The Veiled Black

Hermione and Marius were the first ones to enter the Hufflepuff Dorm, seeing a grumbling, irritated Ron Weasley and a smug looking Blaise sitting on opposite couches.

A few minutes later, they were followed by Pansy and Neville who seemed to be getting along. But as soon as Neville found Blaise, he sat next to him before nuzzling onto Blaise’s warmth, making the Vampire shared a look with Pansy who just shrugged her shoulders as she sat on the loveseat alone. Ron’s eyes followed her though.

Marius sat on the rug along with Beau who settled his head on the lap of the human. Hermione joined him as they talked about what kind of breed Beau is and how did he find the dog. They waited in silence for the remaining members of their weird group.

“What’s with this atmosphere?” Theo suddenly blurted out, announcing his arrival.

 “Woah, you two are back unscathed,” Blaise teased. He was met with a glare by Orion who pushed the two lovebirds so that he could flop down on the couch as well.

“Shut up,” he grumbled.

Hermione then stood up from her position and she explained to them what they have found.

“No wonder we could not track the scent down. The Owlery smells of owl poop and the scent of snow. A bad mixture if you ask me,” Ron said.

“When should we go?” Blaise asked as he patted Neville’s head softly. The Werewolf nodded off, ready to be falling asleep.

“I think it is better to go now while there are only a few people in the castle,” Theo suggested which earned affirmative nods from the others.

“The question is, who should go? It will be too suspicious if we all went.” Pansy raised an eyebrow before Hermione began to speak.

“Marius and I could go. Since Marius knows what the Grimoire looks like, I will need his assistance.” Hermione noticed that this time Harry was not so inclined to join them, but did not comment on it. Whatever Lestrange told him was probably creating a huge war deep in his brain.

“Let me just go pick up my cloak,” Marius said before leaving the room. He headed to his quarters, followed by his loyal dog that seemed to prefer sticking to him rather than playing with the houseguests.

“I’ll join.” Ron followed, seemingly wanting to stay away from a smug Blaise. It looked like the Vampire had pushed on Ron’s buttons too much for his liking. But him being the insensitive and unreasonably oblivious that he was, made all the rest in the room wanted to groan as he asked, “You coming, Harry?"

Hermione resisted the urge to face palm herself and Harry looked at Ron, startled.

“Uh, yeah sure.” Harry blinked, caught off guard. His mind whirling with thoughts.

Hermione just released a tired sigh and Marius was now out of his Chamber. He wore a warm cloak and wrapped around his neck was a Hufflepuff muffler.

“Mind if I transfigure some of your things here to a cloak?”

Marius shook his head and wandlessly, Hermione transfigured a cloth into a warm brown cloak.

……….

Not long after, they entered the Owlery and the cold seeped into their bones with a vengeance despite them wearing warm clothes.

Marius wished he could cast a Warming Spell but that would be a huge no for him. He needed to be more careful with his magic. But then, he felt someone rested a warm cloak on his shoulders. He looked back, only to see Harry without his black cloak in his form. The werewolf only wore his school robes now and he did not even look cold a bit. The human was about to protest but Harry spoke before he could.

“Take it, Marius. Besides werewolves have higher resistance to cold than humans.” He gave a small smile before he followed Hermione in the Owlery.

A blush grew upon Marius’ face, one he could not stop. So, internally freaking out, he delved his face into his Hufflepuff muffler to cover it and followed the others as well.

“Well, we’re here. Now what?” Ron asked. He looked at Hermione and Marius for answers.

“There has to be some secret passage around here somewhere.”

Ron looked about to puke as the scent of owl droppings assaulted his senses but he tried his best to look alright as he used his muffler to cover up his nose. Marius noticed this expression on Harry as well but he lacked a muffler to cover his nose and he was only using his hand, which is not helpful. That was why Marius took out a handkerchief and nudged it onto Harry. The werewolf gave him an expression of thanks as he took it. Marius went looking around as well for anything.

