don't like this," said Ron. "If one of us is found, the others just disappear?"
Draco turned to the redhead. "It'll be fine. That's why we're in pairs."
They were in the best-suited pairs between them, no less. As Harry was their strongest and Ron, while lacking in power, was good with strategy, the two made a decent set. She was quicker in reflex and more technically proficient than Ron, while Draco was the best in his House and not too far behind her.
She squeezed Draco's hand before they opened the cellar into Honeyduke's and worked their way through the darkness toward the hidden passage.
It was narrow enough they had to go one-by-one and low enough that Ron had to stoop, though the others boys weren't far from the rock ceiling themselves. Harry crept through the statue of the humpbacked witch and glanced around before whispering for Ron to come through. Hermione went next, then Draco brought up the rear. They dusted themselves off and checked their obscurements, then began the trek toward the nearest staircase up.
They were halfway up the second flight of stairs when Harry heard something. "Quiet," he hissed, then fell silent himself. He waited for whatever it was to pass and when the halls were silent as summer holiday could make them, he said, "Alright, let's go."
It took more than half of an hour for them to traverse the distance to the Come and Go Room, longer than they had planned, but it was better to go quietly and cautiously than swiftly.
Once they reached the length of wall that Harry was sure was the right one— Hermione had never really seen the need to go there on her own— the two young men beneath the cloak paced back and forth.
Under his breath, Harry murmured, "We need a place to hide things. We need a place no one will find something. We need a place for hidden things," and hoped he had closely enough mirrored a Tom Riddle who may have used the room to get the same result.
A door appeared, one that looked utterly ordinary in a castle of magic and mystery, and Harry swung open the door to reveal a room packed with objects of every description.
There were pieces of furniture, mostly broken and hidden by worried children who thought they might get in trouble for breaking them; piles of books from bodice rippers to coverless texts, stacks of near-pornography, and discarded clothes littered the surfaces.
One section was marked by a curio laden with mismatched chipped tea ware. Hermione took to exploring there, while Harry and Ron searched by the Vanishing cabinet, which had somehow found its way there. Draco spotted a mannequin and made his way through to search there.
If only they had an idea what they were seeking, other than the possible journal, though Hermione was certain that would stay with him. They settled on the search technique of touching things to see how the items reacted, though only after casting a spell diagnostic to check for curses. It would be there luck that they happened upon cursed contraband someone had bought in Knocturn Alley.
Hermione sighed as she tested her fourth book. This one looked like an old Potions text, nothing at all special about it. When she confirmed it was what it appeared, she opened if up. It was their sixth year book, though this one had notes along the margins. They were quite detailed, too, and the cramped, spiky writing seemed familiar.
She shook her head. As much as she might enjoy perusing another student's study notes, she had no time for that now. She set the 'Half-blood Prince's' book on top of the others and reached for the next.
"Hold it there." Hermione looked up from her task like she was moving through molasses. There was a tall, broad shouldered man not ten yards from her. He had piercing grey eyes and black curls, and his wand was held aloft. "Think about it and I will curse your hands off."
Slowly, Hermione moved her hands away from her torso to show they were empty. When had her Disillusionment worn off? Had she been that distracted? And did the boys see what was going on?
"I knew I smelled something rank in the halls. Come here, little mudblood." A sense of deja vous filled her; she'd heard this man spit that epithet at her before.
"You're the Death Eater fron Hogsmeade," she said loudly enough she hoped it would alert the boys. "Antonin."
"Dolohov to you, girl. I'll not have such familiarity from your filthy mouth." The way he looked at her made her shiver; she had no doubt that it was only Tom's want of her that kept her living.
She nodded. "Dolohov. Fine. Are you here to kill me?"
He sneered. "I'm here to take you to my lord. He should reward me handsomely ford delivering his wayward toy."
"Fine." She stood tall and stared his square in the eye, but her attention was on her periphery nearest where she'd last seen Draco. Please let them notice. "Then take me to him."
" Accio wand," he snapped; her wand, the familiar vinewood, slipped from her pocket. He gestured once it was in his free hand. "Come."
"Fine, fine," she muttered as she surreptitiously slipped her bag from her shoulder. It blended in well enough and the strap was thing enough it didn't seem like he realized.
If anything happened, if the boys couldn't get to her, they would have everything they needed to continue the hunt.
She stepped around a pile of robes and shoes nearly waist high and was in full view of the man now. He was even bigger than she thought; she hated the way he towered over her, and how his handsome features twisted in disgust as he surveyed her.
"Hands in front of you, mudblood." She did as bidden, but rolled her eyes at his tone. " Incarcerous. " Her wrists were bound in rough rope, then he pushed her toward the door.
Hermione glanced back once. She didn't see the boys at all.
It was a long walk to the Headmaster's office. From there, Antonin Dolohov used a sticking charm to hold her against the desk, which was curiously empty of any sign of its occupant. He strode to the hearth and tossed in a handful of sparkling powder. "Riddle House, study," he said, then stuck his head through and began his Floo call.
"I have her, my lord. She came to the castle. It was— no, my lord. I put up a ward as soon as I saw her." There was a long pause. "Yes, my lord. Of course." A beat. "Yes. Yes, my lord." He stepped away and grasped the rope binding Hermione's hands. Without even a finite , he hauled her from her place and shoved her through the fire.
It flared emerald around her and the world tipped and swam.