Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.
Chapter 19 – The Lost Diadem
Harry ran back the way they had come, and Lucy followed him closely. When they reached the entrance hall, they could still see the line of students heading upstairs to the Room of Requirement to evacuate. There was lots of shouting and pushing as students were looking for their friends or family members.
Lucy didn't have time to think about this, however—Harry had just spotted the ghost he wanted to speak to.
"Nick! NICK!" Harry called. "I need to talk to you!"
Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington—otherwise known as Nearly Headless Nick—was the Gryffindor house ghost. He looked around and beamed as he saw Harry pushing through the crowd. "Harry! My dear boy!" he said when Lucy and Harry reached him. Nick tried to grab Harry's hand in a handshake, but of course, his hands went straight through Harry's.
"Nick, you've got to help me," Harry requested. "Who's the ghost of Ravenclaw Tower?"
"The Gray Lady, of course," Nick said, looking a bit confused. "But if it is ghostly services you require—"
"It's got to be her—d'you know where she is?" Harry pressed.
"Let's see…" Nick hummed as he glanced around the hall. "Ah, that's her over there, Harry—the young woman with the long hair."
Lucy and Harry turned to where Nick was pointing. The ghost saw them looking at her, raised her eyebrows, and disappeared through a wall.
"C'mon!" Harry said to his sister as he sprinted towards where the ghost had gone, with Lucy hot on his heels.
In the next corridor, they saw her at the end of the hall, still gliding away from them.
"Hey—wait—come back!" Harry called.
The Gray Lady stopped, to Lucy's surprise. She and Harry rushed up to her.
"You're the Gray Lady?" Harry asked, and the ghost nodded. "The ghost of Ravenclaw Tower?"
"That is correct," the Gray Lady said.
"Please, I need some help," Harry begged. "I need to know anything you can tell me about the lost diadem."
The Gray Lady smirked. "I am afraid that I cannot help you." She turned to leave.
"WAIT!" Lucy shouted, annoyed and desperate. She saw Harry check his watch out of the corner of her eye, and she knew they were running out of time.
"This is urgent," Harry insisted. "If that diadem's at Hogwarts, I've got to find it—fast."
"You are hardly the first student to covet the diadem," the Gray Lady scoffed. "Generations of students have badgered me—"
"This isn't about trying to get better marks!" Harry snapped. "It's about Voldemort—defeating Voldemort—or aren't you interested in that?"
The Gray Lady frowned as she answered, "Of course I—how dare you suggest—?"
"Well, help us, then!" Lucy fired back.
"It—it is not a question of—" the Gray Lady stuttered. "My mother's diadem—"
"Your mother's?" Lucy and Harry repeated at the same time.
"When I lived, I was Helena Ravenclaw," the Gray Lady told them, looking upset with herself.
"You're her daughter?" Harry asked. "But then, you must know what happened to it!"
Helena took a moment to collect herself before beginning, "While the diadem bestows wisdom, I doubt that it would greatly increase your chances of defeating the wizard who calls himself Lord—"
"Haven't I just told you? I'm not interested in wearing it!" Harry cried. "There's no time to explain—but if you care about Hogwarts—if you want to see Voldemort finished—you've got to tell me anything you know about the diadem!"
There was silence for a moment while Helena pondered what Harry had said. Lucy sighed internally, looking at her brother; they were wasting time. Harry shook his head and motioned for Lucy to follow him.
"I stole the diadem from my mother," Helena said softly.
Lucy and Harry both turned back to the ghost, and Harry asked, "You—you did what?"
"I stole the diadem," Helena hissed. "I sought to make myself cleverer—more important than my mother. I ran away with it." She took a breath before continuing, "My mother, they say, never admitted that the diadem was gone, but pretended that she had it still. She concealed her loss, my dreadful betrayal, even from the other founders of Hogwarts."
Lucy listened with rapt attention, and she could see that Harry was doing the same.
