The Dark Promise// Theodore Nott

CH 39

///Hogwarts Team///

A basilisk? The dark lord had a whole ass basilisk? That would have been nice to know. Now she had another thing to worry about. She wondered where he had it transported. Basilisks were huge so it would have to be a place large enough to house it. Maybe it was being hidden under his castle, right under their noses. Theo also knew about it and didn't say anything. She knew why he didn't tell her, he was part of the task force to round up the muggleborns. He was ashamed of what he had done and would carry that with him the rest of his life. He did say that the past should be in the past now, but that was a hard thing to just forget. When this mission was said and done, they would have to have a conversation about. It wasn't something they could just sweep under the rug.

For now, she decided to place it in the back of her mind, following Neville and Hermione through a dilapidated Hogwarts. The mermaid fountain was crumbling apart, the beautiful, tailed women now headless. They were thankful the stairs were still intact for the most part. As they climbed the multiple flights of stairs, they felt their calves ache. When they were students, they would always complain about the stairs, but now it was pure nostalgia for them. It felt good to be back at Hogwarts, even in this state. They talked about when the war was over and they would try to restore it back to it's former glory. That was a nice thought.

They finally made it to the astronomy tower, stopping before walking towards the troll tapestry. Neville turned around, a confused expression on his soft face. "I know this isn't something to complain about, but I assumed there would be at least a few guards hanging around here. Don't you think it's strange that this place is completely deserted? Especially if there really is a horcrux hidden here?" Neville was right, this seemed way too easy. Sure, they didn't expect it to be as dangerous as going into Gringotts but it honestly just felt like they were having a stroll around the castle. "I was thinking the same thing. What if the dark lord found the diadem already?" Theo asked, stating what everyone had already been thinking.

"If he did, it will probably be in the vault with the rest. If that's the case hopefully Mattheo would notice it and destroy it." Olivia chimed in, trying to lift their spirits. "We should still look. Maybe there is another reason he pulled back his guards here. Maybe he needed them for something important?" Hermione ran her hands through her tangled curly hair. "Lets just hope it's not something too important." They continued on, stopping right in front of the tapestry where the come and go room was located. They collectively thought of the crown, wondering if that was the right thing to think of to make the door appear. To their delight, it did, the large door slowly opening for them.

They walked inside to find a large dark room filled with a maze of clutter. This was the same type of room she walked into while searching for Malfoy's vanishing cabinet. The memory of that day came back to her. She had thought about it the other day as well. Her first kiss with Malfoy. Why was she still feeling her heart beat a little faster when she thought of him? It worried her deeply, knowing she couldn't just ignore it. When they got back, she would have to do something about it. Her list of things to do was growing longer, and she didn't like it one bit.

They ducked and crawled through the maze, keeping an eye out for anything shiny or out of place. "This certainly isn't ideal. How are we ever going to find a small tiara in a place like this?" Hermione stated, keeping her voice down for some reason. "Of course, it couldn't be too easy." Neville scoffed, almost hitting his head on a floating box full of Quidditch gear. The group stopped dead in their tracks when they heard a small noise off in the distance. Their eyes widened as they looked at each other, hearing a faint sound of two people talking. Neville held up his wand, casting disillusionment on himself, the rest of the team followed his lead. They stealthily crept closer to the sound, careful to watch every step they took. As they walked, they noticed more candles had been lit about the place, making the room easier to navigate. Theo's ears perked up when he recognized the male voice who was speaking. He grabbed ahold of an invisible Olivia, the rest of the group stopping as well. He took of his charm so he could be seen again. He slowly mouthed the words 'Zabini.' The rest of the group listened more intently, realizing that Theo was indeed right. The male voice that was talking was Blaise Zabini. Why was he here of all places? They continued forward, finding a small entrance that led to a clearing in the tunnel of clutter.