Hexad

Book four, chapter three

Harry Potter and the New Day.

Chapter three of this dark book-in-a-book: Recontact.

This one may be written a bit differently than normal, I've been getting back into some old writing styles!
(I'm also gonna start referring to Lily by her name and as 'mum" from now on)

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When Harry and Lisa arrived back home, Lily and Hermione had already gotten back from shopping.

"Hi," Hermione said lightly, looking at then from the couch, where she was watching something on the TV. 

"Ooh, what's that?" Lisa asked, going to stand behind the couch.

"I'unno. Just what was on." Hermione shrugged, getting up. "You can watch it if you want. Also, mum's preparing lunch. You missed breakfast." 

Lisa rolls her eyes but smiles at Hermione before walking down the hallway. "I call dibs on drying off first!"

"I call dibs on my own bathroom!" Harry calls, and Lisa laughs, sticking her tongue out at him. "No way! Cheater!"

Hermione and Harry both can't help but laugh as she disappears from sight. Hermione is the first to say anything after a long moment of silence-- not counting the TV. "I've been waiting for you two to get back. I got a bit lost earlier, and you wouldn't believe what I found." 

"A library?" Harry asks, using a quick charm to dry off as Hermione spoke. 

"No, a room! I know it sounds ridiculous, but there's just something about it. It's really... iunno. Dark and brooding, kind of? Like, when I first found it, I could've believed if someone told me that I had unknowingly flooed to Malfoy Manor." 

"You've never been to Draco's house," 

"Neither have you. And that's irrelevant anyway, you know what I mean." Hermione says, waving him off. She gets up from the couch and motions for him to follow her. "Just come on. It's actually interesting. Trust me." 

Harry didn't think he'd ever remember the way she took him, but she found the door she was looking for after two or three. Admittedly, he couldn't deny that the room definitely made him think of one that he'd find at Malfoy Manor. Hermione was practically on-point with her description. 

"And then, I found this box," She digs out a box from underneath the bed. The first thing she pulls out of it is a tiny, gold locket with an S embedded in even tinier, shiny green gems, followed by an identical looking one, albeit, much more shiny, and it looked much newer, too.

"This," She says, holding up the second locket. "was our father's. Regulus, not James. And this one, I believe," She holds up the other locket. "is Salazar Slytherin's locket." 

"What?" 

"Look, I know it sounds crazy, but I've done a lot of research, and--" 

Before she can finish speaking, Harry takes Slytherin's locket from her and throws it around his neck. Hermione gasped. "Why would you do that?!" 

Harry shrugs, adjusting the chain and putting the locket under his shirt. "Now we know it's not cursed." 

Hermione groans, banging her fist on her head. "Well you can't keep it on." 

"I could." 

"You're not going to." 

"Says who?" 

"Says me! And, also, common sense! If  that is actually Slytherin's locket, we don't know it's not cursed! Sure, you're not affected now, but the effect it could have on you over time is--"