Chapter 59
The Quest for the Diadem
Harry
We received no prophecy for this quest which was good as we had just eaten and nobody wanted to watch Rachel vomit, nor did we screw around with appointing a quest leader or members of the quest. Instead we all went, every member of the staff, Order, DA1, DA2 and the Americans all went in mass. Sirius and Dumbledore were able to lead us right to it and Sirius was able to open it up. It was like the warehouse at the end of Indiana Jones, stacked full of junk and seemingly going on for miles. The members of the Order and professors from Hogwarts began a long, slow trip down memory lane, picking up and examining items they remembered from years ago. Snape found his old potions book and told us of a particularly violent spell he had written in his youth. The Americans quietly programmed it into their wands and kept going.
DA1 and 2 made better progress. Hermione quickly saw the vanishing cabinet and it looked like a cabinet I had seen at Borgin and Burkes years before. Percy, anxious to try the new spell Snape provided, shot the back out of it and knocked over a couple of large piles of chairs and desks, while Hermione merely placed an aura of protection across the front, the idea being that if anyone did enter it they would be stuck there.
Leo attempted to detect magic and detect curses as he had at Gringotts only to find that about half the stuff in there was magical, although fortunately less was cursed. Still there were enough cursed items to make it impossible to locate the diadem this way and we warned all not to touch anything until it had been checked.
Hazel was also frustrated when she attempted to detect precious stones and metals as the place had more than its share of those as well. Hermione, Ron and Annabeth all tried to accio the diadem with no success. I could sense that it was there, but I couldn't say where. So I slowly walked the aisles and tried to concentrate on the sensation it gave me to be around a horcrux. It was like they were speaking or even singing to me, but I didn't really hear it so much as felt it.
I had walked a good hundred meters in or so when something about a plaster bust called its attention to me. I looked at it, but there was no diadem. Still I felt quite strongly that this was the place. I studied the bust for a minute or two but there was nothing special about it. I think it was Roman and was about to ask Reyna who it was when I noticed a walnut or ebony box it had been sitting on and felt compelled to open it.
Inside was a crown with diamonds and huge purple stones, sapphires maybe, I'm not a gemologist. but I knew at once from my time in Voldemort's head what I was looking at.
"Found it!" I shouted and everyone came to my voice.
"So that's a diadem." Seamus said. "Who is gonna kill it?"
"I was thinking Nico. I don't think he has killed one yet, and, well, it feels right. Its an affront to his dad after all." I said as Percy nodded and handed Nico a basilisk fang.
"Thanks. I would be honored" was all Nico said before driving the fang into the center of the metal work, just below the largest sapphire.
As soon as it hit the crown released an awful wail, like someone dying in agony, and dark energy poured forth almost knocking us all down. A maelstrom of junk and rubbish was swept up by it and swirled around us but Dumbledore cast a protection charm that deflected it all and left another smashed pile of junk. Just when we thought it was over, two towers of stacked chairs and desks began to tumble down upon us and we barely got out of the way. McGonagall helped by casting a protection charm over us, and Jason brought forth winds to deflect the stuff away. All in all we left the room of requirement in far worse shape than we had found it, and we all took a certain pride in that I think.
We were in a jubilant mood as we walked back out, the American's all trying out Snape's spell on piles of rubbish and stating admiration for both its effect and its creator when Snape stopped suddenly at the doorway, rolled up his sleeve and revealed the the dark mark tattoo on his inner forearm was moving.
"The dark lord has awakened and is summoning his followers." He said dryly.
"You must go. Remove this from your memory, return when you can."
"The dark lord cannot penetrate my mind, we are safe in so far as that. However Headmaster, you told me months ago that I should tell you when, and I believe, no, I insist, this is the time. He must know now." Snape then looked at me, leaned to my ear and whispered "You have your mother's eyes" and then looked around at everyone and said "It is a pleasure serving with you. Difficult days await us, some may not live. If I fall, know it was proudly in your service. If you fall, know that you each have my profound respect... and" as he choked up, "love."
"We'll get through it. I owe you a rematch." Percy said, which caused Snape to grin.
"Indeed you do. Wand vs wand. I look forward to it."
And with that Snape left us, rushing down the stairs to the main lobby and outside to apparate away.
"Everyone should return to your classes now, except Mr Potter, Ronald and Ginny Weasley, Miss Grainger, Miss Lavesque, Mr DeAngelo, Miss Chase and Mr Jackson. I ask that you all come with me."
No one had any idea what this was about, but Hazel had Leo and Frank man the astronomy tower as look outs sent word to Bob that death eaters might begin apparating in at anytime now.
