Her mind as fast and brilliant as always, Hermione reacted the moment they were alone. Her wand flicked with a sharp gesture as she placed silencing charms around them to give them the privacy that they were craving. Their desire, fuelled by their stress and their desperation for comfort, was a force to be reckoned with. Harry grabbed Hermione around the waist and spun her around, pushing her against the chair behind her. Her breath was hot on his face, her hands crawling up under his jumper and shirt. The contact had his head spinning at once.
While Hermione's mind was fast and brilliant, Harry's was focused on one thing. Hermione. He needed her lips on his. He felt like she was a glass of water waiting for him after days of thirst, quenching him with the promise of life.
His kiss was firm, provocative, and unashamedly naughty. He felt giddy as his tongue made its exploration in Hermione's waiting mouth, tasting, touching and relishing the desperate moment, stealing the seconds of selfish pleasure so he could have them for himself.
Hermione's hands came up to his pectorals. He felt her smile under his lips and her fingers pinched his left nipple.
"Ow!" He drew back, coming up for air to indignantly scowl at his girlfriend.
"Big baby," Hermione responded, eyes ignited with a mischief that made him thrum with passion. He pouted at her.
"You're a bloody vixen," Harry said.
"Does that make you a fox?" She asked, smiling. "Or rather… 'foxy'."
He laughed. "Well, no one's ever called me that before."
They kissed again, but this time their blood had cooled and it shifted from desire to intimacy. Their touches changed from hard and desperate to soft and caring. Their sighs released the stress and fear coiled up inside them at the rediscovery of how, no matter what happened, they would not be alone and always have each other.
Time lost meaning as the world shrunk down, leaving them both alone in it. But, as happens with all good things, it didn't last.
They returned to reality with the loud bang of a door being slammed shut.
"Neville! What's going on?" Ginny demanded at once. "Malfoy's missing and you're… you're…" There was a second of silence. "Why is there a tent in here?"
Both Harry and Hermione had frozen mid kiss. They didn't move save for the rise and fall of their chests as they breathed deeply, holding each other tightly.
"W-wait… just wait here a moment," Neville's voice was slightly panicked.
"This is new," Luna's voice then entered. At her voice, Harry thawed and drew back from Hermione, pulling his jumper down over his exposed midriff.
"That was sooner than I thought," Hermione said quietly. Harry's eyes met hers and, the moment his eyes latched onto hers, he kissed her, claiming her lips with his, relishing in the feel of her and the shocked breath that gusted into his mouth.
They parted, staring at each other as they listened.
"The tent isn't part of the Room," Neville was explaining, "it's… well… we sort of have guests. They're why the school was in lockdown… and why Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle are missing."
Hermione put her hand on Harry's arm, lending him her support.
"She'll hear you out," she told him, "and I think it's me that she'll be angry with, not you."
"I'm pretty sure I'm the one going to get the full bat-bogey experience."
"Defend yourself," Hermione said, her eyes hardening, "honestly, Harry, stop acting like the guilty party. It's not like you were betrothed or whatever. You broke up with her. You made no promises."
He sighed and while he knew she was right, he also knew that Ginny did hold onto the hope that they would be together. She was the dreamer, always looking forwards, whereas Harry was firmly stuck in his present, his dreams full of only nightmares. Hermione was his solace in his waking world.
"Did Harry not know that the Room could make him a bed too?" Luna's voice drifted through the canvas. Harry stiffened at the mention of his name.
"Harry?" Ginny repeated his name. There was a flurry of movement outside the tent.
"Wait, Ginny," Neville said firmly, "just… wait. Please. All will be explained. Just… let me warn them and then come in."
"I think we should help Neville before he gets himself hexed," Harry said quietly. He gripped Hermione's hands in his.
Neville peeked his head through the canvas flap and they turned, seeing the question on his face before he asked it. Harry approached, moving over to the sitting area where the flames were softly flickering in their bow. He took the map and stuffed it in his pocket. He checked the two wands in his belt.
"Ready?" Neville asked them.
