August | Hermione Granger x OFC

Chapter 120

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"What are you like? You should be used to flying now - flown a dragon, haven't you?" said Robyn, helping a shaky Hermione balance as they landed back in Myrtle's bathroom - who was thankfully nowhere to be seen.

"God, it was dreadful," Hermione said dramatically. "I have so much to tell you, but there's time for that later." She took out her wand and dried both of them swiftly. "That's better."

Robyn dusted herself off and sorted out her messy tie. She considered taking it off but decided not to, because she was a Ravenclaw whether they - whoever that might entail - liked it or not.

They went carefully out into the corridor. Windows were broken and there was debris all along the floor. Flashing lights from outside were constant, as were shouts and cries and orders. Professor Sprout was thundering past followed by Neville and half a dozen others, all of them wearing earmuffs and carrying what appeared to be large potted plants.

"Mandrakes!" Neville bellowed at them over his shoulder as he ran. "Going to lob them over the walls - they won't like this!"

Robyn and Hermione took off running in the opposite direction, Robyn's limp mostly and thankfully gone by now. They passed portrait after portrait, and the painted figures raced alongside them, witches and wizards in ruffs and breeches, in armour and cloaks, cramming themselves into each others' canvases, screaming news from other parts of the castle. As they reached the end of the corridor, the whole castle shook, and Robyn knew, as a gigantic vase blew off its plinth with explosive force, that it was in the grip of enchantments more sinister than those of the teachers and the Order.

They hurtled round the corner to find Ron, Fred, and a small knot of students, including Lee Jordan and Hannah Abbott, standing beside another empty plinth, whose statue had concealed a secret passageway. Their wands were drawn and they were listening at the concealed hole.

"Ron!" Hermione cried, and he turned sharply. "We've got to find Harry, come on!"

Ron joined them without fuss, and along another corridor they dashed. There were owls everywhere, and Mrs Norris was hissing and trying to bat them with her paws, no doubt to return them to their proper place.

"No stopping!" Hermione said immediately, knowing that, despite the fact Mrs Norris was generally disliked, she was still a cat and Robyn was probably going to try to help her. "Robyn, no."

Robyn held up her hands defensively and kept running, which was a rarity in and of itself - she didn't run places. She didn't even like walking. She was a witch, for Merlin's sake; she flew places, or used the Floo Network, or Apparated. She didn't run.

But she was. Running, that is. Away from the owls and Mrs Norris and right into the path of... Dumbledore?

Aberforth, she realised. Not Albus. Albus was long dead now.

They didn't stop to chat, skidding around another corner where they stumbled upon Harry himself, appearing rather like a headless chicken. He was as frazzled as he had been before.

"Where have you lot been!" he said immediately. 

"You're the one that ran off like a madman," Ron replied lightly.

Before Harry could retort, Hermione stepped forward, digging into her bag to show them a Basilisk fang. "Robyn and I went down to the Chamber of Secrets. It was Ron's idea, actually, but someone," she rolled her eyes playfully, "went all heart-eyed after Astoria Greengrass's little show of bravery."

"Did not!"

Harry interrupted him, gasping, "The Chamber- what? So...?"

"We're a Horcrux down!" Hermione declared.