"Then my mother fell ill—fatally ill," Helena went on. "In spite of my perfidy, she was desperate to see me one more time. She sent a man who had long loved me—though I spurned his advances—to find me. She knew that he would not rest until he had done so." She paused to take another breath. "He tracked me to the forest where I was hiding. When I refused to return with him, he became violent. The Baron was always a hot-tempered man. Furious at my refusal—jealous of my freedom—he stabbed me."
"The Baron?" Lucy echoed. "You mean—?"
"The Bloody Baron, yes," Helena confirmed. She lifted her cloak out of the way, so the Potter twins could see the wound in her chest. "When he saw what he had done, he was overcome with remorse. He took the weapon that had claimed my life and used it to kill himself. All these centuries later, he wears his chains as an act of penitence… as he should."
"And—and the diadem?" Harry pressed.
"It remained where I had hidden it when I heard the Baron blundering through the forest toward me," Helena answered. "Concealed inside a hollow tree."
"A hollow tree?" Harry repeated. "What tree? Where was this?"
"A forest in Albania," Helena replied. "A lonely place I thought was far beyond my mother's reach."
"Albania," Harry murmured, his eyebrows contracting. He glanced over at Lucy for a moment, a calculating look on his face, before turning back to the Gray Lady. "You've already told someone this story, haven't you? Another student?"
Helena nodded morosely. "I had—no idea," she muttered. "He was… flattering. He seemed to—to understand—to sympathize…"
"Well, you weren't the first person Riddle wormed things out of," Harry mumbled. "He could be charming when he wanted.…" He was still thinking when he suddenly burst out, "—the night he asked for a job!"
"I beg your pardon?" Helena asked, startled.
"He hid the diadem in the castle, the night he asked Dumbledore to let him teach!" Harry said. "He must've hidden the diadem on his way up to—or down from—Dumbledore's office! But it was still worth trying to get the job—then he might've got the chance to nick Gryffindor's sword, as well—thank you, thanks!"
Harry turned and started running again, and Lucy hurried after him.
~LJ:TW~
"The only problem I see is—how are we going to find out where he hid it?" Lucy asked as she and Harry jogged through the corridors. "This castle is huge. We don't have time to search it from top to bottom."
"I'm not sure—" A loud crash interrupted Harry, and a large figure came flying through the window to their left. "Hagrid!" Harry shouted.
It was indeed Hagrid, along with his boarhound Fang, who was currently jumping up at Lucy.
"Harry, yer here!" Hagrid cried. "Yer here!" He threw his arms around Harry and gave him a squeeze. After he'd finished hugging Harry, he turned and exclaimed, "Lucy!" He hugged her, as well. Then he went back to the window and shouted at someone outside, "Good boy, Grawpy! I'll see yeh in a mo'—there's a good lad!"
They heard a screaming in the distance, and Lucy immediately checked her watch; it was midnight. She shuddered, realizing that the battle had begun, and she wished hard that her friends and family would be safe.
"Blimey, Harry, this is it, eh?" Hagrid commented. "Time ter figh'?"
"Hagrid, where have you come from?" Harry asked.
"Heard You-Know-Who from up in our cave," Hagrid explained. "Voice carried, didn' it? Yeh got 'til midnight ter gimme Potter. Knew yeh mus' be here—knew wha' mus' be happenin'—get down, Fang. So we've come ter join in—me an' Grawpy an' Fang. Smashed our way through the boundary by the forest—Grawpy was carryin' us—Fang an' me. Told 'im ter let me down at the castle, so he shoved me through the window, bless him. Not exac'ly wha' I meant, bu'—where's Ron an' Hermione?"
"That is a really good question," Harry said. "C'mon." He led the way, and Lucy and Hagrid followed him.
"Where're we goin'?" Hagrid asked eventually.
"I dunno exactly," Harry admitted. "But Ron and Hermione must be around here somewhere.…"
They continued around a few corners before Harry skidded to a stop. Lucy and Hagrid stopped, as well, staring at Harry, whose eyes had glassed over in thought.
