the ring︱harry potter x (fem.) reader

cøs: spiderhead

~ cage the elephant

"It's for Hermione"

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Third Person POV

Summer was creeping over the grounds around the castle. But with no Hagrid visible, walking around the grounds with Fang by his side, the castle seemed off-put to (Y/N).

Harry, (Y/N), and Ron had tried to visit Hermione, but visitors were now barred from the hospital wing.

"We're taking no more chances," said Madam Pomfrey through the crack in the door, "No, I'm sorry, there's every chance the attacker might come back to finish these people off...."

With Dumbledore gone, fear had spread as never seen before, so that the sun warming the castle grounds seemed to stop mullioned windows. There was barely a face to be seen in the school that didn't look worried and tense, and any laughter that rang through the corridors sounded shrill and forced and was quickly stifled.

Harry constantly repeated Dumbledore's final words to himself. "I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me.... Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." But what good were these words? Who exactly were they supposed to ask for help, when everyone was just as confused and scared as they were?

Hagrid's hint about the spiders was far easier to understand. The hard part was actually finding the spiders. Harry and (Y/N) looked everywhere they could, and Ron tagged along rather reluctantly. They were hampered, of course, by the fact that they weren't exactly allowed to wander off on their own and had to move around the castle in a pack with the other Gryffindors. Most students seemed to be thankful that they were moved from class to class by teachers, but (Y/N) found it quite agitating.

One person, however, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere of terror. Take your guess.

Malfoy was strutting around the school as though he was appointed as the new headmaster. (Y/N) didn't realize what had him so pleased until the Potions lesson about two weeks after Dumbledore and Hagrid had left the grounds, when, sitting right behind Malfoy, Harry, (Y/N), and Ron overheard him gloating as usual.

"I always thought Father might be the one who got rid of Dumbledore," he said, not even caring to keep his voice down. "I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst headmaster the school's ever had. Maybe we'll get a decent headmaster now. Someone who won't want the Chamber of Secrets closed. McGonagall won't last long, she's only filling in...."

Snape swept past (Y/N), making no comment about Hermione's empty seat and cauldron, but (Y/N) thought she saw a sincere look on his face as if he knew what they were going through.

"Sir," said Malfoy loudly. "Sir, why don't you apply for the headmaster's job?"

"Now, now, Malfoy," said Snape, failing to suppress his thin smile. "Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough."

"Yeah, right," said Malfoy, grinning. "I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job -- I'll tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir --"

Snape smirked as he swept off around the dungeon, fortunately not spotting Seamus Finnigan, who was pretending to vomit into his cauldron.

"I'm quite surprised the Mudbloods haven't all packed their bags by now," Malfoy went on. "Bey you five Galleons the next one dies. Pity it wasn't Granger --"

The bell rang at the moment, which was lucky because Ron had leaped off his stool, and in the scramble to collect bags and books, his attempts to reach Malfoy went unnoticed.