Through Her Eyes

Chapter 31: Cup of Victory

Stealth wasn't exactly Hermione's strong suit. In fact, she was probably the clumsiest person in London. She hated to actually admit it, but the 'brightest Witch of her age' had walked into more bookshelves and light poles while reading then she could even count. Hermione was was almost certain in fact that Harry Potter was more graceful then her,

'He was a Seeker for a reason,' Hermione thought, clutching the invisibility cloak tighter about herself as she practically ran to shove her foot between the wall and the closing bookshelf, 'Quidditch players are very graceful. Despite of course all the senseless violence that goes along with it,'

In perfect honesty, Hermione knew she was just distracting herself from her own terror. Hopefully the Dark Lord didn't have super sensitive hearing, because her heart was beating so fast she thought it was echoing. Of course that was absolutely absurd, but Hermione couldn't help thinking it. Shaking her head, the girl shoved aside the partially closed book shelf to make her way into the hidden tunnel, letting it close softly behind her as she was shrouded in complete darkness.

Though Hermione could have cast a lumos to light her way, she didn't want to be caught by Weasel or Voldemort, and hence she used her hands to feel where the walls were. The passage wasn't exactly wide, and Hermione was almost positive that there wasn't anything which would be able to trip her up,

'Any sort of booby trap would be disarmed, since both Malfoy and Tom are in here with me,'

Hermione winced at the ugly thought and sighed heavily, snapping her jaw shut when the tunnel suddenly expanded outwards into a circular room illuminated completely by moonlight. It looked like an atrium, and it seemed to spiral endlessly upwards towards a night sky. But that wasn't possible, as they were underground,

'Perhaps Malloy read Hogwarts: A History?'

Hermione silently snickered at her own joke as she rapidly ducked behind a nearby pillar, as two figures stepped towards the center of the room. Tom was looking a little more human then when Hermione had last seen him. His pale head was covered in baby brown hair, and his eyes were glimmering emerald. Malloy didn't look much better, as his hair was the same shade as his masters skin,

"I'm impressed, Lucius," Tom said, circling the podium on which the cup was quietly sitting, "and what protections do you have on it?"

'Please not another blood ward, please not another blood ward'

"An ancient Malfoy Rune puzzle, master. And, of course, a Parsaltongue activated lock,"

"How does it work?"

"Simply translate the family motto into runes, then speak it in snake tongue,"

"Hmm...simple yet specific. Good work, Lucius," Tom whispered, "I should have put more trust in you before now. Come, I must get back to Nigini. She'll be wanting her dinner any time now,"

"Of course, master,"

Staying completely still as the two men left the room, and the bookshelf opened and closed somewhere in the distance, Hermione let out a breath of relief. Just as she did, there was a long hiss which traveled through the room, probably meaning the traps were once again activated,

"Ok Liontail, they basically told you how to get the cup. Just, think on your feet and everything'll be fine. Right, ok,"

Turning and removing the invisibility cloak from her shoulders, Hermione shoved the cloth back into her bag as she approached the round circle of runes on the floor and observed them,
"The Malfoy family motto. That would be Sanctimonia Vincet Semper. Ugh, typical. Purity will always conquer,"