"Uh, yeah," Harry said and Neville withdrew. He looked over to Hermione and led the way, to receive their guests. He felt more on edge than he had been with Malfoy's wand trained on him. He wished he was hiding under his Invisibility Cloak.
What is wrong with me? Our lives are on the line and I'm stressing about having an argument? Pull yourself together, Potter!
The mental chastisement helped his confidence and his back straightened, reigniting his purpose. He needed to step back into the shoes of The Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, the one tasked with an impossible mission to take down the most powerful wizard in existence. He had his quiet moment where he could be himself, but now was time to get back to work. His own pursuit for peace and happiness was on standby.
He stopped as Neville returned. Behind him, a blonde-haired girl followed, swiftly joined by a very familiar sight of vibrant red locks. Immediately the two saw him and Hermione. Before Harry could speak, there was a flash of red and soon he had arms wrapped tightly around him, hugged with so much force, he was winded.
"Harry! "
His back stiffened, his chest squeezing as it did whenever he was socially awkward. The arms around him released him immediately, sensing his discomfort. Ginny stepped back, her hazel eyes wide as she took him in, taking in his appearance. He caught her gaze flicking up to his scar, now on full display with his new haircut. She then caught sight of Hermione and gave another shriek, going to hug her as well. Harry saw Luna hovering, not sure how to react, so she instead moved closer to Neville, her large eyes shocked.
"Hi Gin," Hermione said softly, catching Harry's eye.
"Merlin's Arse, it's good to see you!" Ginny exclaimed, staggering back. Her shocked gaze went at once to look for her brother. She rolled her eyes. "Where's Ron? On the loo?"
Harry stepped up to Ginny, putting a hand on her shoulder. He glanced over to Neville.
"I… we… have a lot of explaining to do and time isn't really on our side," he said to her, "so… in short, Ron's not here but he's safe, with Bill and Fleur."
Ginny was shocked. Her eyes explored his face, searching for the hint for when he would crack a smile and say that it was all a joke.
"It's just me and Hermione," he continued, "and we did come here with Dobby, but things didn't exactly go to plan and we bumped into Moaning Myrtle, who then told Malfoy where we were." He started to speak quickly, desperate to cover as much as he could so they could focus on the more urgent matters. "We got the upper hand and got away, but with the lockdown in effect, we couldn't leave the same way we got here so… well… we're a bit stranded."
"Just a bit," Hermione said with a shaky smile. She stepped up to Ginny, moving to Harry's side. "We need some help getting out of the school before Snape or the Carrows find Malfoy and learn about our presence. Especially Harry's."
Ginny looked at them both, silent, clearly going over Harry's extremely abridged version of events. Harry refrained from looking over at Hermione and instead, he decided to involve Neville and Luna in the conversation, hoping to make it clear that this was more important than a reunion between friends. And ex-partners.
"Hi Luna, it's nice to see you as me this time… not disguised as a muggle," he said with a wistful smile. Luna shared his smile and approached. He noticed that she now had completely foregone her eclectic choice of jewellry and her long blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail. Harry saw that she had chosen to stick her wand through it.
"Yes, you definitely suit being you," Luna said, then smiled warmly over at Hermione. "I am curious how you managed to slip into the school. Is there a passageway we don't know about?"
Harry shook his head. "Nope. Dobby brought us in, but he couldn't apparate out of the school while the lockdown was in effect. We could go down to the kitchens and find him…" Harry said thoughtfully, looking over to Hermione, "if he's even still there."
"He likely has returned to the Hog's Head," Hermione said. "Besides, Dobby showing up in the kitchens isn't suspicious if he's already been doing it to see Winky. Us on the other hand… not so much."
"Good point," Harry said, shoulders drooping. "I don't fancy getting ambushed by angry house elves again." He recalled an episode when Hermione had tried to rally the house elves into a revolution and they were firmly ejected from the kitchens.