"What is it, Harry?" Lucy asked, but before Harry could answer her, Professor Sprout, Neville, and a handful of other students appeared.
"Mandrakes!" Neville announced as he held up the potted plant in his hands. He had a pair of earmuffs on, as did the others with him. "Going to lob them over the walls—they won't like this!"
Lucy, Harry, and Hagrid stared after them for only a moment before Harry said, "C'mon!" He tore off again, and Lucy and Hagrid thundered along after him.
Suddenly, there was a bang, and the entire castle shook. Lucy and Harry stopped, and Fang started howling and took off.
"It's all righ', Fang—it's all righ'!" Hagrid called, and he ran off after his dog.
"I know where we have to go!" Harry finally told Lucy. "Follow me—back to the Room of Requirement!"
They continued on, feeling tremors throughout the castle as the battle raged on. In the paintings on the walls, the occupants were running about, shouting updates at each other. Lucy attempted to shut their voices out; she didn't want to find out from a painting if someone she knew had been hurt or killed.
At one point, they stumbled upon Fred, Lee, and Hannah Abbott with a few other students, standing in front of one of the secret passageways. They were listening hard down the tunnel for any intruders.
"Nice night for it!" Fred quipped as Lucy and Harry rushed past them.
They continued on, getting closer to the Room of Requirement.
"Potter!" Aberforth had entered the castle, and he was holding his wand aloft. "I've had hundreds of kids thundering through my pub, Potter!"
"I know," Harry said. "We're evacuating. Voldemort's—"
"—attacking, because they haven't handed you over, yeah," Aberforth finished for him. "I'm not deaf; the whole of Hogsmeade heard him. And it never occurred to any of you to keep a few Slytherins hostage? There are kids of Death Eaters you've just sent to safety. Wouldn't it have been a bit smarter to keep 'em here?"
"Your brother would have never done it," Harry said firmly.
Aberforth only rolled his eyes and started off down the hall to join in the fighting. Lucy and Harry exchanged a look before running forward and around the corner—they had reached the corridor to get into the Room of Requirement. And that wasn't all they'd found.…
"Where the hell have you been?" Harry yelled at Ron and Hermione, who were standing there.
"Chamber of Secrets," Ron answered simply. He had a broomstick under his arm, and both he and Hermione were carrying large, curved objects—Lucy couldn't tell what they were.
"Chamber—what?" Harry repeated.
"It was Ron—all Ron's idea!" Hermione said. "Wasn't it absolutely brilliant? There we were, after you left, and I said to Ron—even if we find the other one, how are we going to get rid of it? And we still hadn't got rid of the cup! And then he thought of it! The basilisk!"
"What the—?" Lucy asked blankly, a little annoyed at herself for being out of the loop.
"Something to get rid of Horcruxes," Ron told her.
"You mean—are those basilisk fangs?" Lucy asked, staring at the objects in Ron's and Hermione's arms. "You went into the Chamber of Secrets to get basilisk fangs to kill Horcruxes?"
Ron nodded.
"But how did you get in there?" Harry asked, bewildered. "You need to speak Parseltongue!"
"He did!" Hermione said. "Show him, Ron!"
Ron made some hissing and spitting noises, which did sound a bit like a snake to Lucy. "It's what you did to open the locket," Ron explained to Harry. "I had to have a few goes to get it right, but we got there in the end."
"He was amazing!" Hermione gushed. "Amazing!"
Harry stammered, "So—so—"
"So, we're another Horcrux down," Ron said with a grin. He pulled out from his jacket pocket the remains of what looked like some kind of cup. "Hermione stabbed it. Thought she should—she hadn't had the pleasure yet."
"Genius!" Harry shouted.
"It was nothing," Ron said, although he looked mightily pleased with himself. "So, what's new with you?"
There was another explosion from somewhere nearby, and they could hear faint screaming again. The knowledge that everyone else in the castle were fighting so that they could find the Horcrux sobered them all up.
"I know what the diadem looks like, and I know where it is," Harry said quickly. "He hid it exactly where I hid my old Potions book—where everyone's been hiding stuff for centuries. He thought he was the only one to find it. Come on."