Some of the owls appeared to be asleep while the others were watching them so keenly as if every move was recorded. Hermione was about to take a step further when suddenly she felt a pulse of magic on her shoulder. She held onto it using her hand, furrowing her eyebrows as she thought of why it was buzzing with magic. The answer she got made her eyes widened.

Her mark as Heir.

“Is there something wrong Hermione?” Harry asked as he approached her. Only two steps forward, a cloak was thrusted right to his face. He blinked. “Uh, Mione, what are do you want to do?”

They did not hear a reply from her. She was now only wearing her blouse when something seemed to glow on her shoulder.

“What is that?” Marius began to ask as he could faintly see what the mark looked from his position.

“This Mark is our proof that we are Heirs to the throne of Ravenclaw,” she said then.

Marius’ eyes widened. He had never heard of it before nor he ever bore such a mark despite being born a Black.

“Since our High Witch lost her daughter, there was no one to inherit the throne after her. That’s why she chose amongst all of us. I was one along with Cho Chang but since she renounced her claim, I am the only Heir other than her daughter.”

Nymphadora Black. Marius remembered her name on the Black Family tree but he kept his mouth shut to not allow it to slip.

"It is embedded with the blood of Andromeda. It is probably reacting to the magic of the Chamber,” she said and then she raised her arm. Hermione used it as a beacon to look where the passage is. The cold wind blew which made Hermione shiver at it but then her Mark glowed brightly at one spot. As soon as she pinpointed it, she wore her cloak back and cast a Warming Charm on her person.

“I think it is through here.”

They all stared at a wall with a dozen mini rooms for the owls. The owls who occupied it just stared at them and Hermione began to feel the wall for any kind of latch or switch for the secret door to open. Marius soon joined her. Meanwhile, the two werewolves just watched, as the scent is not allowing them to be much of help.

“It looks like there is nothing here,” Ron mumbled.

Hermione ignored him and opted to place her hand on the wall, feeling anything but there was nothing. She felt a bit disappointed now, thinking their venture was all for naught. As she released a huge sigh, the ground beneath them began to shake all of a sudden. Hermione removed her hands off the wall. She looked back at Marius who was looking at what was happening with the same expression.

“Okay, what is happening?” Ron said as he stood looking at Hermione and Marius, then to Harry who seemed surprised. But then all eyes snapped to the ground underneath, only to find something engraved there. Hermione gasped. Not in shock but in awe as the language written was something that she had never seen before. The shaking stopped and she once again traced her hands to the text.

“Amazing,” she murmured. Marius soon joined her, tracing the same marks as well.

“The first language of magic,” Marius said. He could tell the similarities of the mark and the language he once knew. A small smile appeared on his features.

“I can’t read this.” Hermione began as she stood up properly, still staring at the words engraved. “The first language of magic was long extinct and the language itself was never written as it was passed on orally,” she grumbled and crossed her arms.

The Chamber’s entrance was now right in front of them. Yet in order to open it, she would have to learn a language that was never known to anyone. To research it, it would take years.

But the sound of Marius reading made her eyes widen.

“To enter the Raven’s Chamber…” the human began but stopped when all eyes snapped to him. He looked at them back confused. “What?”

“Wait. You could read this gibberish?” Ron gasped.

Marius only shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing.

“How?” Hermione then butted in, her hands were now fisted on her sides. She was feeling a bit envious that Marius knew about the language but she could question him further about it later.

“Being friends with Draco has its perks,” he grinned at them and this made Hermione chuckled. The two werewolves released a content sigh and smile.

Once again, Harry was amazed at Marius. He was human yet his knowledge was limitless. He watched as those gray eyes sparkled with glee while responding to Hermione.

“We will further talk about this in detail later. For now, tell us what it says.”

Marius nodded and he looked back at the inscription. As he read, his smile soon faded.

“Beyond this door

Only Black blood can enter.

