A Snake in the Nest, Chapter Twenty One

Cooro groaned, sitting up. He opened his eyes, only to find that he couldn't see. He panicked, flailing and scrabbling at his eyes, but found he couldn't reach them. Finally, something touched his back, and he calmed. It was Senri, he could tell from the scent.

That was when he realized he was wearing a blindfold, and that his hands were bound. He hadn't gone blind.

"Senri..?" There was no answer. Perhaps Senri wasn't awake yet. He tried to feel around, or at least loosen the ties, but was unsuccessful. All he could tell was that the floor was stone, which didn't help much.

Then the sound of footsteps reached his ears, and he flopped backwards onto the ground, feeling himself hit Senri and apologizing silently. The steps went past him entirely, and he relaxed.

He hoped Hermione was okay; it was obvious he and Senri weren't.

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Husky paced anxiously, wanting to go out and tell McGonagall, but he was held back by Harry and Fred, who both thought that him going out would be suicidal.

"We can't just sit here! We should be looking for them." Nana glanced out the window, back at them, then walked over. They didn't notice, and she called out before leaving,

"I'll be right back." Husky's head snapped in her direction.

"Nana!" But she was already gone, feeling the wind in her hair with relish. She flew to where Dumbledore's window was, not bothering to find a different entrance, and knocked loudly.

Twelve minutes later, she was sitting between several teachers and Remus Lupin. Sirius had had to stay behind, for obvious reasons. Remus had whispered that he was checking the tracking spells on Jerard and Peter.

"Nobody has seen them since this afternoon? Why didn't you say so sooner?" Snape looked at her disdainfully, as though it was her fault entirely. She glared back at him, not bothering to be respectful.

"Because first of all, we thought they were with Hermione. After that, there was the slight distraction of another bloody attack. Sorry that we can't focus on twelve things at once." Inside, her stomach turned. If they'd been paying more attention, would it have happened?

She zoned out as the teachers discussed the issue, only coming out of her trance when Remus half-picked her up.

"You should go to bed. There's nothing you can do right now. Come on, let's go." he lead her out of the room. Snape glared. As soon as they were out, she began to lead Remus, in an entirely different direction.

"Nana, we have to go to the Tower." She ignored him, instead slipping into the room they'd arrived at. It was the Hospital Wing. She went straight to Hermione's bed, and took her hand, pulling at the fingers.

"What are you doing?" Remus looked around, seeing the other victims and wincing. He'd never heard of something like this.

"I saw something in her hands when we came earlier. Oblivious as they are, the boys didn't see it, and we had no time to stop and talk. I got it!" She waved a piece of paper in the air triumphantly. He glanced at it.

"Right. That's a page from a book. She was probably holding it at the time." Nana looked at it.

"But-"

"But nothing! Look, if it is something, you can look later, but right now, I need to get you to the Tower. I don't know what it is that's attacking people. I don't want you to get hurt. Now, move." He took her unoccupied hand and took her back to the Common Room.

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Jerard was annoyed. He'd heard the attack while stealing food from the kitchens, and realized that the likely hood of him getting anywhere near the castle after that was practically none. So he'd grabbed the first student to pass his hiding place, only to have another come at him.

Now, he had two of them in his home, and no way to get rid of them until the spell was complete. Which meant he needed Wormtail to get back. Soon.

He could kill one, he supposed, but two sacrifices were worth more than one. If he could keep them both alive long enough, then the Dark Lord would be even more powerful.

He took out his wand, to spell them into sleep until he was ready, and noticed something odd about his sleeve as he moved. A tiny glowing point, almost like…

"Damn!" He ripped the robes off, lighting them on fire immediately. How had he not noticed he had a tracking spell on him? He scowled, running over everywhere he could have picked one up as he cleaned up the flaming mess and looking over himself and his things.

The Ministry, perhaps? A protection on the records he found? Regardless, if he'd been traced, he would need to find a new place to hide.

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Nana stared at the ceiling, too wired and worried to sleep. The boys had already gone to bed when she returned. In fact, nobody was even in the Common Room when the Fat Lady grudgingly opened up.

The paper was from a book. It was information on the basilisk. On the bottom, Hermione had written simply 'pipes.'

If that's what it is, then we need to tell everyone. Now. But I can't leave again tonight. She thought of Remus' earlier dismissal and scowled. Fine, maybe she wouldn't tell him.

She knew he had her best interests at heart, but it was rather annoying to be treated as a child. Even if she was one.