"Wait, can we just slow down for a second?" Ginny protested, pinching the bridge of her nose. Harry took a moment to check her over. Unlike Neville, she hadn't appeared to be suffering any effects from the Cruciatus Curse. She seemed uninjured and unscathed, but he could see the effects of severe stress. There were dark bags under her eyes as if she hadn't had a decent night's sleep in a while. Other than that, she seemed just the same as she had been when he saw her last. At the wedding… when he had danced with her and on the day before, on his birthday, when they kissed…
She stepped up to him and for a moment, he thought that she was going to kiss him. The hard, blazing look that had once electrified him was back on her face, her hazel eyes appearing almost like amber.
"So… you planned to sneak in and out of the school and didn't once think that maybe we would like to see you? That it might give everyone hope to know you're alive ?"
Harry felt as if an ice cube dropped down his back. He hadn't expected the sparks to fly so soon into their reunion.
"I can hardly show up and give inspiring speeches, Gin." It was absolutely the wrong thing to say but his sarcastic tongue was waggling before he could control it.
"Of course, it would be too taxing for you to take time out of your busy schedule." There it was, the bitter edge to her voice that he had been dreading. "But do you have any idea how much it would mean to everyone to see you? To me?"
"Ginny-." Neville moved to help but Harry shot him a look over Ginny's shoulder, warning him off.
"Do you even think about us here while you're on your personal crusade? Do you care that our entire way of life is under the control of Death Eaters? That every day, we face the threat of being tortured or worse. And all the while, you're hiding in this tent or sneaking around the school on your 'oh-so-secret' mission."
Harry clenched his hands into fists, holding himself under control. Lashing out in retaliation was what got her brother to leave in the first place. He couldn't make that mistake again. A very weighted and unpleasant silence fell.
Hermione moved up to Ginny, her face stony,
"For your information, Harry has not been hiding. He has been hunting and that's all I can say. We're striking from the shadows because, unlike you, there are arrest warrants with our names on them. I have a one-way ticket to Azkaban waiting for me and Harry…"
Harry gave a bitter laugh from behind Hermione. "No Azkaban for me. Likely lots of torture in front of all the Death Eaters and a very humiliating execution at the hands of Vol- you-know-who himself."
His ex-girlfriend's eyes had lost some of their righteous fire, regarding him cautiously, as if expecting him to shout or blow up at her. He took her verbal punches on the chin. He understood why she was upset that he hadn't wanted to involve her or the others, he would have felt the same way in her position, but he needed her to understand the reality of war. Ignorance and recklessness were no excuses, not when the stakes were as high as they were
He gathered his thoughts, reining in his temper and let out a breath.
"Look, I know you're angry with me for my secrecy, but what I'm up to, what we're up to," he gestured over to Hermione, "no one can know about it. If word gets out to him, I might as well hand myself over because I would lose my only chance of defeating him."
"That's what you're up to," Ginny said quietly, "you're going after him."
"In a manner of speaking, yeah," Harry felt a bubble of relief now that her voice had lost its icy edge, "we… um… needed basilisk venom and the only place we knew of that would definitely have it is-."
"The Chamber of Secrets," Ginny's eyes were wide, blood draining from her face at the mention of the place.
"Right," Harry glanced over at Hermione, seeing her anxious expression. They were wasting time. "Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle are currently down there where we left them, but it's only a matter of time before they're discovered. Either because they find the chamber open or Myrtle tells them… though if she does, she'll tell them about me." His shoulders dropped. "Either way, we need to get out of here fast." He looked over to Neville. "And we need your help."
Neville approached, Luna joining him to stand at Ginny's side.
"What do you need, Harry?" Luna asked him at once. He felt a surge of gratitude towards Luna for her immediate trust and willingness to help. No other questions asked. He needed help and she was ready to help him. Her loyalty was remarkable.
He drew out the map from his pocket. Ginny's eyes widened in recognition. He checked it, seeing students still in the great hall, finishing their supper.
"Ideas… anything really…" He said as he studied the map. "I know that the passageways out of the school are out of the question which leaves us with having to somehow break out of the castle without being seen."
He saw the Carrows were in the Great Hall but Snape was absent. Dread filled his gut as he went to search for his name.
"The Entrance Hall is locked at night," Neville said, "and the other exits are as well… patrolled by dementors. For our 'safety'."
Panic was stirring back into action as Harry continued to look for Snape's name. Where is the greasy bastard?