To those without

Blood must be offered.

One Dark,

One Light,

Once separated now united

And all will return to nothing.”

Marius’ eyes met Hermione’s. The two looked at each other as if they spoke telepathically.

“Is it a riddle?” Ron asked.

Marius shook his head and Hermione began casting a spell as she took out her wand.

“Ginny will not be pleased if she was not informed of this.” Hermione looked toward Marius before she gave the final order to her Patronus.

“No. Tell her only the things that are necessary. Remember, this had to stay only in our group.”

Ron stared at Harry who was just as confused as he is. Why were they talking about his sister?

“Uh, care to explain?” Harry said when he could feel a headache began to form from all these confusing questions.

Marius gave a small smile as he began to explain. “It means that only those of Black blood can enter, but those who are not must give blood in exchange.”

“Then why isn’t Hermione giving blood already?”

“A light witch and dark witch is needed. Both have to offer up blood in order to open the door. In the past, there was no such thing as light or dark. There was unity amongst witches.” Marius looked at the inscribed words and voiced out, “In order, to enter the Chamber light and darkness must return to how it was before. To return to nothing, to be united.”

Hermione smiled at Marius’ explanation. She no longer needed to add anything anymore as the human already gave it all. She could understand now why Harry seemed so fixated on the human. His intelligence astounded her that she found him interesting.

“Let’s get out of here for a while. We need to meet up with Ginny and Luna outside.”

The group followed Hermione out of the Owlery. And, once they were out, it started shaking again and then stopped.

………..

“Okay, what do you need us for?” Ginny raised a perfectly curved eyebrow at Hermione which the brown-haired girl just smiled at her in humor as if used to it.

“I actually want to ask Luna for a favor. If that is alright with her, of course,” Hermione said, regarding the blonde female. Luna just looked at her back with indifference.

“Oh. So what am I?” Ginny huffed and Marius pulled her to one side. He then began to explain.

"We were actually in the midst of opening one of Hogwarts secrets; the Chamber known to have been created by Rowena Ravenclaw.” Ginny’s face was painted with shock within a second and Luna’s eyes widened slightly upon hearing what Marius had said.

“Those Chambers are a myth.”

Hermione shook her head.

Ginny furrowed her forehead. “Why’re you guys looking for it?”

“There is something I need there. It’s a Grimoire that might help us in the upcoming war,” Hermione answered easily.

The two witches looked at each other before Ginny blurted out.

“Oh, I am in. So, where is it?”

“That is actually the problem. We need Luna’s help in opening the Chamber,” Hermione said as Ron and Harry leaned on the walls, looking queasy.

Luna noticed them. Her eyes questioning. “You two don’t look good.”

“Sorry. I guess the smell was too strong,” Ron said, lips quivering.

Ginny covered her mouth to muffle a laugh and the werewolf glared at his sister who then full on out laughed. “Oh my god! You two were knocked out just by the smell?”

The girl Weasley giggled once again and Ron retorted, “Oh, hush. If only you got my nose!” He huffed and Hermione patted his arm as Harry only wrinkled his nose.

Hermione took pity on them. “Well, I guess you two can go now. We can handle the rest.”

Harry looked about to protest, but a small smile from Marius was all that made him nod. His mind was still whirring from his conversation with Lestrange.

“Ok, be safe,” he said that more to Marius than the others which the others seem to notice.

Marius nodded as he watched them walk away. He turned back to the rest soon after. “Then, shall we go?”

They nodded in unison before slowly making their way to the passage. As soon as they entered and Hermione touched the wall, the same words began to be engraved on the ground stone once again.

Ginny looked at it with a deadpan expression. “So, it’s gibberish.”

Marius smiled at her reaction before he began to explain what was written. The girl seemed amazed at his knowledge before Luna spoke again.

“I hope there is a nest of Wrackspurts inside. That way, I could get to study their habitats.” Her airy tone made Ginny shake her head for a bit. Her friend had not changed a bit.

