"He's on the move," he said quietly to Ron and Hermione. He glanced at Cho and then back at them. "Listen I know it's not much of a lead, but I'm going to go and look at this statue, at least find out what the diadem looks like. Wait for me here and keep, you know – the other one –safe."
Cho had got to her feet, but Ginny said rather fiercely, "No, Luna will take Harry, won't you, Luna?"
"Grow up, Ginny," said Michael, Padma, Terry, Ernie, Dean, Lavender and Susan, all at the same time.
Harry glanced at Ginny in brief annoyance but it was soon replaced by a rather vague sense of guilt. She had been so familiar, so comfortable, during his last year. However, all of that suddenly seemed empty to him, an attempt to escape from the reality of life. He wanted to apologize to her, to confess that he had only used her to shield himself from pain and loneliness. He also wanted to remind her rather sharply that they were broken up and she had no business getting jealous. He did neither. "Sorry, Ginny. I need Luna here with you and Neville to keep everyone organized. Neville told me all about it. I'm really proud of you three." He offered her a weak smile, knowing she would be as aware of what he didn't say as of what he did. "Come on, Cho. Let's go."
Ron, Ginny, Fred and George were glaring at Cho. Except for Cho and Luna, the Ravenclaws were themselves glaring at the four Weasleys. Harry readied his invisibility cloak but Cho was still seated, looking between Ginny and Luna. "If it's a problem, someone else can go. Michael, maybe?"
"It's alright, Cho," Harry said. He walked over and offered her a hand up before pulling the invisibility cloak over both of them. The two of them left the Room of Requirement and set off towards Ravenclaw Tower. Cho led the way and, huddled under the cloak with her, Harry couldn't help but be acutely aware of the feel of her huddled against him. She, on the other hand, seemed focused on where they were going. Every so often, the two of them had to move to the side to avoid bumping into a student or teacher but, generally, the halls seemed deserted. Hogwarts under Snape was a far cry from the vibrant place Harry had known.
They eventually came to the foot of spiral staircase. It was awkward climbing pressed together under the cloak but they eventually arrived at a door without knob or keyhole but simply a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. A thought occurred to Harry and he suddenly wished he had brought Luna or Michael. "Ummm…Cho…you graduated last year. Do you know the updated password?"
"We don't have passwords, Harry," Cho explained. "You just have to answer a riddle."
She reached out and lifted the knocker, bringing it back down firmly. As soon as she did so, the eagle opened its beak and asked, "If you're an insect in the corner of a cubic room, what's the shortest path you can walk to the opposite corner?"
"That's easy," Harry said, thinking that he might just as well have come up here on his own. "It's a straight line."
"Wrong!" proclaimed the eagle.
Harry looked confused for a moment. He noticed that Cho was smiling at him. In fact, she looked like she was trying not to laugh. "The opposite corner of the cube, Harry, not of the bottom of the cube, and it can only walk, not fly." She turned back to the door knocker. "It should walk in a straight line to the opposite corner of any one of the three sides that join at the corner it's in. Then it should walk up the inside of the edge." The door opened.
Harry and Cho stepped into a wide, circular room with a dark blue carpet and arched windows hung with silken curtains in blue and bronze below a domed ceiling painted with stars. However, Harry only had eyes for the white marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. His eyes rose to the diadem which adorned Ravenclaw's brow. It reminded him a little of the tiara Ron's Aunt Muriel had lent to Fleur Delacour. "It's said to enhance the wisdom of whoever wears it," Cho said.
"I have to destroy it," Harry blurted out apologetically. "I have to destroy it to stop Vol…the Chief Death Eater."
Cho was about to speak when Snape stepped from behind a curtain, rapidly leveling his wand at Harry and Cho. "Accio cloak!" Harry and Cho both gaped as the cloak flew towards Snape. Harry drew his wand even as Snape flicked his and shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Harry's wand went flying. Cho reached for hers even as Snape cried "Incarcerous!" creating thick ropes from thin air which flew at Cho, wrapping tightly around her arms and legs. She grunted and fell to the floor. It was then that Flitwick stepped out from another curtain, followed by two squat, grimy persons who Harry assumed to be Amycus and Alecto Carrow. Snape turned to them with a triumphant smirk. "I told you Potter would try to come here. The children didn't even seem to realize that, invisible or not, we can see doors opening and hear them talking. I've always known Potter to have roughly the intelligence of a common slug but Chang? I thought Ravenclaws were supposed to be bright." He ignored Flitwick's glare as he turned back to Harry and Cho, advancing slowly with a predatory glint in his eyes. "200 points from Gryffindor. 150 from Ravenclaw."
"I graduated. You can't take points from my old Hogwarts House on my account. I'm not a Ravenclaw anymore," Cho argued
"Yes, you are," Flitwick insisted proudly.
Snape completely ignored the exchange. He only had eyes for Harry. That same triumphant smirk remained smugly planted on his face as he advanced. Harry, wandless, was at a loss as to what to do. Surely Flitwick would try and help them but could he defeat Snape and the Carrows single-handedly? Snape's voice was eerily level when he finally spoke again. "I've been waiting for this a long time, Potter." He flicked his wand and Harry felt an invisible force lash his left cheek as a whip might. Snape flicked his wand the other way and this time Harry felt the lash on his right cheek. Harry winced at the pain, stumbling backwards and collapsing into a chair. Snape frowned and stepped back once more. "I will have the pleasure, Potter, but I have to inform the Dark Lord of your capture, first."