Battle of the Vanishing Cabinet

Harry:

The first few tests of the Vanishing Cabinet did not work, but then Rosalie glanced the board over, found a few errors in the woodworking, and it began to function just fine. Draco passed an apple through the cabinet to a death eater in Borgin and Burkes at a coordinated time. Then a live bird. Then he climbed through and climbed back.

The next day, the Malfoy family owl arrived with a note from the Dark Lord reading "June 10th, 9pm."

Draco read the letter, wrote a copy, and took it to Dumbledore before leaving the Great Hall after breakfast.

Harry and Hermione sat with Ron and Ginny at the Gryffindor table. It felt like old times. Except now he had his hand on Hermione's back and was tracing aimless patterns while she talked about exams and she had a hand on his knee that felt amazing.

Hermione was chattering away about their OWL's when a shadow fell over the table. It was Professor Snape. "Potter, Granger," he said. "You will meet me before your first classes by the girl's bathroom on the second floor. It has been blocked off and we would like for one of you to open the Chamber of Secrets."

Ginny's eyes grew wide and she dropped her fork with a clatter on her plate. Ron scrunched his eyebrows together. "Hermione, do you speak Parseltongue now?"

Hermione groaned. "Yes, Professor Snape." She lowered her voice for Ron as Snape left. "Salazar wants to teach me… he puts the sounds in my head but my tongue doesn't want to make them."

Harry thought for a moment, took his hand off her back, and imagined he was talking to a snake instead of his girlfriend. "Is hearing easier?"

She pointed at him. "Salazar translated that for me. Yes, I can hear."

"Huh." Harry returned to his eggs and bacon. He supposed he'd better hurry and not leave Snape waiting. He could understand Hermione having a difficult time. He'd noticed over time that when he spoke, his throat constricted in an odd way and his tongue almost seemed to vibrate. It would go numb at the tip and…

An idea suddenly popped into Harry's head. He glanced at Hermione, who was now deep in conversation with Ron and Ginny about something (he was completely tuned out) and wondered what sensation speaking parseltongue might cause if he or she were to attempt it during a kiss.

Especially an intense kiss, which they hadn't tried yet. He'd never made out with her. But maybe, after she'd learned Parseltongue, if they were at that stage yet…

"Harry?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, Ginny?" Harry looked at Ginny and tried to act as if he'd been thinking of nothing in particular.

"Can you coach me on my shield charm, later? I've still not been able to get it up as fast as I want it."

Harry shrugged. "It really comes down to instinct. But yeah. I can do that." He found Hermione's hand under the table. "Ready?" he asked.

She groaned and hauled herself up. She was being a little dramatic for someone who'd only attempted Parseltongue once, as far as Harry knew. He followed and they bid Ron and Ginny goodbye.

"Been thinking," Hermione said as they left the Great Hall. "I was wondering if you were comfortable with more deep kissing."

Harry almost began to laugh. "You'd not believe it, but I was wondering about asking you the exact same question," he admitted. "Just barely."

"At the table?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah."

Hermione gave him a side eye. "So… you had the same thought about Parseltongue as well?"

He almost threw his hands into the air. "You always read my mind!"

She chuckled and squeezed his hand, then brought it up to her mouth and kissed his knuckles. Harry's grin grew wider. Then, up ahead, someone yelled, "Potter! Granger!" And they looked up to see Snape scowling at them. Harry sighed. That was fine. They had later.

The girl's bathroom had the door taken off its hinges and signs posted around it reading: "Out of Order." Harry could hear Myrtle crying as they drew closer. Snape paused outside the door and then followed them in. Each of the stalls was locked from the inside and had a paper stuck to the door reading "Do Not Use – Advanced Potions Final Project in Progress".

Mrytle was sitting on top of one of the stall doors, weeping. When Harry and Hermione walked in, hand-in-hand, she glanced down and then burst into tears. "No fair!" she whined. "He's so pretty!" She cried louder and the toilet behind her became a geyser.

Harry's face felt hot. Hermione was giggling. He pulled her to the sink and showed her and Professor Snape, hovering behind them, the snakes on the handles. "I got it to open by imagining they were actual snakes I was taking to," he explained. "Hermione, give it a try."