He turned and went into the Room of Requirement—Lucy, Ron, and Hermione followed him. When they entered the main sitting room, they found Ginny, Tonks, and Augusta Longbottom standing next to each other.
"Ah, Lucy," Mrs. Longbottom greeted. "Nice to see you again."
"Likewise, Mrs. Longbottom," Lucy said with a respectful nod.
"Well, you four can tell us what's going on," Mrs. Longbottom said, looking between them expectantly.
"Is everyone okay?" Ginny and Tonks added.
"'S far as we know," Harry said. "Are there still people in the passage to the Hog's Head?"
"I was the last to come through," Mrs. Longbottom reported. "I sealed it—I think it unwise to leave it open now Aberforth has left his pub. Have you seen my grandson?"
"He's fighting," Lucy answered.
"Naturally," Mrs. Longbottom said, smiling proudly. "Excuse me—I must go and assist him." And then she was sweeping past them and exiting the room.
Lucy turned to Tonks and stated, "I thought you were supposed to be with Teddy—at home."
Tonks looked anxious, and she wrung her hands. "I couldn't stand not knowing—Mum will look after him—have you seen Remus?"
"He was planning to lead a group of fighters into the grounds," Lucy answered, and Tonks attempted to pass her. Lucy put her hand up and said, "Are you absolutely sure about this?"
Tonks nodded, her eyes hardening. "I need to do this—for Teddy." Then she stepped past Lucy and disappeared down the corridor.
"Ginny," Harry said, addressing the only person left in the room, "I'm sorry, but we need you to leave, too. Just for a bit. Then you can come back in." Ginny grinned and ran for the exit corridor, and Harry yelled at her back, "And then you can come back in! You've got to come back in!"
"Good luck," Lucy scoffed. "Knowing her, she'll get herself as far away from here as possible."
Harry sighed, scrubbing his face with one of his hands.
"Hang on a moment!" Ron said. "We've forgotten someone!"
"Who?" Hermione asked.
"The house-elves," Ron replied. "They'll all be down in the kitchens, won't they?"
"You mean we ought to get them fighting?" Harry asked.
"No," Ron said with a shake of his head. "We should tell them to get out. We don't want any more Dobbies, do we? We can't order them to die for us—"
Suddenly, Hermione dropped the fangs in her arms, ran at Ron, and threw her arms around him. She pulled his mouth down to hers and kissed him hard. Ron dropped what was in his hands, as well, and lifted Hermione up as he responded to her embrace.
Lucy grinned and looked over at Harry, who seemed stunned. She chuckled at him; how could he not have noticed where his friends' relationship was headed?
"Is this the moment?" Harry squeaked, but Hermione and Ron continued as if nothing had happened. So Harry said loudly, "OY! There's a war going on here!"
Ron pulled away from Hermione and looked at his best friend. "I know, mate—so it's now or never, isn't it?"
"Never mind that—what about the Horcrux?" Harry insisted. "D'you think you could just—just hold it in until we've got the diadem?"
"Oh, calm down, Harry," Lucy sighed. Then she looked at Ron and Hermione and added, "He's right, though. We need to hurry up."
The four of them left the room again, and they watched the door to the Room of Requirement disappear. All around them, they could see that the fighting was getting worse. The castle continued to shake and shudder as the Death Eaters kept up their attempts to enter the school. They glanced out the window and saw that Grawp was stomping around outside on the grounds.
"Let's hope he steps on some of them!" Ron said.
"As long as it's not any of our lot!" Ginny and Tonks were down the corridor, shooting spells out the windows and into the Death Eaters below. Ginny sent an impressive jinx into a crowd trying to break into the castle.
"Good girl!" Aberforth had returned to the corridor; he was leading a group of students with him. "They look like they might be breaching the north battlements—they've brought giants of their own!"
Lucy's stomach dropped at that thought.
"Have you seen Remus?" Tonks asked Aberforth.
