The Astronomy Tower < #wattys2016 >

The Chamber of Secrets

11:00 pm, May 6th, 1997

(Hermione, Ron and Harry have just come to Hogwarts through the secret passage in the Hogs Head with Neville)

Hermione felt herself blush as the trio was engulfed by the members of Dumbledore's army. Hermione was momentarily reminded of being grabbed by the snatchers, she felt herself panic, then she calmed herself down. The children of Dumbledore's Army would never hurt her, ever.

"Ok, Ok calm down," spoke Neville.

"Where are we?" Asked Ron.

"Room of requirement of course!" Said Neville cheerily. "The Carrows were chasing me, and I knew that I only had one shot. I managed to get through the door."

"And the Carrows can't get in?" Harry asked.

"No," said Seamus Finnigan. "As long as one of us stays in here, they can't get to us. So, we've been hiding out here for nearly two weeks."

Harry then began to sway on his feet. Ron put an arm around his shoulders to steady him. Harry looked to Hermione, by the look on his face, they knew what he was thinking.

"We need to get going." He said.

"What's the plan then?" Asked Seamus

"Plan? Well... We need to find something, then get out of here."

"What do you mean, 'get out of here?'"

"I can't tell you, but there is something we need to do..."

Silence filled the room.

"Hello you three! I thought you must've been here." Luna.

Hermione last saw Luna on that day that they spoke about Draco, her father had come to pick her up early the next morning. Behind her came Dean, Ginny, Fred, George, Lee Jordan, and Cho Chang. People were all crying greetings, when Ron turned to Harry and Hermione.

"Why can't they help?"

"What?"

"They can help, we don't knew where it is. We've got to find it fast. We don't have to tell them it's a Horcrux.

"You don't have to do everything alone Harry." Hermione said.

Harry thought on it for a moment. "Alright," he whispered to her and Ron. Hermione felt herself smile. It would be fun to get into trouble with her old friends again.

"Ok!" Harry spoke up. "There's something we need to find. It's here at Hogwarts, but we don't know where. It might have belonged to Ravenclaw. Has anyone ever heard of anything like that? With and eagle on it for instance?"

"Well, there's her lost diadum..." Said Luna.

"Yeah, but it's lost Luna. That sort of the point."

"When was it lost?" Harry asked.

"Centuries ago they say."

"Sorry, but what is a diadum?" Asked Ron

"It's a sort of crown," Hermione explained to him.

"If you would like to see what they diadum's supposed to look like, I could take you up to our common room and show you Harry?" Suggested Cho, "Ravenclaw's wearing it in her statue."

Harry turned to Hermione and Ron. "I'm going to go and look at this statue. Waist for me here, and keep, you know- the other one- safe."

Her and Ron both opened their mouths to protest when Ginny stood.

"Luna will take you, won't you Luna?"

"Ooh, yes I'd like to," said Luna happily.

Harry and Luna both left.

Hermione pulled Ron into a corner. "How are we going to destroy the rest if we haven't anything to do it with? The sword's gone." She said.

Ron seemed to think on it. His eyes lit up when and idea popped into his head. "The Chamber of secrets!"

"What?"

"In our second year, Harry killed the basilik. When Tom Riddle showed up with his bloody book, Harry stabbed the book with one of the fangs. The venom on the fangs Hermione, you said it kills horcruxes!"

"That's brilliant Ron! Do you remember how to access the Chamber?"

"Yes."

"Then lead the way."

When Ron and Hermione got to the chamber, Ron new just what to do.

"Abna faser ou!" There were a few clicks, then one of the sinks slid away, revealing a dark passage.

"How did you do that?" she demanded.

"Harry talks in his sleep, haven't you ever noticed?" Ron said, a wry expression on his face.

"No, of course not." She said.

Ron shrugged and walked into the darkness, Hermione close on his heals.

"You know," she said conversationally. "I've never actually been down here"

"Hmph," replied Ron as he helped her over a large pile of ruble. "I guess you haven't."

"This is where Gilderoy Lockhart tried to obliviate me and Harry's memories, and leave us down here."

Hermione noticed him getting off track. "Just forget about it."

They kept going until they reached the main chamber. In the corner near a large pool of water, sat the basilik skull.

Ron walked over to it. He examined the jaw before ripping a large, yellow tooth from it's socket. 

She ducked her head down to grab the cup from her bad, When she looked up, Ron was holding the fang out to her.

She began to shake her head, but he stopped her.

"I've done it before, your turn. Strike true, and as hard as you can."

She reluctantly took the fang from him as he took the cup from her. He placed it gently on the ground at her feet. She crouched down to it, raising the fang above her head. With one quick jab, she plunged the fang into the warm metal. The cup began to shake, the glow. A light came out of it. It dove into the water, then the a wave so high that it nearly touched the ceiling.

"Ron began to pull her back away from the waters target spot. The wave crashed to where they had once stood. Ron and her were still soaked by the after math, but they most likely would have drowned if they had been where the water hit.

The light was gone as fast as it came.

"Well, that was easier than I thought that it would be." Said Ron.

Hermione couldn't help but giggle.

--------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------