Hermione squinted at the snakes and took a deep breath. She attempted to sound out the hiss. "Sa-ha-sa…" She growled in frustration with herself. Harry hid a smile.

She got through the word, but the snakes wouldn't open, so she glared at Harry and he stepped forward. "Open," he demanded, and the sink immediately parted and moved to display the plumbing. The large pipe Harry remembered was revealed and the smell of snake wafted upwards.

"Um…" Hermione looked down the hole. "I think… we need a staircase." She closed her eyes and concentrated and Harry watched as stairs shimmered into view. They started translucent and took on additional shape. Clever.

"Thank you," Professor Snape said, very stiffly. "We will begin clearing the snake skin and will inform you when we've cleared the rubble you told Dumbledore about."

As much of their time was devoted to studying for their OWLs, which were now due to begin the week after Voldemort's planned invasion as it was to the planning for the invasion itself. But at long last, everything was set in motion.

Rather than have the problematic students potentially warn Voldemort, they didn't tell anyone a battle was going to happen. Instead, Harry and Ron helped Malfoy carry the Vanishing Cabinet to the Room of Requirements and set it deep inside the room of junk. Rosalie and Draco and Hermione put their heads together and put a spell on the cabinet that would result in everyone who passed through falling asleep after fifteen minutes. With any luck, they'd barely have time to leave the room.

The Order showed up around six in the evening but did not risk letting themselves be spotted. They stayed in the Founder's room and reviewed plans for the battle. Harry let everyone know that Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband were prime targets.

At seven-thirty, Harry and Draco sat down and attempted to scope out any battle plans Voldemort had. But his plan appeared fairly straightforward. Send Death Eaters, kill children. Ta-da!

At eight, Rosalie got on the Hogwarts speakers and announced to the students and faculty that an early curfew had been instigated tonight only, and all students were required to return to their dorms immediately. Then, the Order flew into their preparations.

Outside the Room of Requirements, they put up a poster advertising a party in the Great Hall – tonight. "With Fireworks provided by Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes!" They posted a few others all the way to the Great Hall and Rosalie prepared a sound loop that sounded as if a large crowd were gathered and dancing. Then they closed the doors and sealed them shut.

Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Bill Weasley, Remus, Sirius, Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody, and Kingsley Shacklebolt planned on dividing up down the corridor on either side of the Room of Requirements. Snape would appear to join the Death Eaters at first, but serve as a guard to Draco afterwards. Other Hogwarts Professors guarded the halls down to the Great Hall, in case any of the Death Eaters made it that far. Harry, Hermione, and Rosalie were not officially allowed to take part, though Hermione reconfigured the castle to seal the students in their dormitories by placing brick walls in front of all the exits. And Dumbledore brought Harry the Sword of Gryffindor and told him, "If you see Nagini, kill her." And Rosalie looked over the Marauder's Map and confirmed that everyone was safely in their common rooms.

Only Draco was allowed to formally participate in the plan, because he needed to be there when the Death Eaters exited the cabinet to keep suspicions low. However, none of them were comfortable sending him into such a dangerous place alone, and so Draco was given a panic button that would serve as a portkey to the Founder's Room.

Soon, the hour was upon them. Harry, Hermione, and Rosalie walked Draco to the Room of Requirements. If he was nervous, he didn't show it. He was as cool and icy as he'd been in years past.

"In an hour, when this is over, we'll celebrate with firewhiskey," he said to them quietly, so the adults couldn't hear. "Hufflepuff commons are near the kitchens. We can get some there."

He was wearing Hermione's tie and kerchief again. And this little smirk that was kinda annoying, but he was going into a dangerous situation, so he was allowed to be a little bit of a jerk.

"Stay safe, Draco," Harry said. "Because you're a friend now… I don't want anything to happen to you."

Draco rolled his eyes. The audacity, honestly. Why did Harry even bother trying? But he and Harry exchanged a hug and Draco clapped him on the back a little.

Hermione was the most nervous out of all of them. She was taking little breaths and shaking her hands. "Okay, so all the runes should work," she said. "And they'll be asleep in fifteen minutes… Hopefully this will all be over in an hour."

