I hope our story has a happier ending

tired and angry (but somebody should be)

The only downside to meeting in the Chamber, is that being the only parsletongue among them, Harry has to sit outside the chamber for half an hour to let everyone in as they arrive—which means a lot of facetime with Myrtle.

Which—he's happy to be friendly with her, but the more she talks about watching him and every other wizard in the baths....

(well. He thinks it's fair to feel very, very uncomfortable with the situation, however tragic the circumstances surrounding her death.)

Five after start time, once they've sent out a last-call on the DA galleons, he heads into the chamber himself, where the entirety of ASA is talking at top volume, eyes wide as they take in the space.

(Naturally, their eyes are drawn to the mammoth decayed basilisk corpse and bus-sized snakeskin, though the statue of Slytherin's likeness pulls quite a bit of attention as well.)

Everyone had heard about the truth of the Chamber's existence three years ago, of course, but an elderly Headmaster assuring you it's reclosed is not quite as belief-inspiring as being inside the millenia old space of legend.

(Hermione finds herself fondly remembering that time, however horrible it had been then, for being when Draco came into her life—as himself.)

(They had no idea, then, how they would come to be each other's world.)

Hermione stands near the likeness of Salazar, looking tired but less stressed than Harry's seen her in weeks and weeks. He makes his way to stand next to her; raises his eyebrows in the way that silently asks if she's okay and waiting for the smile that promises she is before attempting to get the room's attention. "Hello! Er—everyone!"

A few of the people standing at the front quiet down, but the rest of the room can't hear him over their own conversations; he sighs, casting a sonorous before trying again. "All, can I get your attention, please! We're about to begin."

The noise simmers down, and they all turn to him and Hermione expectantly, though still wide eyed and overwhelmed by the gravity of the new meeting space.

"Right, then." She clears her throat. "Glad you all made it. Harry and I want to apologize for the breech in security, and any anxiety you all experienced due to the situation—the beauty of our new meeting space is that even if our location is somehow exposed again, it is impossible for Umbitch to get in."

The other students cheer, both at the announcement and her use of the nickname.

(Anti-Umbridge sentiment has been rampant all year, but since Dumbledore's departure, as her treachery has grown worse the student body's unification against her has exponentially exploded.)

Harry picks up where she left off. "That being said, we're going to have to be more careful than ever before. OWLs are right around the corner, though, and summer, which—for some of us, may be a more difficult and unsafe time, so we aren't going to let the circumstances affect how hard we're working. Of course you all have to make whatever choice is best for you—if you want to devote less time to ASA, we support that as well, but for Hermione and I this remains a priority in light of what we're currently facing."

"And," Hermione adds, "while I want to trust all of you, and do care for each and every person here, what happened proved that even those close to us are capable of betrayal—and we don't need to talk about who it was, or why they did it. But, I want you all to know I have strengthened the security enchantments on our roster contract, and the results of any mention of anything at all ASA will result in some very unfortunate consequences, which only I am able to reverse." She clenches her jaw as she stares the room down. "And if anyone in this room is put in danger, I doubt I will be very inclined to do so. So I suggest not trying to find any loopholes."