Dumbledore, Lupin and Sirius led us in silence to his office and sealed the door behind him. He had me sit, told me I could have everyone else leave if I liked, but that he saw these fellow students and Americans my "praetorian guard" who would gladly sacrifice themselves to save me, and so it was, he felt important that they hear what he must now tell me. I had seen Dumbledore serious before, but not like this. Lupin and Sirius were equally stone faced, and all seemed on the verge of tears. By the end of the discussion, everyone would be and had I known that I would have sent them all away.
"Harry, lets talk about Godric's Hollow, the night your parents were murdered, the night you got your scar..." And then, with the help of Remus and Sirius, he told me everything I needed to know. That they had a plan wasn't particularly reassuring, even if it did fit with the prophecy and even with Nico's belief that it would work. A plan that had me dead, or even mostly dead, wasn't a plan I cared for.
That said, if Jennifer couldn't separate the fragment of Voldemort from me, even though she spent two hours trying while everyone thought I was having trouble returning from attacking his mind, then it was unlikely anything short of death would. Everyone got weepy, and angry and we spent the afternoon consoling one another. I was more in shock than anything, but the more I thought about it the better I felt. If Nico couldn't help me come back then at least Voldemort could be contained, if not killed, and sent to wherever the Americans were sending the death eaters to. Nico assured me though that he would probably be unable to, but that he felt certain that I was the "Master of Death" as foretold by some wizards children's fable and that if I did die, I might tarry about and if so he could assist. Well, that lacked the gravitas to be reassuring frankly. Apparently to achieve this honor, one had to control three "hallows" given by Death, or more accurately "Hades" and "not Thanatos" but for the purposes of children's fables apparently the difference was insignificant. The three hallows were the cloak of invisibility that had been my fathers, the stone in the ring that had also been a horcrux, and Dumbledore's wand.
I had to be the master of each, and the cloak was a given. I became the master of it when my father died and it was passed on to me. Dumbledore assured me that I was the true master now of what he called "The Elder Wand" although I don't recall having earned it by taking it in battle, though Dumbledore said he would explain this but was interrupted by someone, Annabeth I think, asking about the cloak. Finally the stone I had to merely use by turning it over in my hand three times and summoning someone who had died. I decided to wait until I was alone as I the only people I could think to summon were my parents, and I didn't want to share that.
In the end I assured everyone that it was alright, that I felt I had a pretty good chance of living through it, and that they should concentrate on defending the castle, destroying Voldemort's followers and killing the snake. I rose to leave when Ginny asked, nearly shouting with tears of impotent rage flooding her eyes "How do we know Harry is the master of the wand? He has never defeated you! This is going to..." and with that she collapsed onto me in tears.
"No, he has never defeated me. Only once have I been defeated, and that from a most unexpected person. Weeks ago Miss McLean, Piper, took my wand from me without casting a single spell. In fact, she disarmed myself, Sirius, Remus, Severus and Molly if I recall correctly, by using her voice to demand we surrender our wands. And so compelling was her voice, we all did. From that moment on, she has been the master of the Elder Wand."
"Until Harry cheated at Capture the Flag." Percy said. "You disarmed Piper to take both her wand and the flag. Dumbledore put you up to that."
"No, I did. That is when the loyalty of the wand changed to Harry, though he never knew it." Nico said. "I sensed it as it happened. I'm sorry Percy, it was necessary in order for Harry to become the Master of Death. The last mortal Master as I have promised my father."
"I have but one question." Percy said after a long silence.
"What is that?" Dumbledore asked.
"Can we trust a guy with that much power that cheats at Capture the Flag?" Percy giggled.
"If you like we can give it to the guy that cheats at Quidditch but I dont' think he can kill Voldemort with it!" I laughed. Everyone giggled nervously, but no one but Percy really joined me.
"Harry, if you want to talk" Sirius started to say but I interrupted.
"Not right now. Right now, I think I'd like to go to the lake, with Ginny, Ron and Hermione and just.. be together if that is okay."
"Of course." Dumbledore replied for everyone as Ginny rose to leave with me.
"And if Percy, Annabeth, Leo and Hazel wanted to drop by I'd like that too. Oh and everyone else too. But at first..."
"We understand" Remus said, and it was pretty clear they did.
Ginny and I didn't talk a lot. She talked about how it was unfair, but we both knew life wasn't fair. She was scared I couldn't come back, and frankly so was I, but I tried to reassure her that between Dumbledore and Nico surely they were right. Still, though we didn't talk much, we cried a lot, told each other we loved one another, a lot, and generally shared our misery. Our friends came by in small groups and were kind enough to wait until we were all cried out.
