AN: with this chapter, I have had it edited by the wonderful Megii, she I amazing, and my life saviour, so I am reposting this first chapter, because I wrote my 1st version really badly. Like really badly.

Harry, Ron and Hermione have just escaped the room of requirement with Malfoy, who has been knocked unconscious. Hermione found the diadem and she put it on an a connection has been made through her, to the diadem, to Lord V. Hermione being Hermione unaware of the connection that has been made, wants to try the diadem on again to analyse it's magical powers, so she keeps the diadem in her bag, and tells Harry and Ron that the fire destroyed it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters, however much I wish I did… I am not JK Rowling, I am not a multi-millionaire, though wouldn't that be nice?

An Active Connection (Edited)

Chapter One

'Honestly, Ron, Harry has to be the one to kill Voldemort, not you.' I thought with a sigh. Ron was a dear friend of mine, but he could be so irritating sometimes. So often he is jealous of Harry's fame.

"What are we going to do with Malfoy?" I asked. "I know he didn't give you away at Malfoy Manor, Harry, but we don't know who he is siding with now. If we let him walk free he might try setting something else on fire like Crabbe. Any ideas?"

Harry thought. "We could shove him in the broom cupboard? If we take his wand too he would be out of the way for the rest of the battle. If all comes out well in the end we can deal with him then."

I needed. "You two do that then. I will go back down to the Chamber of Secrets to get more basilisk fangs so that we can kill the snake. I lost the last one in the Room while we were flying."

It was a clean cover-up story. Some part of me felt proud of the not-quite lie, though I also felt guilty. Ravenclaw's Diadem has not been lost in the Fiendfyre. I had kept it. II knew we needed to destroy it, but I had to test its abilities! Once I had finished with it I could destroy it and rejoin the battle…

"All right then, Hermione. You should let Ron go with you, in case something happens…" Harry began.

"No," I said quickly. "I am quite capable with a wand, as you know, and there's nothing in the Chamber of Secrets that can hurt me. There's nothing down there but a basilisk carcass." Merlin forbids that Ron goes with me. I couldn't believe I had kissed him a few short minutes ago.

"Make it quick, Hermione." Ron said.

I nodded and ran off before they could change their minds and tag along. Soon I would be able to wear the diadem without anything in the way.

People were dueling Death Eaters all through the halls. My friends and classmates were risking their lives. My journey was slowed by several attempts by Death Eaters and I had to stop and fight for my life, casting spells at my enemies until they fell, hit by stunners and Petrifying Jinxes.

I finally got down to the girls' second floor bathroom, the bathroom Moaning Myrtle haunted. My beaded bag felt unusually heavy, as if the Feather-light Charm was wearing off. I went to the sinks where the entrance to the Chamber was. The smell of rotting rats drifted out of it. I cringed at the thought of what the slime coating the edges of the tunnel would do to me, but my excitement at the prospect of wearing the diadem won out. I took a deep breath and jumped down into the tunnel. I could not help but scream as I slid down and finally at the bottom rolled into the bones beneath. Cringing at the ooze covering me I moved to stand up, tiny bones crunching under my body. However, as I lifted my gaze, I realized I was not alone.

Lord Voldemort was standing in front of me.

"So, Granger, you thought you could wear my Horcrux," he said, his voice high-pitched and cold, "And get away with it?"

I scrambled back in terror, fumbling for my wand, tripping over bones and Merlin knew what else on the floor.

Voldemort flicked his wand at me "Petrificus Totalus."

I went as stiff as a board and fell back, paralyzed. Voldemort calmly walked over to me, his robes brushing against my hair. My mind had gone blank with fear, and the only coherent thought that came to mind was the ridiculous hope that he was wearing underwear beneath those robes.

"Now, Miss Granger, what brings you to my ancestor's chamber? To wear my diadem? Don't look so surprised; I am a master Legilmens." Voldemort said.

I glared at him and thought very clearly: 'It is Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem, not yours.'

He smirked. "Oh, you foolish girl. You haven't even realised how it has affected you."

My heart skipped a beat. The diadem had affected me?

"You forgot about the lingering effects in the room, didn't you? You were too...busy. But my Horcrux has been influencing your every decision."

'It couldn't have!' I thought. I decided to come here and lie to my friends of my own free will… hadn't I?

"Now, now, Miss Granger, does that really sound like you?"

It couldn't be. I would have noticed a foreign presence in my mind, especially one as dark and malicious as Voldemort.

"But you didn't notice. Still, a shame that someone with a mind like yours has to have your unfortunate filthy blood."

"You're one to talk, Tom Marvolo Riddle!" I spat, unable to keep myself from trying to speak aloud. I was surprised that he allowed me to talk, but took advantage of the opportunity. "You're a half-blood, so your blood, as you would say, is stained with filth. Named for your Muggle father…"

"Crucio!"

The pain came, swift and powerful. I felt as though I was being ripped apart, writhing like a bug under his wand. I continued to shake even after he lifted the curse. I curled in a ball; the Body-Bind Curse had been lifted.

"Don't you dare mention my father, Miss Granger. I have no father. I erased his filth from my bloodline. The blood of Salazar Slytherin runs in my veins, a great power, as you will find out, Mudblood." He hissed furiously.

"Liar," I told him, standing shakily, "You are afraid of your own blood and you are afraid of death. Vol de mort: flight from death."

"I know what it means, you insipid girl, it is my name!"

"You gave yourself a new name, but you could not hide from your fear."

"I fear nothing!" Voldemort exclaimed. "I have conquered death! No one can kill me! I am immortal!"

"Horcruxes do not ensure immortality, no matter how many of them you have. If they are destroyed, you will be destroyed too, mortal again at the mercy of death."

"You forget, Granger, that you are carrying one of my Horcruxes in your silly little bag. You were too weak to destroy it when you had the chance. You, personally, have helped secure my victory, not that there were ever any doubts."

"Obviously you did doubt. When you realized that Harry was hunting your Horcruxes you felt scared. You know that Harry can sometimes feel your emotions, he felt your fear, and as long as Harry lives your victory is never secure!"

I had the utmost faith in Harry, but Voldemort's words shook me. He was right, I should have destroyed the diadem when I had the chance, regardless of how valuable and interesting an artifact it was. If only I could break the Body-Binding Curse and run…

"You forget that I am a Legilmens, Granger. You will never get out of here alive. The only way you're leaving this chamber is if I carry your dead body out of it." The Dark Lord said darkly.

Damn! I thought. I had to clear my mind!

Voldemort snickered. "Granger, with a mind as large as yours, you will never be able to stop thinking."

I tried to clear my mind, regardless of what he said. For the first time I began to understand how hard it must have been for Harry to clear his mind during his Occulmency lessons with Snape. I tried to imagine a blank wall, but I could only manage to keep my mind clear for a few seconds before thoughts started gathering again.

"Difficult, isn't it, Miss Granger?"

My eyes snapped open when I realized that my wand was still in my cloak. Unfortunately, snooping around my head, Voldemort realized it too. HE quickly brandished his wand at me—the Elder Wand—and yelled, "Stupefy!"