Hermione walked briskly out of the Gryffindor common room, heading straight for the eighth floor.
Her mind was filled with the image of Kai Adler's pale face and furrowed brow just before he left. Something was wrong—seriously wrong.
Since he hadn't returned to the common room, there was only one place he might have gone.
The Room of Requirement.
She raced through the castle's corridors, her shoes echoing off stone steps as she climbed. Her heart pounded—not from the run, but from the worry clawing at her chest.
Just as she rounded a corner on the fifth floor, she nearly collided with someone.
Hermione skidded to a halt. "Professor Lockhart? What are you doing here?"
Lockhart looked just as startled to see her. His eyes flickered with discomfort before he recovered with his usual polished smile.
"Oh, Miss Granger! What a delightful coincidence. I was, ah, just taking a little stroll. Helps with the nerves before an evening of grading, you know?"
He glanced over his shoulder briefly, as if checking to see if anyone was following him.
"I must be off. Very busy evening. Carry on!"
With that, he hurried away, his robes swishing dramatically as he turned a corner.
Hermione narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
The fifth floor was nowhere near the Great Hall or the faculty offices. He had no reason to be here—especially not this soon after the Duelling Club.
She glanced down the corridor he'd come from. It was empty. Nothing but shadows and portraits watching in silence.
Still, she had more urgent matters to attend to. Shaking off the odd encounter, she turned and ran the rest of the way to the eighth floor.
There, just outside the stretch of wall where the Room of Requirement would appear, she skidded to a stop—nearly crashing into Professor Dumbledore, who had just stepped out. Behind him, the large door was slowly vanishing back into the stone, as though it had never existed.
"Professor Dumbledore," Hermione panted, hands on her knees as she caught her breath. "Was Kai in there?"
Dumbledore regarded her gently, his blue eyes as calm as ever.
"Yes," he said softly. "But he needs time alone right now."
Hermione's jaw tightened.
"Did something happen to him?" she asked, eyes locked on the Headmaster's face.
Dumbledore said nothing at first. Then he opened his hand.
In his palm, Luna—the tiny, white-feathered serpent—uncoiled and immediately darted toward Hermione, settling on her shoulder with a distressed chirp.
Mistress, Master had black smoke pouring out of him—this baby was terrified!
Of course, Hermione couldn't understand Luna's language. But the mere fact that Luna was here told her everything she needed to know.
Luna never left Kai's side voluntarily.
Hermione's heart sank.
Her mind reeled, flashing through every moment they'd shared since arriving at Hogwarts—every glance, every lesson, every word.
"Obscurus…" she whispered under her breath. Then her eyes snapped to Dumbledore.
"Is it because of the Obscurus?"
The old wizard didn't answer directly. He simply smiled with that unreadable expression of his.
"Kai asked me to tell you he will be in seclusion for a few days. He said not to worry."
Hermione bit her lip. That told her everything.
He hadn't denied it. He had simply evaded.
She knew.
And Dumbledore knew that she knew.
The old man placed a hand on her head gently, like a grandfather reassuring a child.
"We must have faith in him."
The warmth of his palm radiated through her hair, settling the turmoil in her heart. She closed her eyes and nodded.
"I understand, Professor."
With Luna tucked safely in her arms, Hermione turned and walked away without another word.
Dumbledore watched her go, eyes gleaming behind his half-moon spectacles.
There was much to admire in her—clear judgment, emotional restraint, unwavering loyalty. She had not broken down. She had not demanded anything. She simply trusted Kai.
And truth be told, her stubborn clarity might be just what that boy needed.
A soft smile flickered on his lips—Kai Adler had chosen wisely.
But then the smile faded, and he turned back to the wall where the Room of Requirement had disappeared. He stood there for a long time, lost in thought, before finally walking away.
The corridor fell quiet. Only the portraits watched in silence—the one of the wizard and the troll whispering nervously to each other.
No one could see what lay beyond the hidden door.
Inside, darkness churned like a living thing.
Black mist seeped through the air, thick and suffocating.
Kai Adler had not emerged in three days.
No one knew what he was battling.
By the third day, rumors had begun to spread.
No matter how much Harry and Ron pressed Hermione for answers, she said nothing. Her face was buried in her books, expression unreadable.
Ron quickly gave up. Harry didn't push. He had his own problems.
The moment he had spoken Parseltongue during the Duelling Club, the mood at Hogwarts shifted.
That very night, a student was found in a corridor—petrified.
A half-blood.
Just like Filch's cat.
And Harry had been seen near the scene, alone.
Even with Dumbledore stepping in to defend him, the whispers wouldn't stop. Students steered clear when he passed, and their hushed conversations turned sharp and fearful.
Even some Gryffindors began to look at him differently.
Some students had even whispered the most absurd and infuriating idea yet—that Harry had killed Kai Adler, and hidden the body.
The three-day absence had only fueled the fire.
Harry knew it was ridiculous. But even so, it stung.
Only Ron and Hermione had stayed close to him. At least… until today.
Now, even Hermione seemed distant.
She still sat with them, but her eyes were always elsewhere, her mind far away. When they asked her about Kai, she said nothing.
Ron grumbled after class as they sat in the mostly-empty common room.
"Honestly, this is bloody stupid. Harry didn't do anything. Why do they act like he's some ancient monster come back to finish off the school?"
Hermione glanced up and rolled her eyes.
"What can I say? Parseltongue is a bit… incriminating."
She closed her book softly and added, "If I didn't know you better, Harry, I might be suspicious too."
Harry looked miserable. "This is insane…"
Hermione gave him a sharp look. "Just stay true to yourself. That's all you can do."
Then, casually, she accepted a cup of red tea from someone beside her and took a sip.
She froze.
The familiar flavor hit her tongue—and her eyes widened.
She turned sharply.
"…Kai?"
Both Harry and Ron nearly fell off their seats. "Bai?!"
Hermione stood, staring.
Kai Adler stood before her, pale but composed, his lips curled into the familiar half-smile she hadn't seen in days.
He looked alive. Real. Present.
Hermione's eyes began to sting with tears, but she refused to let them fall.
She scowled instead.
"You—what on earth were you doing? Why didn't you tell me?!"
Kai blinked.
Then smiled.