"But do they open them up during the day?" Hermione asked, sounding aghast. "For class… or just general fresh air?"
"Yes but not until nine in the morning and I think by then Snape will have suspected that something is amiss with three Slytherins being missing all night… and our absence will likely be noticed as well," Luna supplied.
"Hmm… if it hasn't already," Neville said quietly. He met Harry's eye. "We are normally the prime suspects whenever something happens, usually because it is us. Trapping Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle underground does sound like something we would do."
"Oh no," Hermione gasped suddenly. Harry looked across at her sharply. Her eyes were wide and she turned to him at once. "Harry, the sink… we left it open."
"Yeah, I know, we didn't have time…"
"Yes, but who else could open it, Harry?" She put her hands on his shoulders. "If Snape goes there, he won't need Myrtle to tell him that you're in the school."
"He won't even need to see Malfoy… damn it," Harry turned from the group, panicking in earnest. He studied the map, looking for the girls' bathroom. Still, only Myrtle's name was in there. Snape hadn't discovered the condemning evidence, yet.
"Think… there's has to be a way out of the castle. It's not a prison…"
"You say that," Neville said, "but it is a prison. We're captives here. Valuable hostages to be used to control our families."
"We're the golden future," Ginny said bitterly, "the next generation of pure witches and wizards, untainted…" She glared down at her shoes. "They're trying to brainwash into their way of thinking, but it's not working, so they just terrorise us instead."
Harry shared a look with Hermione, chewing at his lip. Her look was understanding, knowing that he didn't want to leave the school in such a way, but what could they do? They had to leave before their presence was discovered.
"There has to be a way out. Through a window at least," Harry burst out, now infuriated as well as panicked.
"They've all been charmed to not open until class," Luna said in response, bleakly. Harry's head was starting to spin. They couldn't wait until morning, there wasn't time!
"Well… what about blowing a bloody wall up? Not subtle, but it'll get the job done," he was starting to lose his composure. "Better yet, why not fly off the Astronomy Tower!"
Hermione gasped, hands going to her mouth. "That's it, Harry!" Her voice squeaked. "You can fly off there. You got in the school that way yourself last year!"
He stared at her and it clicked. He had flown with Dumbledore from Hogsmeade. Ginny was staring at Hermione, gobsmacked. She turned to Harry.
"Do you have your firebolt?" She asked him. He sighed sadly, shaking his head.
"No… I lost it when we fled Privet Drive," he said, chest stabbing with the loss of the broom Sirius had given him. He saw a flicker of sympathy in her hazel eyes.
"So you'll need brooms," she said, glancing over to Neville, who had twigged, "and then you could fly from the Astronomy Tower."
"We wouldn't be able to pass through the charms on a broom," Hermione said, "we would have to land and make our way outside the charms on foot before apparating." She brought her arms around her, looking across at Harry. "But it is a good idea."
Harry smirked a little at that. The last thing he needed to worry about was Hermione falling off a broom at a height. He sobered and studied the map. The Astronomy tower was at the other side of the castle and they would need to get hold of brooms. He looked up, thinking rapidly. How could they get their hands on brooms? He knew there were spares, the ones that were used for flying practice.
"Well… I'm struggling to think of anything else," he said, then looked over to Ginny. "Any ideas on us getting hold of a broom without anyone noticing?"
"There's Hooch's supply cupboard," she said and started to pace. "We could try to get the Room to provide you with one, but we've already noticed that when you take stuff out of the Room, it disappears. The magic only works where you're inside."
Harry recalled the place that the Room had created for him when he went to hide Snape's copy of Advanced Potion Making. Those things hadn't been created by the Room, they had been put in there for safe keeping.
Could there be brooms in there? He racked his head, trying to remember whether he saw any. He vaguely recalled a bust with a wig, but that wasn't exactly very helpful.
"Right, well… last year, I needed to hide something in here and the Room turned into this huge hall full of junk. There just may be brooms in there."
"We would have to leave here for the Room to change," Hermione said to him.