"Right," Draco said. He and Hermione exchanged a quick hug. "Pleasure to scheme with you, Granger. You've got a brilliant mind."

Hermione gravitated towards Harry and Draco looked towards Rosalie. His too-cool-for-school demeanour cracked and a real smile appeared for a moment. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"I'm nervous," Rosalie admitted. Her brown hair was plaited back. Her blue eyes seemed more shiny than usual. "But I know you're prepared."

Draco nodded. "I am. Thanks to all of you." Though he addressed the three of them, he didn't take his eyes off Rosalie. Then, he stepped at an angle and put himself in between the line of vision between Harry and Rosalie. Despite this, he could hear what he and she said.

"Don't be nervous, okay?"

"Well, just come back, okay?"

Draco laughed. "Rosalie, you are something special. I hope you know that."

"Oh, Draco." Rosalie's laugh was almost a whisper. "If only you knew it all."

Harry watched Draco lean forward. "Rosalie," he said softly. "I want you to know that I'm falling in love with you."

"Well, duh." Rosalie laughed and Harry saw her hands wrap around Draco's neck. "You're already in love with me. I've known for months. You're behind on the times."

Draco laughed. There was so much laughter between these two, for just before a pivotal moment. "Well, if you say so, it must be true," he decided, and finally kissed her.

Quite the conundrum, Harry thought. With a glance at Hermione, he could see her thinking the same thing. Rosalie shared a lot of facts and was right most of the time. But where she was from? Who knew?

"I love you too," Rosalie told Draco after their kiss was over. "Now, come home safely." She let him go.

Draco opened the door to the Room of Requirements and disappeared from view. Harry, Hermione, and Rosalie were shooed over to the sidelines and pushed down a corridor, where they couldn't see anything.

For as much stress as Rosalie had seemed to have been under lately, she seemed to be handling this well. She took deep breaths and sat on the floor patiently, waiting. For another few minutes, at least, there would be waiting.

In the distance, the speakers in the Great Hall shook the floor. It sounded exactly like the dance party that had been briefly held in the Founder's Room. Hopefully it would serve as bait to the Death Eaters and the Order Members could quietly pick off any spares until they had all fallen asleep.

Harry kept his grip tight on the Sword of Gryffindor. He wondered if Dumbledore knew the snake was invulnerable towards a few charms. Which did beg the question – how had Draco captured her?

From around the corner, there was a bang. The three of them were holding their breaths. Harry closed his eyes. "Godric," he thought, "How many are there?" But there was no answer.

Another bang. Then some crazed laughter. "Hello Hogwarts!" A man laughed from around the corner. "My, my, it is good to be back!"

Harry dimly recognised the voice. One of the Carrows – Amycus? Hm. Why was he at the head of this organisation?

Harry made to get on his feet and leaned forward on his feet, still crouching, to better hear the voice. Hermione seized his arm and pulled him back. When he looked at her, she was mouthing furiously at him. He reached up and touched the hand on his arm, then looked back down the hall, still listening.

Another male voice was finishing saying, "…students will be in bed?" When Harry looked down the hall. A sharp ping that was much closer than Harry had expected made him jump. What was that sound? He looked all around.

"…was that?" someone asked around the corner.

Beside him, Hermione and Rosalie had shared expressions of panic. Hermione gestured to him, still mouthing, and then when she realised he did not understand her, reached straight into this robe pocket for him. Harry panicked at that almost as much as he'd panicked at the strange noise. Her hand ghosted over his hip and then she withdrew his new mobile phone and shook it in his face.

Oh! The sound had been a cell phone chime. He'd completely forgotten that Muggle phones could do that. It wasn't like he'd had one before.

Hermione switched the phone off and closed her eyes to focus. The wall they were leaning against suddenly sunk inward and they slid a meter inwards. From the side, it probably looked like a new corridor entrance. Hermione clutched Harry's arm and leaned against him into the corner. Rosalie did the same. Harry kept the sword against the wall, trying desperately to not make any more noise.

They were not a moment too soon. Light shone down the corridor and ghosted over their hiding place. "I don't see anyone," Amycus announced. "I wonder if it was a rat."