Abruptly, she stood up, walking to the door. Outside, she could hear several things.

Someone was sneaking down the stairs. She ignored it; after investigating this several times, she had gotten tired of finding couples snogging on the couches.

A few people, three, were making their way up the boys stairs. It was Harry, Ron and Neville. She went out and cornered them. All three looked scared, nervous and beat-to-crud. She held up a hand before they could speak.

"Look, I know you've been out, I know you probably know something about what's happening with Hermione and the others, and I don't care. I'm going to focus on Senri and Cooro. Here," she handed them the page.

"Hermione had it in her hand. You can tell the teachers, look into it, whatever. Just don't get in my way when we go to find the others. Got it?" Harry frowned.

"Why? You're not going to let us help find them?" She gave him an odd smile, one that was far older than she had any right to be.

"Some things you just have to do for yourself. This is something Husky and I are going to do ourselves." Ron scowled at her.

"You're just leaving Hermione like that?" She looked at him carefully.

"Hermione is alive. I want to make sure the others stay like that. Good night." She left, and the three boys shared an odd look.

"Sometimes I forget they're not from here." Neville noted as they walked up to their dorm.

"Back in their world, I suppose they're used to doing things by themselves." Harry came to a decision.

"We'll tell the teachers tomorrow. First, though, I want to talk to Myrtle about how she died."

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McGonagall couldn't understand what went wrong. Despite all the students being locked in their rooms, teachers patrolling every corridor and wards all around the school, they still couldn't find Cooro and Senri. Not only that, but another student had been taken into the Chamber itself!

Lockhart was sent to retrieve her, to get him out of their hair, and now she finds that three more students are missing. Ron, Harry and Neville. She knew that they ahd gone after Ginny, Ron's sister.

The only question was where had they gone? Nobody knew how to get into the Chamber! Nobody even knew where it was! And Lockhart was found to be missing, his room half packed, apparently for a departure.

She went to Dumbledore's office, knowing that she now had to break the news to the Weasley's that they had lost two children.

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The moment Husky woke up, he felt the wrongness of the room. Sitting up, he saw it was very late, nearly afternoon, and that the room was empty. The loss hit him then, and he almost cried.

A knock sounded on the door, and he slowly got up to get it. Nana stood there, looking grim. He stared.

"The other three have gone into the Chamber of Secrets. Ginny's been brought inside. Come on." She shoved him back into the room, and began to rummage around.

"What are you doing?" He asked, pulling on his clothes and finding his wand. She popped up from behind Cooro's bed. In her hand was the photo. The occupants were asleep.

"You and I both know that Cooro and Senri were kidnapped by Jerard. He has to take them to the Ministry for the spell to work, and it has to happen the moment the sun sets." At his puzzled look, she shrugged.

"One of the ingredients only works at dusk. Anyway, if we get there first, we can mess up the spell and get Cooro and Senri back."

"And why aren't we telling some adults about this? I know they don't seem to like listening to us, but still…." She held up the photo.

"That's what this is for. We'll call them when the time comes. Right now, they're distracted by the Chamber." Husky followed her as she slipped out of the room. She pulled out a bag as they neared the fireplace in the Common Room.

"Aren't you worried about them?" She rounded on him, eyes blazing.

"Of course I am! Do you know how hard it was to let them leave this morning? To lay there and knowingly let them go like that? We don't even know who's controlling that thing!" She stopped, realizing how loud she'd gotten, and continued a bit quieter.

"But that's their choice. They could have gone to the teachers, and we can ask why they didn't later. But right now, Cooro and Senri are in danger as well, and we can do something about it. I'll be damned if we don't. Now come on, we're Flooing in." She pulled out a pinch of powder from the bag. He decided not to ask where she'd gotten it.

"Won't people notice us there, in the Ministry?" She shook her head.

"Sunday. Nobody's required in today. Mr. Weasley said so on Boxing Day." She tossed a pinch in, called out "Ministry of Magic," handed over the bag, and walked through. He groaned, and followed.

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Cooro felt like he was floating. He tried to focus on where he was, but couldn't concentrate. What did he last remember?

"Cooro!" Hermione was running towards them, a mirror in her hands. The owner of it seemed to be following her. She looked vaguely familiar to him.

"I figured out what's in the Chamber! It's a basilisk! That's why Harry can hear it; it's a snake. Come one, we've got to find Dumbledore!" She hurried to a corner, and used the mirror to look around it.

"Why're you doing that, 'Mione?" She glanced back at him.