"Yeah… so that's the plan? We check in there for brooms, if we find some, we head to the Astronomy Tower, if we don't… we head to the supply cupboard and then to the Tower." Harry looked over to Neville. "What do you think? Unless either of you have a spare broom lying about that you don't mind me using."
Ginny leaned over the map, her hair falling in Harry's way.
"I could give you mine, head to the Common Room now, but it might look a bit suspicious if I'm seen carrying a broom through the castle at night."
"Ah, yeah… and I don't want to take your broom, Ginny," Harry said to her, "best to hold onto it in case you need to make a quick escape yourself."
He caught a brief look of hurt at him rejecting her offer. Hermione gave a soft gasp, looking over his shoulder at the map.
"Look, Harry, the Gryffindor Common Room. Snape is there," she said, pointing. Sure enough, there was Severus Snape joined with Minerve McGonagall. There were no other names. Harry shared a look with Neville. The other boy's face set into a look of determination.
"I guess that means he knows I'm absent then," Neville remarked casually.
"We should get moving," Harry said, looking at each face in turn. His gaze settled on Ginny, guilt stabbing through him. He looked over at Hermione. "Let's pack up and gear up."
She nodded, going to grab her beaded bag. Harry stepped up to Neville, handing him the map.
"Do you want to keep an eye on Snape and the Carrows? I'll help Hermione with putting away the tent. Plus I need to grab a few things." He looked at Ginny and Luna quickly. "Meet you outside?"
"We'll wait," Luna said, then smiled. "I like your home. It's very cozy. I'm relieved that you at least have somewhere warm to rest while being on the run."
She headed out of the tent, humming to herself as she did, wearing a large smile that warmed Harry despite the panic that he was feeling as he approached the moment when he would be putting more people he cared about in harm's way. Neville gave him a reassuring pat on the arm and grinned.
"We'll get you out of here, Harry. Us DA members look out for each other, after all," he said, then shot a worried look over to Ginny. Harry could see that she was lingering. He could feel that she had more to say to him, but if she was going to talk to him, she was going to have to do it while he worked on his inventory. Neville's shoulders slumped and he headed out after Luna.
Ginny looked up at Harry the moment Neville was gone.
"Harry, I-."
"I need to sort out my stuff," Harry interrupted. Ginny blinked at him. He gestured to his clothes. "Going to need a coat if I'm going flying. It'll be cold."
"Oh, right," she smiled but it didn't meet her eyes. He turned from her, spotting Hermione's glance in his direction. He strode into the bedroom, pushing the flap back.
He let out a harsh sigh and continued to his side of the room where he had his clothes now hanging from a transfigured wardrobe. As he approached it, he spotted the small, shrunken bed in the corner of the room and his heart sank a little.
Was I unfair to Ginny?
He shook himself and grabbed his black coat from the hanger, turning to leave, when he froze.
Ginny had followed him in. She wasn't looking at him, her hazel eyes instead transfixed on the main article of the room. Harry followed her gaze and saw what had made her so fixated.
The bed. Harry had put his and Hermione's beds together so they could sleep within reach. From the way that he had neatly made the bed and arranged their quilted blankets, it very much looked like a double bed. It was very obvious that they were sharing the bed, sleeping together. Hermione was fast on her trail, clearly working out before Harry why it would be bad for Ginny to see what was in the room.
Ginny spun around at the sound of Hermione's arrival, backing off, her eyes reproachful, wide, and hurt. She took another step, taking in Harry who was frozen in place. Then she looked over to where Harry had shrunken down Ron's bed and placed his belongings in his bag. Ginny's face crumpled in recognition of her brother's belongings.
"You… you're sleeping together?" She managed to speak, her voice pure ice. "Behind my brother's back?"
She turned her ire over to Hermione and her eyes burned with anger. Harry saw Ginny's jaw jutting out the way it did when she was livid.
"Your brother made his bed when he left us to die," Hermione hissed back, not backing down. Nor would she ever back down. Neither of the girls would. They were Gryffindors after all. "He left and expected me to do the same. I refused and chose to stay with Harry."
"So you could have him all to yourself?" Ginny sneered, squaring up to Hermione.
