The Eyes of the Heir

Chapter 32: Cheers and Tears

Zoe's POV

It was dinner time and everyone was at the Great Hall, eating and talking happily. I sat with Harry and Ron as they told me how they entered and basically figured out all about the Chamber of Secrets. They found something on Hermione's hand when they visited her, and it was the ripped page that she took when we left the library. 

"She was brilliant! We couldn't have figured it out without her." Ron said, smiling like an idiot.

"How about you? How did you end up in the Chamber with Voldemort?" Harry asked, and they had their attention on me.

"We were searching the answers with Hermione."Someone suddenly said to Harry and Ron and I looked back to see Zach smiling at Harry as he sat beside me, "the three of us were curious and determined to stop the havoc that's happening to this school so we investigated and Zoe, realizing something, ripped a page from a book in her dormitory which turned out to be a page about the Basilisk and-"

"Wait. That page we took from Hermione's hand... that was yours?" Harry asked

"Technically, it's from the Slytherin library." I said, smiling sheepishly.

"And then what happened?" Ron asked, looking at Zach.

"We had a plan but Zoe took initiative to find the Chamber on her own."Zach said and I looked at him weirdly. That didn't happen, I never even took that initiative! He just winked at me and I rolled my eyes. He knows what really happened, but since Death has a great amount of exposure to what really happened, he made a new version, making me look reckless and stupid. 

"Thanks Zach." I mumbled and he nodded in satisfaction.

Before Zach could continue, I saw Nearly Headless Nick floating around. He's back!

"Welcome back Sir Nicholas!"I said as he passed near our table.

"Thank you Zoe!" he said, bowing a little and made his way to the humungous doors of the Great Hall.

As he passed through, he stopped to talk to a student who just came in and I immediately noticed who it was.

Hermione.

"Hermione!"I shouted.

I sprinted towards Hermione, hearing Harry and Ron do the same. Hermione, once seeing us, gave a bright and welcoming smile as she, too, ran to us.  Everyone had their attention towards us, but we couldn't care less. Our best friend is back, and we are more than happy to see her running towards us.

We all met in the middle of the room, Harry immediately hugging Hermione. When they parted, Hermione looked at me and I took this as a sign to hug her, and so I did, hugging her tight. As we parted, Hermione was about to give Ron a hug but stopped mid-way. The both of them had an awkward look on their faces as they both shook hands.

This is weird.

"A...Uhm...yea-uh, Welcome back Hermione."Ron said in a formal way.

"It's good to be back," Hermione said, smiling once again to the three of us.

"Congratulations! With Zoe and Zach's help, I knew you would solve it!" she added, and the three of us looked at each other.

"Zoe didn't help us solve it... but we did found each other in the Chamber."Harry said as he looked at me and then at Hermione.

We then told her everything that happened, but I had to make a few edits in addition to Zach's story, and Hermione just nodded, listening intently to our stories.