Chapter Thirty Five - Hogwarts Common Rooms

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Hermione actually did make them stay in the library for a while, showing them where she sat to read in the evenings or where she would study or what books she loved. No one was really interested (except maybe for Draco) but they didn't say anything. Each and every one of them adored Hermione and listening to her give them a history of when the library was built and who restocked it after the battle (turns out it was Malfoy Industries) was a small price to pay to see her smile and to see the sparkle in her eyes.

But she knew they were bored so she kept it brief, and before they expected, they were all making their way back down along the hallway. Daphne had then dragged them to the Astronomy Tower to her favourite spot in the castle. Draco hated it here, reminding him of what he had to do and the fact that Dumbledore had died for him and Snape had been the one to kill him so that Draco didn't have to.

Harry too wasn't too fussed on the place. It was somewhere where he, Hermione and Ron used to come to find solace, to hang out, watch the stars or the clouds and privacy to talk about whichever danger they were facing at the time. But after that night where Dumbledore and he had gone in search of the fake Horcrux, the place was tainted. He had to watch as his hero died. Another person he thought of as family, leaving him. During their final year he couldn't bring himself to visit this place. Actually this was the first time he had been back since that year.

"Do you know where I would like to see?" Theo asked as they made their way back down the stairs. "I want to see the other dorms. I want to see Gryffindor Tower, Hufflepuff basement and Ravenclaw Tower. I have never been in them."
"Me neither," Daphne and Pansy said in unison and then smirked.
"Oh I would love to show you all the Ravenclaw dorm," Luna clapped her hands. "It's down on the fifth floor! Come on!" She pulled on Blaise's arm practically dragging him towards the staircase.

Hermione had always wondered what the Ravenclaw common room looked like. She was almost placed in Ravenclaw during the sorting ceremony in first year and although she was happy to be a Gryffindor, she did always think about how different her life would be if she had been sorted into that house. She fully believed the only reason she wasn't, was because the hat knew Harry and Ron would need her. Harry had already been in Ravenclaw common room before when Luna brought him to look for the diadem but he was in such a rush he didn't get to have much of a look around.

Luna was in her element giving them a history of the Ravenclaw tower and their animal representative, that Theo and Blaise almost walked into her when she stopped suddenly in front of a bronze, eagle shaped knocker. As they all gathered around the knocker it began to move. "Welcome my friends to Ravenclaw Tower
For students who know that knowledge is power
To enter, a riddle, one of you must solve
Get it wrong and my knocker shall dissolve
So be careful and let the genius flow
The answer, I promise, is one you all know."

"Sorry what?" Leo said looking around wondering where the voice came from.
Luna giggled. "To enter the Ravenclaw dorm, you have to answer a riddle. It's not a simple password like the others."
"Actually in Hufflepuff you have to simply choose the right barrel," Hermione shrugged and everyone turned to her. "I read about it. The entry is down the passageway next to the kitchens."

The eagle gave a slight movement and a voice rang out again. "What is it that given one, you'll have either two or none?" For a few seconds no one said anything, everyone repeating the riddle to themselves again trying to think of the answer.
"I have it," Hermione and Draco answered in unison.
"Me too," Luna smirked.
"I have no clue," Theo pouted.
"It's simple," Draco explained. "What is given to you that only has either two or more options or none at all?" He looked to the others who looked clueless and then to Hermione and Luna who were bursting to give the answer. He gestured to the girls. "Ladies?"
"A choice," the girls answered both delighted when the door to the Tower opened.

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