More laughter. More people coming through. But Harry was still able to hear footsteps as someone approached very, very slowly. Harry finally let go of Hermione's hand. He took his wand out of his pocket. She took hers out. Rosalie, paralysed with fear, stared towards the source of danger. But the footsteps stopped onto a few meters into the corridor.

"Homenum Revelio," someone Harry did not recognise said. Harry's fingertips began tingling. It felt like something was swooping low over him, immersing his body in shadow. Hermione exhaled near his cheek. "Hold on," the man said. "There's a lot of people here! There are people down the hall! We're surrounded!"

Harry saw a flash of blue light and the man came flying down the corridor. He landed with a thud in front of their hiding place. Down the corridor, spells began to fly.

"Harry!" Hermione whispered. "That's… that's Rudolphus Lestrange!" She pointed at the man who'd landed in front of them.

"Really?" Harry couldn't believe their luck. "Well, that's one down, isn't it?"

"You're going to off him while he's down?" Hermione demanded. And to tell the truth, Harry didn't fancy the idea at all. But that was what the plan was, right?

"Draco texted," Rosalie whispered. "Hermione… Harry's phone…"

Harry's hands were both full, so Hermione made to unlock it and turned the phone around so his facial recognition software would activate. His apps were haphazardly arranged – he hadn't put anything into folders or anything. She used the search feature and pulled the messages. "Harry…" she whispered. "Draco says Bellatrix isn't coming. She was reassigned last minute."

"What?" Harry's heart dropped into his stomach.

For a moment, none of them were sure what to do. They all stared blankly at the man on the floor. Then Rosalie squeezed Hermione's arm. "Cover me," she whispered.

Hermione let go of Harry and kept a grip on her wand. Harry readied both his sword and his wand.

Rosalie got on her elbows and crept forward in an army crawl. Hermione left their hiding place and crouched in front of Rosalie.

If she can leave, then so can I, Harry thought. And he leaned forward and looked down the hall.

A battle was beginning, though it seemed more about taking cover than dueling. Amycus was stood hiding behind the wall at the end of their corridor, completely unaware of the three behind him.

Harry looked at Hermione. Couldn't they just stun him from behind? Or full-body-bind him?

Hermione looked torn. She glanced behind them at Rosalie.

Rosalie turned Rudolphus over and hooked her arms under his shoulders. With a whispered grunt, she hauled him towards their hideout. Harry and Hermione slowly withdrew.

Rudolphus's legs stuck out into the hall but Rosalie didn't seem to care so long as she had some cover. She started going through Rudolphus's pockets. She pulled out some Gobstones, some magical smoke bombs, some jewellery, and a lot of money. She began stuffing things into her robes, but whispered to Hermione, "I can't find his Gringotts key!"

Hermione put her hands around Rudolphus's neck as if she were planning on strangling him. Then she found a gold chain and pulled. A key came up and Hermione was easily able to slip the key over his head.

"Looks like your time turner chain," Harry remarked.

"A time turner?" Rosalie asked. "What's that? A time travel device?"

"By the hour," Hermione confirmed. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of them yet."

"Well, I can't have heard of everything," Rosalie whispered. "There's too much in the world now."

Hermione slipped the chain of the key over her neck and dropped the key down the front of her robes.

A roar echoed down the corridor and Harry peeked out. Amycus still had not noticed them.

"Whatever you're thinking, stop thinking it," Hermione whispered.

Harry handed her the sword in answer. He put his wand in his dominant wand. Then he crept out of the hiding place and down the corridor. Slowly… carefully… quietly. He waited until he was about five meters from Amycus and then whispered, "Petrificus Totalus."

Amycus froze with his arm outstretched around the corridor corner. He toppled into the fray and narrowly avoided being hit by another spell fired towards him. He hit the floor, landing mostly on his arm.

Harry didn't dare move. He was barely breathing. He waited quietly to see if anyone would come to investigate Amycus's fall. Then he stood up and retreated back into the hall.

"You shouldn't have done that," Hermione whispered. "You could have attracted a lot more of them. It's a miracle Amycus didn't see the light behind him!"