"Hey, wanna talk about it? I, well, I've been there. I guess I'm the only one that can really imagine what you're feeling right now." Leo said when he and Jennifer arrived.
"Harry, I'm so sorry I could not separate you, I tired every thing I could think of, every curse removal spell and magic I ever learned. I... I'm sorry. If I could take your place..."
"I wouldn't let you. Voldmort and me, we started this together, we'll end it together. You guys just make sure you kill the snake. I'm going to come back. If Leo can, well, I can." I smiled as best I could.
"Yeah, I don't doubt that but... well, I should tell you. Dying is easy. Waking up from dying, well that hurts. A lot!." He laughed.
"Oh! You slept through it!" Jennifer said. "Don't let him scare you Harry, he was burned by a onager loaded with imperial gold and attacked by a primordial god. You... well I guess... well there really is no good way. I'm sorry I couldn't do more." Jennifer cried right along with Ginny.
"Girls, its going to be alright. The prophecy says one who dies like Leo, well, Leo is here. So to die like him, I have to come back, right?"
"Yes" Jennifer blubbered.
"Now come on. Goddesses don't cry and neither do demi gods, even adopted ones." I said as Leo grinned.
"I can cry if I want to!" Ginny demanded. Even in her anger and rage it was clear she was more and more the daughter of Aphrodite. She was so beautiful.
"Yeah, okay. But guys, its getting close. Soon all this will be over. Voldemort will be dead. The worlds of magicians and demigods will be safe. We'll begin lives free from all of this war nonsense. We will beat the dark side, we're better than them. And even if I couldn't come back, it would be worth it, just to know you were all safe. Remember the plan, kill the snake and if I don't come back, take his wand and memories then send his ass to Ogeege... however you say that. That island you've been sending the death eaters to."
We talked and wept all afternoon and evening. What do you say to your friends when you know you might not see them again? Frank and Reyna drilled the defense of the castle and our plan of battle, Leo and Percy got a plan together for Draco and his mother. Drilling would have been nice but everytime I suggested that we might benefit from it everyone told me to take the evening and reflect and hangout with Ginny, Sirius, Hermione and Ron. I finally convinced them to run one drill and it was clear we were as ready as we could be. I was held back with Ron and Hermione, as well as the Order. Once we were in play, Neville, Ginny, Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Nico Jason and Frank would join us. With that crew I was wondering if Voldemort would actually be able to kill me, but the plan was to let him, then during whatever time I was out, the rest would be constantly pounding him. They couldnt' kill him, but they could make him suffer and wish he were dead.
Our evening roundtable was somber, even Leo wasn't cracking jokes, and we all knocked off early. Ginny refused to be apart from me for even a minute, and her brothers looked the other way when we went off to bed, in the direction of my room. Afterwards Ginny finally slept, and I summoned my parents who told me they were proud of me and that I was "so brave." It was clear they were uncomfortable in the realm of the living, so I let them go after telling them I loved them too. I finally fell asleep with Ginny in my arms sometime in the middle of the night. She had cried all she could.
"Your army has doubt. They sense it within you. You cannot lead them if they doubt your ability to do so." The twenty foot tall guy on the throne surrounded by lightening said.
"Is this a dream?" I said as I looked around the brightly lit room.
"No, this is Olympus, I am your father, Zeus. Harry Potter, we, the gods, do not interfere in the lives of mortals. We send our children, our heros. I most of all do not interfere. Only the importance of this battle and your lack of experience with hero's responsibilities has caused me to do so. The war's outcome hangs on a precipice. Surrender to your doubt and your army will doubt with you. They will be overwhelmed and destroyed by an army much larger. Surrender to your destiny and glory will follow. Victory will be yours. In over a thousand years my brother has ensured that no one could hold the title "Master of Death." Because it is our will, you hold it now. You alone are worthy, for you alone both have the need have it, and lack the desire to use it. But wield it you will. If you do not surrender to doubt. The prophecy said that only the Dark Lord could defeat you, and only you could defeat him. We are all bound by it once the fates have spoken. I add to that now. As you are now the master of death, only you can defeat yourself. Only you can lead your army to ruin. You are the son of fallen heros. You are my adopted. You cannot lose unless it is by your own doubt, hesitation and fear. Remember that and cast them aside. Tomorrow when you rise, take charge of your army and lead them to glory! You will face a confident enemy and you will break them."
And then I was awake.
"What is it Harry? Ginny asked, startled awake by my sudden rising I suppose.
"Its going to work."
"You can't know that" she started to weep again.
