They reached the Room of Requirement in record time. The last few students, all Gryffindors, were trickling in, clearly hanging back in the hope that they would be allowed to join in the fight. They cheered as they saw that Harry was following them in.
Harry glanced around the room. A few members of the Order were supervising the evacuation, including, unexpectedly, Percy Weasley, who was deep in conversation with his father. Ron hurried over to his brother, clearly excited to see him. There were less than a dozen students left to evacuate.
"As soon as everyone gets through the tunnel we need to empty this room," Harry announced. "We need to use it for something else."
Mr. Weasley looked at him, tears streaking down his face. "Of course Harry. We'll get everyone through as quickly as we can." He began to shoo students through the passage. A minute later he turned, dragging Percy along with him, and left the room. The other Order members followed, leaving Harry, Draco, Ron and Hermione alone. They quickly ran through the door and began to pace outside.
As Harry passed the empty wall for the third time a new door materialised. He flung it open and stepped inside, relieved to see a room packed full of hundreds of years worth of junk.
"It's on top of a cabinet," he explained. "There'll be a bust, and the tiara is on the head of the bust. If you see it, stab it."
The others fanned out across the room as Harry did his best to remember the path he had taken a year before. He followed the twists and turns of the piles, anxious to find anything that he remembered.
"Harry!" Hermione's voice called out nearby. "Harry, can you hear me? I think I found it!"
Harry practically flew in the direction of Hermione's voice. He slowed down as he neared her, and realized with a thrill of excitement that she was standing in front of a familiar cupboard.
"Is this it?" Hermione asked, holding out the gaudy tiara. Harry nodded. "Here, you destroy it." Her hands were shaking as she held it out.
"No," Harry said slowly. "No, I think you should." He looked into Hermione's eyes. "It just seems right."
Hermione pursed her lips and reached into her pocket. She pulled out the fang she had taken from the Basilisk and took a deep breath.
There was a loud bang behind them. Harry turned and stared at a pile of old desks. Ron burst around the corner, panting with a flushed face.
"Crabbe and Goyle!" he exclaimed. "They followed us!"
Harry looked back at Hermione just in time to see her plunge the fang into the diadem. Blood burst out from it as a scream filled the room.
"Don't you idiot!" Draco's voice came from behind the desks. "You'll kill us all!"
Harry dashed towards the sound, Ron and Hermione following close behind. Hermione gasped as she saw the fire issuing from Crabbe's wand.
"Is that-" she started.
"Fiendfyre!" Draco exclaimed, terror making his voice crack. He backed slowly away from Crabbe, who was grinning fiendishly as he brandished his wand. Goyle smiled smugly.
"The Dark Lord will reward us for destroying you,' Crabbe chuckled as flames continued to issue from his wand, snaking around the room. "We'll be his prize generals. And you-" he sneered at Draco, "will be nothing but a disgrace to your family. You lost your chance at greatness Malfoy."
Suddenly the flames springing from Crabbe's wand came to life. They roared out, shapes forming in them as they spread around the room. Harry felt someone grab his hand. "Run!"
Before Crabbe and Goyle could react Harry turned and ran, following Draco as he wound his way through the piles of discarded items. Hermione and Ron were next to them, panicked expressions spreading across both of their faces. The fire seemed to have spreadin a mere moment to every corner of the room. They couldn't find the exit. The flames rose around them.
Suddenly the fire flared up in front of Draco. Harry reached out and caught his shirt, jerking him back from the scorching flames. They tumbled into a heap in the center of a circle of living fire.
"Here!" Ron exclaimed. He had found a pile of old brooms. He tossed two towards Harry and Draco and grasped one himself. Hermione quickly scrambled on behind him.
"Which way is the door?" Harry shouted over the roar of the fire.
Ron pointed in the direction he was facing. "I think it's that way!" Harry nodded and mounted his broom. He kicked off of the floor, Draco mirroring his actions on one side and Ron and Hermione on the other. They rose into the air, hoping that they would be able to get above the flames.
A scream, a primal, desperate sound, came from behind them. Harry twisted around as his broom rose up and saw Goyle, alone, crouching at the top of the pile of desks. His hands were lifted to shield his face from the heat; he appeared to have lost his wand.
Harry was still staring at Goyle when he saw a broom zoom towards the trapped boy. He watched in astonishment as Draco sped away, darting around the flames. He quickly turned his own broom around to follow, shouting at Ron to get himself and Hermione out.
As Harry approached he saw Draco reach down to grab Goyle. Their hands met, but Goyle's quickly slipped out of Draco's grasp. Draco circled around again, the flames licking at his broom. Harry saw the determined expression on his face as he reached for Goyle again.
This time Draco's grasp was strong, and he managed to pull Goyle up where he settled clumsily onto the broom. Both brooms turned quickly and sped away, towards where they hoped the door was.
Just as Harry thought he would choke from the smoke surrounding him he saw a small patch of white light. He aimed his broom towards it and flew quickly through the door and into the seventh floor hall. He tumbled from the broom and landed in a heap on top of...something invisible. With a shock he realized that it was Alecto Carrow, still petrified and disillusioned. A moment later he heard a thud as Draco and Goyle crashed into the wall next to him, and a bang as someone swung the door shut.
Harry sat up shakily and moved away from Alecto. He glanced to where Draco was untangling himself from Goyle, who appeared to be unconscious. Hermione and Ron were standing next to them, staring in shock.
"You saved him!" Ron exclaimed.
Draco stood up and rubbed his hand across his soot-blackened face. "Your Gryffindor stupidity is wearing off on me." A hint of a smirk played across his face.
Hermione leapt forward and wrapped Draco in an embrace. "You're a good person, Draco Malfoy."
Draco's cheeks flushed pink as he leaned into the embrace. Harry walked over and clapped him on the back. "She's right you know." He smiled widely. "The Draco we knew two years ago would have just run away to save himself."
"What about the Diadem?" Ron interrupted.
Hermione pulled away from Draco and took Ron's hand. "I destroyed it, before Crabbe started the fire."
"That's all of them then!" Ron exclaimed. "It's just the snake left!" Harry smiled widely.