"Believe it or not, my loyalty to Harry is a lot deeper than some school-girl crush," Hermione held her ground, her own eyes now burning with anger at the accusation. "He's my best friend. My family. The only person that I have left. "
Even through the shock and horror of the situation, Harry's heart leapt at her calling him her family. It was enough to thaw him out and he stepped towards Ginny, keeping his hand near where the two wands were stowed in his belt.
"This isn't how I wanted you to find out," Harry said carefully, "and if we had time, I would explain, but we don't. For what it's worth, I'm sorry if this hurt you, if you… believed that there would be an 'us' and were holding onto that hope. I thought I made it clear when I ended things. I had very valid reasons."
"Reasons that apply to me and not her?" Ginny snapped, pointing her finger at Hermione, who just glared back. Harry sighed out of his nose. He just had to get it out in the open.
"I made my choice and moved on," Harry said, "I have a right to that and I made no promises to you. It was you who expected a second chance. You who thought a kiss would be the perfect birthday present after I broke up with you." He could see each word stabbing into Ginny, causing her pain. It wasn't what he wanted. He didn't want to cause her pain.
"I'm… truly sorry that I hurt you, Gin," he said quietly, "but we really are over and…" He looked across at Hermione, her gaze latching onto his, "Hermione and I are together now."
He broke eye contact with Hermione with great difficulty, moving over to Ron's tiny bed. He snatched up the bag that he had put next to it and carried it over to Ginny. Her eyes were sparkling with tears, but they didn't fall. He put the bag on the bed.
"Ron left this when he left. I suspect you'll see him at Christmas. He knows… it wasn't why he left," he confirmed, causing her wet hazel eyes to meet his green, "He left because the conditions got to him. We went a few days without food and he cracked."
A hard look entered Ginny's gaze for a second and she looked down, studying the bag. She ran her tongue over her teeth.
"He tracked us down and asked to come back but…" Harry sighed, crossing his arms as he too looked down at the bag. "He really said some shit and… leaving when we needed him the most. I couldn't forgive him, and then he found out about us and… well, his reaction was a lot more violent."
"He punched you?" Ginny asked, still staring down at the bag.
"Yeah, he punched me."
"Good."
Harry clenched his jaw, glancing over to Hermione. But then Ginny sighed. "I'm not going to lie and say that this is okay," she said, raising her head, her hazel eyes burning into his, "it's far from okay, but we have bigger problems. I'm hurt… no… I'm devastated, but…" She crouched down, picking up the bag, "I think I'm more angry at Ron. If he hadn't left you, then you wouldn't have been alone together."
She slung Ron's bag over her shoulder and slowly levelled a look at Hermione, her expression cold.
"You knew how I felt and you still-"
"Don't even try to lecture me," Hermione snapped out viciously, "Harry and I live each day like it's the last." She stepped up to Ginny. "You and Ron both have no idea what it is like for me and Harry. We have no family to go back to, no security… we have no choice but to live on the run. So yes, we took comfort in each other. We're trying to survive . And what we're trying to accomplish, what we are risking our lives for, is for you. "
Hermione fixed her with her fullest glare, then she looked over to Harry.
"Everything is secured. Take this outside so I can pack up the tent." Then she left them both in the room. Harry pulled his Invisibility Cloak loose from where he had stashed it. Ginny was staring after Hermione, not looking at Harry, not until he went to her to get her moving. Her hazel eyes were tearful.
"Come on, Gin. Neville and Luna are waiting."
It was just how Harry remembered. Towers and towers of assorted clutter loomed over the five of them, some so precarious, it was a marvel that they were still upright. Harry led them in, checking that they were following with a glance over his shoulder.
"Accio broom, " Hermione tried at once. They waited for a telltale whooshing of an approaching broom, but heard nothing.
"It's likely that the Room wards off attempts to summon," Luna said wisely, "this is a place to keep things hidden after all."
Harry grumbled at their additional bad luck. He turned to face them, noticing immediately how Ginny looked away, unable to look at him. He felt a stab of guilt. Pushing it aside with difficulty, he studied them as he thought of a plan.