"If you look it in the eyes, you die. In the mirror, we'll only be Petrified." She looked again, and froze.

"Hermione?" He stepped forward, but the other girl got there first. She glanced at the mirror, and froze as well. Cooro panicked, running forward, but Senri caught his waist.

"It's right around the corner. Stay still." He waited a few moments, then released him. Cooro bolted forward, to where the girls stood.

"Hermione? Hermione! Come on, wake up!" He shook her. Senri came up.

"Petrified." Cooro turned back to him, eyes wide.

"I'll go get help! You stay here and make sure they're okay!" Before Senri could respond, he ran off, passing an alcove as he did so. Then it was darkness.

That's right… Hermione was Petrified. She knew what it was…Cooro struggled against the darkness, trying to get out.

He broke through, gasping, to find himself tied up, lying in front of a marble arch with a veil fluttering in it. He remembered it's use, and tried to scoot away, only to find he couldn't move.

There was chanting, coming from just outside his view, and the feel of magic swept over him.

But it felt wrong. He wanted to gag. Staring at the ceiling, he realized he could hear two voices chanting, and the smell of a potion leaked through the room. It smelled foul.

There was a large splash, and a light thud as something was thrown into the potion, something that made the smell grow to the point where he couldn't breath.

After a moment, all went dark again.

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Husky and Nana ran to the elevator, looking briefly at the directory to see where the Department of Mysteries was. The lift moved incredibly slow, though it made no stops before reaching their floor.

At the end of the corridor, there was a door. They entered, into a round room that span the moment the door closed. Nana blinked, looking at him.

"Now what?" She looked all over, trying to see which door to take. He opened one, she opened another. He was about to close the one he had and look in another when she whispered, "I hear voices coming from this way!" They both ran through the doorway, letting it click silently closed behind them.

Husky watched as she listened this way and that, using her bat ears. He checked his watch.

"We only have an hour. Where did all that time go?" She stared at him, then his watch, looking terrified.

"I'll call them now." She pulled out the photo, where Remus and Sirius both sat watching them. James and Lily were there as well, but distracted. They obviously knew where Harry was.

"Remus, Sirius. We're in the Department of Mysteries. The spell is being performed in the next room over. You have to hurry." As both adults ran to the other photo, James stared at them.

"Is your entire year mad? My son and two others are fighting in the Chamber of Secrets, and you two immediately run off on a rescue mission in the Ministry?" Nana looked down at him.

"What else can we do?" He didn't answer. Two cracks filled the room, and Remus and Sirius were abruptly there. They were soon followed by Dumbledore and McGonagall, both looking grim and determined. Without a word, they ran into the next room. Remus was still there, though.

"You two are to come with me. Now." Nana looked at him, before bolting into the next room. Husky followed, right behind Remus.

Nana flew into the air, looking through the darkness for the man. He was surrounded by protection spells, standing on the stone slab in the center of the room. He seemed to be finishing the spell, as he threw the final ingredient into the cauldron.

Wormtail stood next to him, holding an unconscious Cooro. Senri was lying outside the spells, and Sirius was dragging him to another man, casting spells at the barriers as he did so.

Pettigrew pulled out a knife, and swiftly cut off Cooro's finger, tossing it into the potion. He nicked his finger as well, and some of the blood went in.

Cooro woke with a scream.

Nana let one out as well, loud and shrill. It gradually rose until nobody could even hear it.

Except for Jerard, who was covering his ears and screaming as well. He collapsed, and the barrier began to fade. Quickly, Pettigrew shoved Cooro towards the Veil. Cooro latched onto his arm. They began to struggle, and Sirius neared the barrier, as close as he could. It disappeared, and he dove at them, just as Cooro seemed to lose strength.

He began to fall, and Peter shoved him back to the Veil.

"Oh no you don't!" Sirius barreled into Wormtail, wand forgotten, knocking them both towards the Veil. Pettigrew grabbed hold of Cooro, trying to regain stability, but it was too late. All three went through.

"Cooro!"

"Sirius!" There was screaming from all around, but it was lost as the potion exploded, shrouding them all in darkness. When it cleared, there was a man standing there, holding a wand already and smiling evilly at them.

"How nice to see you all again." The man grabbed Jerard's arm and Apparated away. Dumbledore ran forward, in vain hopes of grabbing the man, but missed him by a mile, and he stopped, shoulders drooping and eyes downcast.

The only sounds were Nana's wails and the vague whispering from behind the Veil.

Next story is The Bonds that Tie. Just so you all know.