"Oh," Harry felt his forehead. Obviously he couldn't see himself, but he realised that the corridor wasn't quite as dark as it should have been. He was giving off red light.

There were shouts of panic around the corner and Harry heard growling. The hair on his arms rose.

Hermione's robes buzzed and she withdrew Harry's phone again and displayed the screen. "Malfoy sent a check. I suppose that means no one else is coming?"

"How long's it been?" Harry asked.

"Only seven minutes," Rosalie whispered. "Not long enough to-" she stopped talking and shrank into the hiding place. Harry grabbed Hermione and pulled her down just as a blue light crashed into the place his head had been. He grabbed the sword and turned, shielding both girls from view for a few seconds until Hermione got back to her feet.

The Death Eater who'd found them wore a mask, but no hood. He had long, blonde hair.

Harry hesitated. Lucius Malfoy yelled, "reducto," and the wall beside Harry took a hit. Rosalie screamed, then cut herself off mid-breath.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Stupefy!"

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Hermione tried to come to Harry's side, but he sidestepped in front of her. She fired off a disarming spell that grazed Harry's ear and then pushed against his arm. "Let me through!" she exclaimed.

"Just stay there!" Harry said. "I've got this!"

"Harry, move your stubborn-"

Another reducto came at them and Harry instinctively moved the sword to deflect it into the wall. But he was pushed back and Hermione was now stuck between him and the corner. She shoved him down and stretched out a hand. The floor underneath Lucius moved and jolted him to the right. His next spell struck the wall. Harry couldn't see his expression, but he could imagine the confusion.

Harry got back up and tried to put himself in between Lucius and Hermione again. She pushed against him as best she could while keeping her wand aloft.

Harry was so distracted trying to keep Hermione out of the line of fire that he didn't notice the bludgeoning hex coming at him until it hit his leg. The world spun out underneath his feet. He rolled right over Rudolphus Lestrange and hit the wall. The Sword of Gryffindor was pressed up against his chest and Harry felt a rush of air escape him. Pain flooded from his leg and his chest. The sword had left a deep cut across his chest. His own blood coated the weapon.

His leg was twisted behind him and his foot was facing the wrong way now. This was the most painful wound. Harry squeezed his eyes shut and gasped for air.

Up ahead, Hermione was still up and using the castle to her advantage. Lucius was struggling to keep his balance because Hermione was tilting his part of the corridor into a slant. She had a wall in front of her that was just about her height and four feet across and she moved it left and right, firing around it. Lucius Malfoy fired a disarming spell and Hermione deflected it with her wand. He fired a killing curse, and Harry's world stopped, but Hermione moved the wall in front of her and the curse was blocked.

Harry exhaled.

Rosalie was shaking in the hiding hole. Her face was turned towards the ceiling and tears were rolling down her cheeks. She had brought her knees up to her chest and was trying to make herself as small as possible in the corner.

Another death eater turned the corner and skidded to a stop at the scene he beheld. It seemed to Harry that Hermione was fighting on a level that Lucius hadn't seen before.

The death eater yelled for help. More masked villains rounded the corner. Hermione simply slanted the floor and gave herself the high ground. Now the death eaters were fighting uphill.

And then all of the sudden, one yawned and fell forward. It almost looked like he slipped, but he didn't get back up. He simply passed out and slid down Hermione's ramp towards the wall. No one noticed him except for Harry. They were all too busy trying to break apart Hermione's wall. Harry didn't understand how it hadn't been busted apart yet.

Killing curses were flying and Harry was forced to crawl into the hiding place with Rosalie. He abandoned the sword and used his hands to drag his busted leg out of harm's way. Then he leaned his head to watch the battle. With the deep wound on his chest, he couldn't turn to fire with his wand hand.

Don't hit her, he thought as he willed the boats away from her. Don't hit her….

A killing curse forced him to duck back in. Rosalie had her robes neckline pulled up to her eyes like she was wearing a niqab. She wasn't crying anymore though. When she saw Harry examine her, she pulled her head back out. "I never could have been a Gryffindor," she said. "I'm a coward."

