For You I Will #2- The Chamber Of Secrets

Duelling Club

A month had passed since the attack on Colin Creevey. Most of the school had relaxed slightly as the imminent threat seemed to have passed. One student however, had not. Y/N continued to be on high alert, patrolling around Hermione every minute they were away from the common room.

He had been becoming more agitated and paranoid, more withdrawn from people outside of his immediate social circle, and more neglectful of his own needs. Hermione had taken to portioning and cutting up his food at meal times after several times he hadn't eaten. While every other student in the crowded noisy hall would be happily chatting and eating, Y/N sat next to Hermione, his eyes darting around the hall like a prowling lion, ready to hunt, ready to kill without a moment's pause.

Every night they would sleep in the Room of Requirement, simply so Hermione could keep an eye on him. Make sure he did actually sleep.

After the initial incident in the library at the start of the year, the door had locked itself with three locks when Y/N and Hermione entered. It was now customary at night for three large beams to materialise across the door in the evening, along with a dozen deadbolts. Hermione theorised the Room was picking up on Y/N's degrading mental state but she kept that thought to herself.

Y/N's visions had progressed in vividness to the point he was staring, in his sleep, at Hermione's cold dead eyes for hours while he was unconscious each night. Even Dreamless Sleep Potions weren't helping. They weren't dreams or nightmares, they were visions. He woke each morning looking more tired than when he had gone to sleep the prior evening. He seemed to be becoming more agitated by the day.

Y/N's assault on Edmund Murk has resulted in a lengthy punishment for both boys. After learning what happened, the Headmaster sat down with the heads of houses of both boys and it was decided they would both have weekly detentions with the opposite head of house on a Saturday morning- Y/N for attacking a student, again, and Murk for financially abusing fellow students.

Murk spent his Saturday mornings polishing silverware by hand with Professor McGonagall. Y/N and Hermione spent their Saturday mornings with Professor Snape.

—~—

The Polyjuice Potion was ready and Hermione had concocted a plan- McGonagall had taken names of the students who were remaining at Hogwarts over Christmas and only four Slytherins were- Crabb, Goyle, Malfoy and a girl names Millicent Bullstrode. The plan was for Ron to be Goyle, Harry to be Crabb and Hermione, Millicent.

Hermione had convinced Y/N she would be safe as Millicent as she was a pure blood, and it was important for Y/N to stand guard over Crabb and Goyle to keep them out the common room and made sure they weren't found while Harry and Ron were under their Polyjuice glamours. Truthfully, she was terrified that if Malfoy confessed to opening the Chamber of Secrets Y/N would slaughter him there and then. It was a fair concern.

The Weasleys had to stay over Christmas and Harry was never going to go to the Dursleys. Hermione had decided to stay to carry out the plan. This made Y/N's decision for him, much to Penny's disappointment. Lavender tried to stay but her parents forbade it.

—~—

It was now the Thursday night before the last day of classes for the term. A blizzard had broken out earlier in the day and it was setting in fiercely. The students were enjoying dinner in the Great Hall.

Hermione was over the moon. There had been posters advertising a duelling club at 8pm Thursday evening. Y/N was ecstatic. It was the first time in literally months she had seen him happy. It brought Hermione so much joy to see him like this.

"It's gotta be Flitwick running it" Y/N told Harry between bites of shepherds pie. "He used to be a champion dueller- do you think we will get the chance to duel him one on one? I'd give every galleon in my Vault for the chance to duel Flitwick."