Hermione sat cross-legged on her bed in the Slytherin dormitory, the diary of Tom Riddle lying before her. Her eyes narrowed as she contempted her next move. The diary was more than just a conduit for Voldemort's memories; it was a piece of his soul, a Horcrux. Its influence was insidious, and she knew she couldn't risk keeping it unprotected.

  She reached into her trunk and pulled out a small, ornate box. It was a containment vessel she had acquired through less-than-legal means, typically used by curse-breakers for handling deadly artifacts. The box was lined with protective runes and enchantments, designed to suppress dark magic.

  "This should do the trick," Hermione muttered to herself as she carefully pced the diary inside the box. As she closed the lid, she felt a subtle shift in the air, as if a weight had been lifted. The box's magic was working, containing the Horcrux's influence.

  For a moment, she considered keeping the contained Horcrux in her trunk. It would be close at hand, allowing her to monitor it. But then her mind began to race, piecing together the potential risks of this decision.

  "No, keeping it here is far too dangerous," Hermione whispered, her brow furrowing. "There are too many variables, too many ways this could go wrong."

  She began to pace, her thoughts flowing rapidly. "First, there's the issue of my fellow Slytherins. Some of them are already jealous of my academic success. What if one of them decides to snoop through my belongings out of spite or curiosity? They could stumble upon the box, and who knows what might happen if they open it."

  Her eyes widened as another possibility struck her. "And then there's Lucius Malfoy. He pnted this diary on Ginny, expecting chaos and attacks on Muggle-borns. When nothing happens, he might not give up so easily."

  Hermione's mind raced through potential scenarios. "What if Malfoy decides to stick to his original pn? He could accuse the Weasleys of possessing dark artifacts, prompting the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to conduct a raid. Amelia Bones, being the fair and thorough Head of the DMLE she is, would likely extend the search to all dormitories to avoid accusations of bias."

  She stopped pacing, a grim expression on her face. "If they search the dorms and find this... it would be catastrophic. Not only would I be in serious trouble, but it could also lead them right back to Ginny, or worse, to Harry."

  Hermione carefully wrapped the containment box in a cloth and pced it in her bag. "No, it can't stay here. I need to move it off Hogwarts grounds entirely. Somewhere secure, but still accessible."

  An idea began to form in her mind. "The Shrieking Shack," she whispered. "It's isoted, feared by the locals, and has a secret entrance from Hogwarts grounds. Perfect."

  She would need to pn her excursion carefully, perhaps under the guise of a Hogsmeade visit. As she prepared for bed, her mind was already formuting the next steps of her pn.

  "Containment and relocation are just the first steps," she mused. "Now, how to destroy it without access to Basilisk venom or Fiendfyre? That's the real challenge."

  As she drifted off to sleep, Hermione knew that while she had won this small battle, the war against Voldemort's Horcruxes was far from over. But for now, she had prevented a catastrophe and kept both herself and Harry safe for a little longer. It was a good start, but she knew she couldn't afford to let her guard down. The stakes were too high, and the game too dangerous.

  The following days saw a noticeable shift in the atmosphere at Hogwarts. With the immediate threat of the basilisk addressed and the Horcrux safely hidden away in the Shrieking Shack, Hermione felt a weight lift from her shoulders. The dark thoughts that had been pguing her mind began to recede, allowing her natural vivaciousness to shine through once more.

  In the Gryffindor common room, Harry couldn't help but notice the change in Ginny Weasley. The younger girl, who had been withdrawn and pale for weeks, was now ughing and chatting animatedly with a blonde Ravencw he didn't recognize. Curiosity piqued, he approached them.

  "Hi Ginny," Harry said, offering a friendly smile. "You seem to be in good spirits today."

  Ginny beamed at him, her cheeks tinged with a slight blush. "Oh, hi Harry! Yes, I'm feeling much better. Have you met Luna? She's in Ravencw, but we've been friends since we were little."

  The blonde girl turned to Harry, her rge, silvery eyes giving her a perpetually surprised look. "Hello, Harry Potter," she said in a dreamy voice. "It's nice to meet you. Watch out for the Nargles; they're particurly active this time of year."

  Harry blinked, unsure how to respond to that. "Er, thanks. I'll keep an eye out."

  As he chatted with Ginny and Luna, Harry couldn't help but notice the occasional worried gnce Ginny would shoot at her friend. It wasn't until Luna excused herself to go to the library that Ginny's smile faltered.

  "Is everything okay with Luna?" Harry asked, concern evident in his voice.

  Ginny sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "I'm worried about her. Some of the other Ravencws... they're not very nice to her. They call her 'Loony' and hide her things. I've tried to help, but I'm not in her house, so there's only so much I can do."

  Harry frowned, a familiar anger bubbling up inside him. The memory of Hermione fiercely confronting Cassius Rosier, Aurelia Selwyn, and Lucian Greengrass over their bullying behavior fshed in his mind. He winced internally at the reminder of being called 'The Boy Who Lived', a moniker he despised. "That's not right," he said firmly. "No one deserves to be treated like that."

  A determined look crossed his face. "I think I know someone who can help. Hermione's really good at dealing with bullies. I bet she'd have some ideas on how to help Luna."

  Ginny's eyes lit up with hope. "Really? Do you think she would?"

  "Absolutely," Harry nodded. "You didn’t see Hermione when Neville fel from his broom, she literally set her broom on fire to save him,she stood up against a troll st year, barely a few months into school and she beat it, the rest of the students had no idea, even the gryffinders ran from it and she stood her ground, then was when she saved me not once, but twice… bravest person I met, no idea how she’s not in Gryffindor, can you imagine being that brave and the hat saying ‘yeah, that’s not your strongest quality’” he finished with a little bit of awe in his voice.

  Ginny was staring at harry with her mouth open “Wait, she saved you?! The Boy Who Lived? But you’re a hero, there’s so many books about your advenetures?!”

  Harry grimaced as he heard that “Those books are fantasy books Ginny, they’re not real, Hermione’s a real hero, even thought she’s in Slytherin, hell even Fred and George defend her from the rest of our house saying she’s a Slythindor, half Lion, half snake. They’re also a little scared of her, I believe Fred once said ‘if she turned to pranking we’d be out of the job’”

  Ginny sat there processing that, a Slytherin had saved Harry Potter twice, saved the school from a Troll, set her broom on fire and her brothers were scared of her?!

  Whilst she sat there considering her world somewhat turned upside down, harry had already left to go find Hermione.