"I never could have been a Ravenclaw," Harry replied. "I'm a bloody idiot." Here he was, wounded by his own sword… letting Hermione fight for him.

Someone yelled down the corridor, but the fighting was growing quiet. Harry looked out and watched Order members stun death eaters from above while they attempted to stun Hermione. They were currently about two meters into the floor beneath the Order, and it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Plus, they were succumbing to sleep. Hermione slowed her wall moving and the battle seemed to be mostly over. Harry watched a door appear at the end of Hermione's ramp. All of the death eaters were swept inside a room She walked to the end of the ramp and called, "Any others?"

"Where are you putting them?" Mad-Eye yelled.

"The classroom down the hall, where we planned to put them," Hermione said. "Anyone injured? I can make a door to the hospital wing!"

"Bill is!" Mrs. Weasley called with a bit of desperation in her tone. "Over here!"

Hermione brought the floor back up. "Be right there!" she said and turned around. Harry leaned back into the hiding hole and rested his head on the wall. "Harry, are you hurt?" she called.

A bitter taste filled his mouth. "Yeah!" he said, hoping she'd hear.

"Harry?"

"Yes!" Harry yelled. "Yes. Just… take care of everyone else first."

Hermione did, running towards the Weasley's, but uninjured members of the Order ran down to see him. Among them was Draco, who had a blue bruise on the side of his face. "Blimey," Draco said. "What'd you do?"

"Got blasted in the leg," Harry said, gesturing to his twisted-around ankle. He was so embarrassed that he couldn't meet anyone's eyes. "Cut myself with the sword."

Dumbledore brushed his way to the front and guided Harry's arm away from the wound. A few people made noises as the cut was revealed. It was long, from his left shoulder to his right hip, and about an inch deep at its worst. And it stung like devil.

Hermione appeared over Dumbledore's shoulder, huffing, and took a look. Her shoulders fell. She sighed in deep disappointment. Then she said, "Serves you right – you deserve it, you moron."

There were a few sounds of disapproval and surprise. "What did he do?" Mr. Weasley asked. Mrs. Weasley did not seem to be around – she was probably with Bill.

"He was trying to push me out of the fight and got knocked out himself," Hermione explained. She crouched down and examined his leg. Then with a tag of her wand and a muttered spell, she bound it up.

"No Bellatrix?" Harry asked before she sent him away. "I'm sorry, Draco."

"Yeah, well…" Draco scuffed his foot.

"I got Rudolphus's key here," Hermione said. "Not sure if it'll do anything, but…"

"Give it here," Draco said putting a hand out. Hermione found the chain around her neck and pulled the key up. She passed it to Draco, who took the chain and dangled the key in front of his face. There were a few seconds of silence. "I've got an idea," he said. "Let's put it back on my uncle's neck and wake him up in a separate room. I'll tell him the mission failed and the Dark Lord has given us orders to go to Gringotts and pull something out for him."

"Let's not be hasty," Hermione said. "We can always try-"

"Hermione, let's do it now," Draco said. "Before I back out." He nodded to Harry. "Send him to the hospital wing. Get his leg fixed. By the time he wakes up, we'll have another horcrux to test on."

"Is that what's in Gringotts?" Tonks asked. "A horcrux?"

Dumbledore was also looking at Draco. "Is it the last one?" he asked.

"We know what they all are," Draco said. "Rosalie created a math formula to tell us how many. All I have to do now is get into Aunt Bellatrix's vault." Draco looked to Hermione. "Send Harry to the hospital wing, then I'll use the Room of Requirement that looks like Malfoy Manor to revive him in. Let's move."

Harry wanted to protest, but his robes were bloody and he couldn't walk. He knew he was in no shape to fight. Hermione kissed his cheek – which he knew he didn't really deserve – and then stepped back.

The floor disappeared out from under him. Harry gasped. His stomach flew into his lungs. He landed on a hospital bed and shouted, scaring Mrs. Weasley and Madam Pomfrey, two tables away. Madam Pomfrey did not look pleased to see him. "Right, Mr. Potter," she said. "Sit tight and I'll deal with you in a moment."

The next chapter will be called The Hufflepuff Cup and is one of my favourites.