"No. Cut that out. Its... You're... its going to work. Get rid of any doubt you have. And... yes, I do know it. I just got a visit from Zeus. We've got to get our act together. The army is looking to us for leadership and all they see is us crying. We've got to stop that." I said as I reached for my wand.
"What are you doing?"
"Sending a patronus to Hazel, I don't, well it seems rude to knock at this hour."
"So you're going to send a ghost deer instead?"
"Uhhh, yeah, you're right. What time is it?"
"I don't know, about midnight I guess."
"Come on, lets go. There is always someone in the study room this time of night lately."
We threw on bathrobes and went straight away. Sure enough, Reyna, Frank, Percy, Annabeth and Hazel were there, all red eyed and weepy as we strode into the room as boldly as I could.
"Hey Harry, we were just going over defense plans one more..." Frank started to say.
"No you weren't. You were pretending to so you could distract yourself from feeling sorry for me. Cut it out. That ends now. Our army is looking to us to lead them. If we have doubts, so do they. Now, where do you have me in the plan again?"
"You're right, but allow us some humanity." Annabeth said after a long silence. "We've all lost friends before, we just didn't know it was going to happen in advance."
"Unless you're immortal you're going to die someday. We all know that in advance, about ourselves and each other. But know this, I'm not going to die in this battle. I am the master of death. This need not leave the room, I'll tell the people I want to know, but I just got a visit from my adoptive father and he pointed out what an emo pussy I've been. Oh, and all of you too. So stop it. Fear ends now. Now, where am I in your defense plan again?"
They all looked around at each other, still trying to hide weepiness, until Reyna nodded at Frank.
"Well, the general idea is for us to isolate Voldemort and his closest followers on the battlefield, after we've destroyed his army, and fly you and our best fighters to finish them. You would basically be waiting until then." Frank said.
"No, that won 't do. My army needs to see me fighting, you know this. Look, the biggest approach is across the field and Leo, Slughorn and the archers have that covered. The wooden bridge will get dropped and those routed to the same fate as their friends charging across the field from the woods. Our biggest problem is the stone bridge. Assuming he sends his giants first, and that's what you claim he will do, and Leo's mines take them out, you're going to have to send infantry across to meet up with the rest of his human followers."
"Yes, that is planned. So what?"
"So when they get to the other end they are going to be pressed to expand on a broader front. You need some guys that can move fast cause a lot of damage on the flanks so the infantry can engage the middle right?"
"We have Annabeth, Jason, Percy and Frank for that" Reyna smiled, "But Harry, its good to see you thinking all this through. I may make a strategist out of you yet."
"Yeah, well you have me, Ron and Herminone on the other side. And since Nico is going to be guarding me you have him too. I guess Will is with the archers? Then bring Ginny's airborne in from their rear. She'll bring Neville and we can close from all sides then. Oh, and lets put you Reyna, Slughorn and Colin in charge of the mine fields and coordinating communications, at least until the death eaters in the open field are under the archers. It's stupid to waste Leo and a fire breathing dragon, especially if Voldemort summons the spiders from the woods. After the ones crossing the fields are dealt with Hazel and Arion can charge in for clean up on the bridge. Reyna, you and Skippy coordinate everything from the air and join us for the final kill. We can't waste you either."
"That makes sense as far as Hazel, myself, Leo and Festus go, but no. You have to face Voldemort. You are too"
"Valuable? I'm no more valuable than any of you. Ron can cast spells as fast as anyone except maybe Leo. His damage isn't as great as you guys or Neville, but he hits twenty times harder than anyone on the other side. And Hermione has"
"A shotgun, and even if her spells are slow, they are devastating. But you are still too valuable, what if you got killed there?" Reyna said.
"Third law of prophecy. I can't be killed there." I said to blank stares from everyone.
"What?" Leo asked.
"Only I can kill Voldemort. The part of it you're forgetting is that only Voldemort can kill me. 'Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.' That means only he can kill me, and if he is there at the bridge, fine we'll fight then. But if he isn't, then I'm safer there than any of you. And I won't have my friends dying for me while I watch for the right time to fight. That is what a coward would do, what Voldemort would do. The right time for me to fight is before my friends fall. The right place is out front where my army, the Hogwarts students, Dumbledore's Army, whatever you call us, can see me."
Everyone looked around the room at each other and reached a quiet consensus that I was right.
"Harry, the day we met I told you I would be proud to fight beside you. Now... do you want the left or the right flank?" Percy smiled.
"Doesn't matter. Either way I'll get to the middle before a guy that cheats at quidditch." I smiled.
"Right, but Harry... I don't play quidditch." Percy grinned.
