Scarred from the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter Fan Fiction Retelling)

Chapter 15: Attention All Students Who Are Still Alive

Harry woke to a scream from the girl's dormitory across the hall. He untangled himself from his lion-patterned blanket and joined Ron, Dean, Seamus, and Neville in the hallway. Parvati was crying hysterically in the doorway. "They're all gone!" she was saying. "Every last one of them... even Mannie!"

"Who's gone?" Harry asked, yawning.

"Apparently, all the second-year girls," Dean said. "Lavender, of course, has been petrified. Angelina ran off in the middle of the night with Lavender's bag for some reason; Parvati won't tell us what was in it. And Hermione's missing."

"Hermione's missing?" Harry and Ron gasped.

"There was a note on her bed that she had the time to make before vanishing," Parvati sniffed. She handed Harry the note.

Parvati, when you find this note (and I know you will since I know you snoop around my bed looking for my homework to copy), please tell Harry and Ronald that I have gone into hiding. Now that I'm no longer safe and sound yet uncomfortable in the infirmary, I can't help but think about how Lavender was brutally attacked right in front of me. I mean, it could have been me, and I just plain don't have time to get petrified. I have tests to take. So I've gone into hiding to ensure that the evil monster can't find me and petrify me. Tell Harry and Ron to meet me in the library by the 'Dementor Training Manuals' Aisle today at 4:11 P.M. Parvati, you better give them this note, or I'll petrify you myself. Love and kisses, Hermione.

"She sounds more paranoid than Justin Finch-Fletchly," Seamus said, laughing.

"Well, look what happened to him," Harry said grimly.

Seamus frowned. "Oh yeah. I forgot. It's easy to forget about a Hufflepuff."

The Gryffindors nodded in agreement.

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Harry led the way down the many aisles in the library. Ron followed swiftly behind him, attempting to glue his wand together. Harry passed the "Devil Monkey Lookalikes" aisle, the "Demon Llamas" aisle, and the "Department of Mysteries Mysteries" aisle before locating Hermione's secret meeting place. Sidestepping Pince breathing down Cormac McLaggen's neck, he stepped into the dimly lit aisle. There was a figure at the end by a window overlooking Hagrid's hut. He couldn't help but think the figure looked rather familiar.

"Is that Professor Lockhart?" Ron gurgled.

"Shush it!" The face looked up. It was Hermione.

"What are you wearing?" Harry gasped.

Hermione spread her arms. She wore the silver costume and wig Harry had worn when getting Lockhart to sign their permission slip. "I'm in disguise. I look like a Pureblood, right?"

"I guess so," Harry said unsurely. "Have you really gone into hiding?"

"Duh. Look at me. I'm hiding. Did Parvati give you my note?"

"Obviously, or we wouldn't be here," Ron said.

"I just wanted to say goodbye before I go underground," Hermione told them.

"Underground?" Harry said, raising an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"I'm not going to tell you, just in case you really are the Heir of Slytherin."

Harry stomped his foot angrily. "Would the Heir of Slytherin tell you that he spoke to Tom Riddle in a diary who told him that Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets 50 years ago?"

"What?" Ron howled.

"Shut up!" Pince shouted through the book stacks.

"Harry, don't be dumb," Hermione said dismissively. "I know it's a challenge, but try."