The Seven and The Hidden Child

Chapter 37

Harry mumbled something that sounded like fair enough.

"Well, thanks Harry. We'll go down this then," Hermione said.

Harry nodded.

"Hey, be careful. Okay? I don't know what it is you're doing or why but I know it's probably important. Come back alive - all of you. And I'll cover for you in your classes. Make up excuses. Say you're doing order business."

Hermione smiled and hugged Harry tightly. He waved to them before leaving the bathroom.

"So we just jump in and hope we don't die?" Hannah asked.

"I guess," Hunter said, swallowing as he looked into the deep hole.

"Sounds legit," Hannah shrugged, stepping up to the edge, "Have a nice funeral for me if I die," she said before jumping straight in.

Everyone stared after her for a moment. None were quite sure exactly how to process this. Hermione had been preparing to lower everyone in with charms.

"Blaise, she is going to kill you," Draco said.

"I know!" Blaise exclaimed in a voice one night use for 'hell yeah!'. He took jumped in.

Ginny grabbed Hunter's arm and jumped in, forcing him to go with her. Hermione heard his screams echoing down the cement tunnel.

"On three?" Hermione asked, looping her arm through Jack's with a grin. Jack nodded.

"Oh for Salazar's sake, it a damn tunnel," Draco grumbled pushing through and breaking apart their linked arms before jumping in.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. She and Jack jumped in.

~

The slide down was terrifying. They were all flying down at ridiculous speeds, unsure of when they were going to stop. Hermione had only ever been down once. It was an experience she did not want to relieve, yet here she was.

The cement was grimy and rough. Patches of moss or mold littered the slide down. Everything was wet. It wasn't soaking, just moist, but it still made it uncomfortable to slide down. Hermione doubted that it would be better had the slide been freshly cleaned.

When she got to the end, she landed on her bottom with a loud crunching sound. Hermione cringed at the thought that she was sitting upon a pile of bones.

Blaise reached down and grabbed her hand, pulling her up. Hermione smiled her thanks, the same smile widening when she caught glimpse of his ring. Side by side they looked different. Hermione had decided to stick to the look she grew up with. After all, she grew up as a Granger - not a Zabini.

"What now?" Hunter asked.

"Now we go into the chamber." Hermione heard her voice talking confidently, but it was nothing like she felt.

Hermione didn't know what they were doing. She didn't know the next steps. Her only hope was that they'd reveal themselves as they came.

~

Inside the chamber, Hermione felt sick. The place they would inevitably have to look for a sign as to where to go next was where the skeletons of former students lay. 

Hermione didn't know what they were the first time she looked. It sickened her now. She and her friends walked down the bridge to the huge basin. The basilisk skeleton was up ahead, teeth missing from where she and Ron has stolen them. Her friends looked in awe at the large snake statues lining the walls and the giant stone Salazar again the end of the chamber.

Their feet echoed against the water covering the floor.

"So we look at the skeletons?" Ginny asked.

She was walking arm in arm with Hermione.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "The bodies of former students. Helga Hufflepuff was the one to drain them of their souls, believe it or not."

"Oh merlin," Ginny muttered, "Don't tell Hannah. Hufflepuffs worship their founder."

"Yep," Hermione sighed, "When we finish this, we need to tell everyone. We need to completely change Hogwarts. This shouldn't be a reminder of the evil that went on."

"Agreed," Ginny said.

They arrived at the basis. Hermione looked down in it and stated at the hundreds, even thousands, of skeletons lying beneath the dark, murky water. Something in her said that one of them held a clue of where they needed to go. A memory was preserved in one of the skulls.

"How do you know that?" Blaise asked.

Hermione looked at him, as did everyone else. She said, "What do you mean?"

"You just said that one of the skills is holding a memory. Our bond?" Blaise said.

"I didn't say anything to you," Hermione said, fear rising in her, "I . . . I wasn't even thinking about anything. In was wondering what we do next and then I just knew."

I try very hard. It's lucky you and your brother already have a special connection. It makes it so much easier to tap into.

Both Blaise and Hermione suddenly looked frightened. They spun around, searching for the voice that was in their minds. Hermione herself felt dizzy and she swayed off balance.

Now, I cannot do this long. I have no magic here but I'm able to communicate every once and awhile with the book - I think. I hope I'm right. I placed the first task in your head. The rest will be up to you. Its harder to stay awake even now. It will be awhile before I can help again. Good luck.

"Who are you?" Hermione called, spots dotting her vision. She was sure the same was happening to Blaise.

I am Savannah. Good luck and goodbye for now.

Hermione's vision slowly cleared, but she still felt dizzy.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Draco asked, grabbing onto her arm to steady her.

Hermione clung back to Draco, blinking multiple times. She was feeling okay again, just shaken.

"Yeah. Yeah, I know what we need to do," Hermione.

"What is it?" Hunter asked.

"We need to break their skulls," Hermione said.

She looked down into the pool of water, and the skeletons below. She grimaced at the task, but knew it was the right thing to do. They would have to break open the skulls of dead Hogwarts students, killed by people they had looked up to, until they found one containing a memory that would help them save Savannah.

Imma try and update this more. Hopefully everything Friday somewhere between 5:00pm and 12:00am PST (pacific something{s doesn't really mean something i just don't know what goes here} time)