Chapter 310 "One Injured One Escaped"

 Amidst Hermione's incredulity, Ron suddenly whipped around, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, and cast a Disarming Charm at Luna, who had just reached for her wand.

Luna's wand was sent flying across the room, clattering against the wall with a sharp noise.

Witnessing this, Hermione's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Ron before her, utterly speechless.

Meanwhile, Ron aimed his wand at Luna, preventing her from moving, and proclaimed triumphantly, "I must say, Hermione, it's quite surprising to see me effortlessly casting a Disarming Charm, especially considering my previous struggles with even basic spells! At this point, I've surpassed you! Behold, the power of this diary!"

Hermione was thoroughly taken aback. Confronted with Ron in this altered state, she found herself at a loss for words. It was Luna, however, who broke the silence, speaking softly from across the room, "You've already credited the diary with this power, but what does this newfound ability have to do with you?"

Ron paused, momentarily caught off guard by Luna's question, and then his expression shifted to one of anger. Pointing his wand at Luna, he snarled, "Your tongue is sharp, Lovegood! Let's see if your body is as resilient as your words!"

"Incendio!" A flaming projectile came out of Ron's wand.

Seeing Ron aiming another spell at Luna, Hermione shouted urgently, "Luna, move out of the way!"

Simultaneously, Hermione drew her wand, ready to counteract Ron's attack, "Aguamenti!"

Their spells collided, creating a tense standoff where neither could gain the upper hand.

Taking advantage of the distraction caused by the spell exchange between Hermione and Ron, Luna swiftly retrieved her wand from the corner.

With her wand in hand, Luna stepped forward and pointed it directly at Ron, who was still engaged in the standoff with Hermione, "Ron Weasley, lower your wand! This is the last warning!"

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, and Ron sneered, but he complied by halting his spellcasting, "Or what? Tell me what can you do, Lovegood."

Luna was surprised by Ron's snarky remark; she stayed silent while pointing her wand toward Ron.

Hermione, not wanting to escalate the situation further, also ceased her spellcasting.

Despite the cessation of spells, Ron remained defiant, refusing to lower his wand. Seeing this, Luna persisted in urging him to surrender, but Ron responded disdainfully, "You two are ganging up on me unfairly! In that case, I'll have to summon my ally!"

As Ron's ominous words echoed, Hermione and Luna exchanged alarmed glances, their hearts sinking with apprehension.

They both realized the imminent danger. Suddenly, they heard a faint hissing sound growing louder, resembling the slithering of a snake, indicating the rapid approach of something sinister, "Sssss!"

With a hopeless expression, Hermione looked at Ron, couldn't summon any words, but stared at him at the verge of tears.

Meanwhile, Ron continued his menacing threats, "Curious to see what lies within the secret room? Allow me to reveal its secrets to you!"

Horrified, Hermione noticed a looming shadow cast upon the corridor wall, indicating the proximity of a colossal figure, likely positioned right behind her.

Luna, sensing the impending danger, was about to turn around when Hermione summoned her courage to yell urgently and intervened, her voice trembling with fear, "No, Luna! Whatever happens, do not look into its eyes!"

Luna, understanding the urgency in Hermione's tone, obediently averted her gaze, bowing her head in compliance.

Unbeknownst to them, during the confrontation between Hermione and Ron, the residual effects of Hermione's spell, the spring-like water, trickled slowly along the ground, eventually pooling around Luna's feet.

As Luna glanced through the dancing light and the watery reflection, she caught a glimpse of the looming creature behind her. Though she couldn't discern its entire form, its eyes, bright as searchlights, pierced through the darkness, sending a shiver down Luna's spine.

In a frantic reaction, Luna let out a cry of dread, realizing the imminent danger. However, before she could take any action, it was already too late.

Meanwhile, Hermione, unaware of Luna's plight, continued to call out her name anxiously. But Ron, with a sinister grin, silenced her with chilling words, "Don't bother, Hermione. See for yourself."

Turning her gaze towards Luna, Hermione's heart plummeted as she witnessed Luna's transformation into stone.

As Ron advanced towards her, Hermione's fear intensified. She watched in horror as he raised his wand, pointing it directly at her. With a menacing tone, Ron declared, "Don't fret, Hermione. This won't hurt a bit. It's just a simple Obliviate spell. Once you forget tonight's events, we can still be the best of friends."

Hermione, paralyzed with fear, met Ron's gaze as he drew nearer. Simultaneously, she could sense the ominous presence behind her, its noxious breath washing over her with each passing moment.

Just as Hermione found herself caught in a whirlwind of uncertainty, she sensed a shift in the air behind her, as if the looming behemoth had receded.

But before Hermione could exhale a sigh of relief, Ron's voice erupted with shock and fury, "Serpent, what do you think you're doing?!"

At that moment, Hermione felt a rush of wind behind her, as if something was hurtling towards her.

And then, just as danger seemed imminent, Hermione caught a glimpse of a figure clad in Gryffindor robes leaping towards her.

The next instant, Hermione was thrust backward, slamming into the wall with a jolt.

As she blinked away her disorientation, Hermione's eyes fell upon Ron, sprawled over her. A trickle of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Dismayed by the sight, Hermione barely had time to process what had happened before the Basilisk's reflection reappeared on the nearby wall.

Meanwhile, Ron's voice trembled weakly:

"Hermione, I... I was just trying to figure something out. The Basilisk... It wasn't following my commands! Someone deceived me; someone orchestrated this deception from the shadows!"

In a swift motion, Ron propelled Hermione forward, his voice resounding with urgency, "Go! Seek out Wentworth! I obtained this diary from him; he must hold the key to the truth! Tell him everything! Expose the orchestrator behind this scheme! Quickly! I'll manage here. Whoever's pulling the strings won't let me perish!"

As Ron's words echoed, and the looming Basilisk drew nearer, Hermione clenched her teeth and sprinted without a moment's pause.

Tears blurred her vision as she raced on, until an unexpected collision brought her to an abrupt halt, enveloped in someone's embrace.

"Hermione, what's going on? Everyone returned to the dormitory, but you and Ron vanished! Even Harry sought me out, worried sick. What's the commotion, Gryffindors? Need a Slytherin's guidance?"

At the sound of the familiar voice, Hermione couldn't contain her emotions any longer, "Hey, don't cry! Someone will mistake me to be responsible for you crying if they saw this!" The familiar voice spoke in panic.