"He was dueling Dolohov," Aberforth replied. "Haven't seen him since!"
"Tonks," Lucy said steadily, noticing the woman's face draining of color. "Tonks, I'm sure he's okay—"
Tonks turned on her heel and ran off, in desperate search of her husband. Ginny turned to look at Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"They'll be all right," Harry said immediately. "Ginny, we'll be back in a moment. Just keep out of the way—keep safe. Come on!" he added to his friends.
They ran to the wall that concealed the entrance to the Room of Requirement. Harry walked quickly in front of it three times, thinking hard about what they needed the room to become. The door appeared, and Harry wrenched it open. Lucy, Ron, and Hermione followed him inside.
~LJ:TW~
As soon as the door had shut behind them, the noise coming from the battle was silenced. The room they found themselves in was huge: it seemed to go on forever, and the ceiling stretched high above them. All around them were piles of objects—some that had been hidden there for centuries.
"And he never realized anyone could get in?" Ron asked.
"He thought he was the only one," Harry said. "Too bad for him, I've had to hide stuff in my time... This way," he added. "I think it's down here."
Harry led the way through the room. There were aisles up and down the room, but they weren't very straight; they twisted and turned around the mountains of objects.
"Accio Diadem!" Hermione said, her wand out. Nothing happened; Lucy wasn't sure if it was because they were trying to get a Horcrux, or if it was part of the magic of the room.
"Let's split up," Harry decided. "Look for a stone bust of an old man wearing a wig and a tiara. It's standing on a cupboard, and it's definitely somewhere near here.…"
Lucy, Ron, and Hermione did as they were told, walking down various aisles. Lucy was in awe of how much stuff was in the room. Books, furniture, broomsticks, clothes… anything and everything that a student would have felt the need to hide.
Then she heard someone say, "Hold it, Potter." She knew that voice. It was Draco Malfoy. What was he still doing here? Lucy wondered if he had decided to stay and fight—with the Death Eaters.
Lucy knew that Harry was in the aisle adjacent to hers. She scaled the objects in between her and Harry, and she found enough of a space that she could squeeze through. Pushing through carefully, so as not to disturb any of the objects and send the pile crashing on top of her, she emerged behind Harry and whipped her wand out.
"Oh, and Jones is here, too," Malfoy drawled, his friends Crabbe and Goyle standing with him. "Two Potters for the Dark Lord; he'll definitely be pleased." His lips curled into a sneer as he added, "That's my wand you're holding, Potter."
"Not anymore," Harry taunted. "Winners, keepers, Malfoy. Who's lent you theirs?"
"My mother," Malfoy replied.
Harry laughed, but Lucy could hear the anxiety in his tone. "So, how come you three aren't with Voldemort?" he asked.
"We're gonna be rewarded," Crabbe said—Lucy was taken aback; she could count the times she'd heard Crabbe speak on one hand. "We 'ung back, Potter. We decided not to go—decided to bring you to 'im."
"Good plan," Harry said mockingly. He shuffled forward, and Lucy looked at where he was heading. Sure enough, the bust he had described to his friends was there, with a wig and tiara on top. "So, how did you get in here?" Harry asked.
"I virtually lived in the Room of Hidden Things all last year," Malfoy replied. "I know how to get in."
"We was hiding in the corridor outside," Goyle explained. "We can do Diss-lusion Charms now! And then you turned up right in front of us and said you was looking for a die-dum. What's a die-dum?"
"Harry?" Ron called suddenly. "Are you talking to someone?"
Crabbe turned quickly, his wand already whipping towards one of the mountains of objects as he cried, "Descendo!"
"Ron!" Harry yelled as Hermione let out a scream.
Lucy, whose wand was already in her hand, pointed at the wall and shouted, "Finite!"
"No!" Malfoy was yelling, grabbing Crabbe by the arm. "If you wreck the room, you might bury this diadem thing!"
"What's the matter?" Crabbe grumbled, yanking his arm out of Malfoy's grip. "It's Potter the Dark Lord wants—who cares about a die-dum?"