Hermione smiled a bit. “Luna, would you be so kind to offer up a bit of blood?”

The blonde witch looked slightly taken aback but she held her hand for Hermione to take all the same. She cut her palm and blood pooled at it. Luna did not even flinch at this. Instead, it was Ginny who did so in her stead.

Hermione did the same before she turned to Marius, silently asking what next.

“Squeeze your hands to let the blood flow to the engraved words.”

As told, the two Witch clenched their hands. The blood trickled to the engraved words and as soon as their blood mingled, a sound as if a lock being opened was heard.

“Did you hear that?” Ginny said and the others nodded their head at it.

Soon the ground where they were standing began to shake and the stone where the words were engraved seemed to sink to the floor, replaced by another stone. All eyes snapped at the wall when the bricks began to reform themselves, opening a doorway. The four gasped in shock and in admiration at the doorway.

Marius looked back at Hermione. “Ready?”

Hermione nodded along with the two. The took several steps forward and as soon as they passed the doorway, the passageway going down was lit to life as fire began to pop from the torches. The group then carefully threaded inside, flinching slightly when the entrance snapped shut.

They reached a wide open room with a room full of books soon after. Shelves after shelves of books that seemed to have been preserved were present and books that have been said to have been extinct were all there as well.

The four of them looked at their surrounding with varying degree of amazement. Hermione’s eyes were wide and so were Ginny’s as the red-head went on to take a look at the shelves. Luna couldn’t hold back her gasp as she gazed at the room. Meanwhile, Marius was just purely astounded at what he saw, but he had a nagging feeling that it was not supposed to be this easy. There were even some books floating in that room, painted with a soft blue color that made the room even brighter.

“It has been a long time since I have seen people enter this place.” A voice boomed. It sounded feminine enough to pass as a female’s. The echo it made around the room made it hard to point exactly where it came from.

The four moved closer to each other, their wands were drawn except for Marius, as they wait for whomever was that spoke to come out.

"Prepared to fight, are you? No worries. I am not here to harm you.” This time, they could pin point the exact location of the voice. Slowly, a woman began to show herself to the four.

Marius’ eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he could register who exactly the woman is. He almost spoke it out loud in his shock, but Hermione beat him to it which made him pull himself together.

“Narcissa.”

The woman, Narcissa, just gave them a smile as she stood tall. She wore a green dress and looked like a proper lady as she folded her hands in front of her.

Marius covered his mouth as his form shook a bit but he caught himself. Good thing the others’ attention was upon Narcissa or else they would realize there was something more to it. But then, he felt a spark of something within him as he felt deceived. He was prepared to spit out the impostor in front of him when Ginny began to ask.

“You are not really her, are you?”

The woman smiled, her blue eyes glinting alight as she began to speak in the same voice that Marius remembered, and oh how he wanted to hug the woman right now despite knowing that it was fake.

“I am not. I’m what the Chamber conjured from what you desire to take from this Chamber.” She smiled at the four of them but then her eyes landed upon Marius and her eyes narrowed.

“Then do you know where Narcissa’s Grimoire is?” Hermione asked as she noticed the way the woman looked at Marius. Narcissa’s blue eyes then found Hermione’s brown ones. There was something in them that Hermione could not understand.

"Yes, though you have to come with me. Mere energy like me cannot touch things. You have to get it for yourselves.” She beckoned for her to follow.

“I will stay with Marius just in case,” Ginny said.

Hermione and Luna nodded then went ahead.

As soon as they reached the woman, she suddenly waved her hand and not a second after, Hermione and Luna’s unconscious bodies fell to the ground.

“What?!” Ginny gasped as she and Marius rushed to check them.

“Hermione! Wake up!” Marius began to shake Hermione in his arms. It was to no avail since the witch remained unconscious. Ginny then slowly placed Luna to the ground as she stood up and glared at the woman who was just smiling down at them.