"Potter came in here to get it," Malfoy explained impatiently, "so that must mean—"
"Must mean?" Crabbe echoed, glaring at his so-called friend. "Who cares what you think? I don't take your orders no more, Draco. You an' your dad are finished!"
"Harry?" Ron called once more. "What's going on?"
"Harry? What's going—no, Potter!" Crabbe shouted as Harry lunged towards the diadem. "Crucio!"
Harry dived out of the way as Crabbe's spell missed him—it hit the bust instead. The diadem went flying off it, and it dropped somewhere out of sight.
"You bastard!" Lucy screamed before sending a Stunner at Crabbe; in her anger, she missed him, and she ducked behind a pile of objects as Goyle tried to retaliate.
"STOP!" Malfoy demanded. "The Dark Lord wants him alive—!"
"So? I'm not killing him, am I?" Crabbe said gleefully. "But if I can, I will. The Dark Lord wants him dead anyway—what's the diff—?"
Hermione had appeared from around the corner behind Lucy and Harry, and she sent a Stunner at Crabbe. Malfoy jerked Crabbe out of the way just in time.
"It's that Mudblood!" Crabbe growled. "Avada Kedavra!"
Hermione dove behind a large chair, and Lucy saw red. She and Harry both leapt out from behind their cover and attempted to Stun Crabbe. He managed to side-step their spells, but in doing so, he knocked into Malfoy. Malfoy's wand dropped from his hand and rolled underneath a pile of objects.
"Don't kill him!" Malfoy was shouting as Crabbe and Goyle aimed at Harry. "DON'T KILL HIM!"
Crabbe and Goyle hesitated, and Harry took his chance. "Expelliarmus!" he shouted, and Goyle's wand went flying from his hand. Lucy, meanwhile, sent another Stunner at Malfoy, who dodged it. Then Ron appeared at the opposite end of the row—behind Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle—and sent a Body-Bind Curse at Crabbe, which just missed.
Crabbe whipped towards Ron and shouted again, "Avada Kedavra!"
Ron jumped out of the way to avoid the Unforgivable Curse. Hermione popped up from her hiding spot and hit Goyle with a Stunner.
"Damn it—we don't have time for this," Lucy called over to her brother.
"I know," Harry agreed, crouched behind his pile of stuff again. "Listen—listen, Hermione! It's somewhere here." He pointed into the pile where the diadem had fallen. "Look for it while I go and help R—"
"HARRY!" Hermione screeched, pointing.
Lucy and Harry whipped their heads around to see Ron and Crabbe running back towards them.
"Like it hot, scum?" Crabbe taunted.
Lucy could see that behind him, flames were sprouting up, consuming the items in the room. Crabbe waved his wand at the fire, but he couldn't stop it; whatever he'd done, it was now out of control.
"Aguamenti!" Harry shouted, but the water that came out of his wand evaporated before it even reached the flames.
"RUN!"
Crabbe streaked ahead of them, looking petrified at what he had done. Malfoy was dragging the Stunned Goyle along, and Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione ran after them. The flames were spreading quickly, engulfing everything around them. Soon, the fire was twisting into shapes—flaming beast like serpents, chimaeras, and dragons swooped after them.
Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione kept running; Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had disappeared. Then, the Gryffindors had to stop—the flames had them surrounded.
"What can we do?" Hermione asked. "What can we do?"
"Here!" Harry shouted. He had found a couple of brooms. He tossed one at Ron, who caught it, and then another at Lucy, who quickly mounted it. Then Harry grabbed one for himself. Hermione got onto the back of Ron's broom, and they kicked off into the air.
The fire-beasts continued to swirl around them, and the smoke was starting to choke them. Lucy could feel herself begin to sweat at the heat the fire was producing. Harry led the way, flying low, as though he was looking for something.
"Harry, let's get out!" Ron shouted. "Let's get out!"
But then they could hear screaming. Harry wheeled about in the air, looking for the source of it.
"It's—too—dangerous!" Ron insisted.
Harry didn't listen. He zoomed across the room to where the shouts were coming from. Lucy hurried to follow him, and they found Malfoy and Goyle—who was still unconscious—on top of a mountain of desks. The whole pile was swaying dangerously.
Harry dove towards them and attempted to grab Malfoy, but it was no good. Malfoy's hand slipped right through Harry's.
"IF WE DIE FOR THEM, I'LL KILL YOU, HARRY!" Ron bellowed.
"RON!" Lucy snapped. "Help me get Goyle onto my broom!"
Ron and Hermione dove towards Goyle with Lucy, and they were able to pull the limp body onto Lucy's broom. She and Ron pulled their brooms up into the air. Lucy paused, watching at Harry dove once more. Malfoy managed to get onto the broom this time around, and Harry flew into the air to join his friends.
Ron and Hermione shot towards the door, which they could barely see through the smoke. Lucy followed right behind them, trying her hardest to make sure that Goyle remained on her broom. She heard Malfoy screaming something behind her, but she didn't turn around.
Hermione pointed her wand at the door, and it burst open. Ron steered their broom through the door and out into the corridor. Lucy was right behind them, pulling up before she could crash into the wall across from the Room of Requirement's door. As Ron and Hermione toppled off their broom, Lucy gently landed and pushed Goyle unceremoniously onto the floor. Then she also got off her broom, dropped it, and sunk down onto her knees.
"Where's Harry?" she panted. "Where is he?"
A moment later, Harry and Malfoy shot out of the door and crashed right into the wall. As they fell to the floor, the door to the Room of Requirement shut and disappeared.
"C-Crabbe," Malfoy croaked. "C-Crabbe…"
"He's dead," Ron spat.
There was silence as they all tried to catch their breath. The castle quaked around them, and a group of ghosts—the Headless Hunt—galloped by on their ghost steeds.
Harry stood up, looking around them. "Where's Ginny? She was here. She was supposed to be going back into the Room of Requirement."
"Blimey—d'you reckon it'll still work after that fire?" Ron wondered. He stood up, as well, rubbing at his chest. "Shall we split up and look—?"
"No," Hermione said immediately, accepting Ron's hand; he hauled her to her feet. "Let's stick together. I say we go—Harry, what's that on your arm?"
"What?" Harry asked, distracted. He looked down at his arm, where something was hanging. "Oh, yeah…" He slid the item down his wrist and held it up. It was the diadem—or, at least, what was left of the diadem. Then, suddenly, it shuddered in Harry's hand and burst apart.
"It must have been Fiendfyre!" Hermione gasped.
"Sorry?" Harry asked.
"Fiendfyre—cursed fire," Hermione explained. "It's one of the substances that destroys Horcruxes, but I would never, ever have dared to use it. It's so dangerous—how did Crabbe know how to—?"
"Must've learned it from the Carrows," Lucy said with a shrug. She'd heard the stories about how Crabbe and Goyle had been favorites of the Death Eater professors.
"Shame he wasn't concentrating when they mentioned how to stop it, really," Ron said dryly. "If he hadn't tried to kill us all, I'd be quite sorry he was dead."
"But don't you realize?" Hermione whispered. "This means if we can just get the snake—"
She stopped as they heard yelling. They looked around to see a pair of Death Eaters running past the corridor; they had made it into the school.
"Shit," Harry hissed.
"They're here," Lucy breathed. "They've breached the castle." She looked over at her friends. "I've got to go and help the others—"
"But—"
"No, go and find the other Horcrux," Lucy said. "You've come this far without me—go, now." She looked at Harry, who was watching her carefully.
After a moment, their staring contest was broken by Harry nodding at her. Lucy nodded back, and then she took off down the corridor. Names kept flashing across her mind—Jeremy, Sally-Anne, Ginny, Neville. She had to at least find one of them to make sure that they were okay—that they were still fighting.
~LJ:TW~
A/N: See, Lucy didn't get to miss all the Horcrux hunting. Ha.