“What. Did. You. Do.” Her every word was stressed with enough malice that her aura spiked from her form. Marius could see that Ginny was prepared to hex the woman for what she did anytime now.

“You are born the seventh witch of the seventh generation of your Mother’s family,” Narcissa just voiced out as Ginny pointed her wand at her direction.

“So what?” She snapped back.

“You will have the power to protect those you love.” Ginny’s menacing glare began to waver as her eyes widened. Marius could see the worry on Ginny's mind seemed to be full of the thoughts about her family.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing,” the woman replied before she waved her hand and Ginny fell as well.

Marius did his best to catch her before her head hit the ground. He laid her down on the ground carefully along with the two.

His silver eyes found blue ones and the woman gave a smile that Marius was so familiar with, the smile that brought dagger’s to his heart because of how much he missed it.

“Do you mind telling me how to wake them up?”

The not-Narcissa smile at his direction once again, but this one was full of interest that Marius knew this was not his mother.

“The brown haired one is undergoing a trial while the other two is merely dreaming.”

Marius' eyes narrowed as he tried to look strong. “You want me alone with you.”

The form of the woman changed then. Black curly hair now cascaded instead of blonde and her dress turned blue along with her eyes. The pale skin did not change though. And now Marius was looking at the true form to the magic inside the Chamber. He was face to face with Rowena Ravenclaw herself.

“Smart, beautiful, ethereal…” Her voice resounded in the room as she rounded Marius, watching his every move as the other did as well. “I can see your Mother’s features in you.” She stopped right in front of Marius and suddenly, a seat appeared behind him. A table along with tea and cookies came next. Marius stared with shock clearly painted in his features as he saw Rowena sat at the other end of the table. She fixed her shawl and she sat regally like a queen.

“So, why is the son of Narcissa Black roaming the world as a human?” Rowena sipped on her tea as if it was the most natural thing to do.

“Why should I be inclined to tell a long dead ancestor of my own plans?”

Hearing that, Rowena’s eyes widened before a laugh escaped her lips.

“Indeed, Draco.”

Marius—Draco, flinched at the use of his real name. Suddenly, anything that wasn't Rowena seemed more interesting. Anything other than that woman who was one of his ancestors and the only one who did not inherit the Black name and instead lived her life as the only High Witch without Black as a surname.

“If you had entered here alone, I would’ve easily yielded you to your Mother’s Grimoire. Alas, the circumstances are different.” She did not continue and Draco stared at her with furrowed eyebrows.

“I intend to follow through my promise to my Mother.” He looked down, fiddling his fingers together no longer feeling any hostility towards Rowena but instead, he felt something akin to a family relationship with her.

“And yet you promised to help the werewolves strengthen their wards.” Draco’s silver eyes snapped to the older woman who merely shrugged. “As soon as one enters the door, the thin veil of magic allows me to see the person’s memories and allow me to judge if they are worthy of ever entering this Chamber.” She sipped on her tea once again and plucked a cookie from one of the baskets.

Draco looked contemplative for a second. “I will figure something out.” He paused. “Are you really Rowena?”

“I know you will.” The woman then shook her head. “No, I’m not. I am more like a Guardian, you can say. Like a huge remnant of magically imbued energy in this Chamber to assure that no one would use the knowledge in this Chamber for dark deeds.”

Draco could not help but marvel at how this place was made. There had to be a massive amount of magic here that lingered to keep the Chamber alive.

“This is like the Room of Requirement.”

Rowena's smile seemed to soften. “That room was merely an imitation for this Chamber.”

With that, Draco rolled his eyes.

Rowena chuckled before her face turned serious. “I just hope for your sake that you would always remain who you are.”

“What do you mean by that?”  Draco inquired but the woman only closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, the tug of lips she gave him felt like a knife straight to the heart.

“War will soon befall the lands and even I don’t think that you would be able to escape it.”