"I guess we split up? We can cover more ground," he suggested, peeking up at the towers of junk. "Me and Hermione can take this side… um… send up red sparks if you find something I guess."
Not waiting to hear their responses, Harry set off at a brisk pace. He had slung his Invisibility Cloak over his shoulders so it was within immediate reach and tucked it into his collar. It fluttered behind him like an ethereal cape. If the fashion statement he was making was in any shape or form ridiculous, no one had mentioned it. Hermione was still fuming at Ginny, her anger smoldering in her eyes. Her movements were sharper, more violent than usual, as she tore her wand from her pocket and lit it up, searching the piles of hidden objects with her mouth set in a firm line. Harry did the same with his wand, his fingers brushing over the one he had stolen as he did.
"Why did you take Malfoy's wand?" Hermione asked him, turning in time to see him checking the other wand.
"I don't really know."
"It was good thinking," she remarked, "though Ollivander is Tom's captive. I expect he can make Malfoy a replacement."
"True, but it's still a big inconvenience," he said, throwing her a grin. To his great relief, she grinned back, her bad mood slipping away as they put some distance between her and the cause of her rage.
"Oh massive," she agreed, "just imagine his face when he realises that you took it with you."
They both laughed, enjoying the uplifting feeling as they did. Harry edged towards one tower, shaking his head in bafflement at the range of items he was searching through. There was a coat stand, a lamp, something that looked horribly like a basket full of shrunken heads. He thought he caught sight of a broomstick handle, but it was a rake. A rake? Sorting through hundreds of years' worth of bizarre possessions turned out to be oddly satisfying. Under different circumstances, he would have fooled around a bit more, but the threat of being soon discovered by Snape was keeping his behaviour under control. His marauder genes were firmly under check.
Coming to the far wall of the vast hall, Harry turned to Hermione, about to head down the next aisle when he heard a distant bang. Both of them spun around wildly, seeing in the distance brilliant red sparks lighting up the ceiling. Immediately, Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and tore off in a run in the direction of the spark. Hermione struggled to keep up with him, so he eased his pace back from a full-on sprint, not wanting to lose her in the maze of clutter.
Their feet drummed loudly on the flagstones as they headed to where the sparks were falling back down to earth. They could hear voices as they drew nearer. Harry realised that they were approaching where he had hidden the potions book. He stared down the aisle where the cupboard was that concealed the book, the cause of the rift that had formed between him and Hermione the year before.
Reaching the other three, they skidded to a halt. Neville was beaming over at them, holding a broomstick over his head. Ginny was testing another, hovering a few feet off the ground, She looked their way and flew over to them.
"They're ancient but they work," she reported, landing in front of them and dismounting. Her eyes were hard when they fell on Harry, but she stepped up to him, passing the broomstick over. Hermione walked past Ginny, joining Neville and Luna.
Harry watched her, then he mounted the broom himself. Travelling on a faulty broom, from the height of the Astronomy Tower, was suicide. He kicked off the ground, cloak flapping behind him. He kept his grip light as he looped around a couple of the towers, his hair ruffling. It was much slower than what he was used to, but then he flew a racing broom where speed was key. It responded well enough to be trustworthy. He descended, coming to land next to Luna. She didn't react to his sudden appearance, instead she was staring at a bust that Harry recognised. It was the very one that he had put a wig on and a tiara. He smirked and was about to confess that it had been his calling card when he last visited, when Luna gave a very uncharacteristic gasp of shock.
She approached the bust at once, losing her usual dreamy state as she turned focused, her wide eyes narrowing in recognition.
"What is it, Luna?" Neville asked, looking alarmed by her reaction. Ginny and Hermione drew around as Luna reached up for the tiara that Harry had perched on the bust last year.
"This looks a lot like the Diadem of Ravenclaw," she said in a breathy voice, "daddy is making his own replica so I know what it looks like from pictures. There's also a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw in the Common Room, wearing it."
Harry felt as if his heart had frozen in his chest at the pure shock and surprise of what Luna was saying. Disbelief numbed his extremities, watching Luna as his blood drained from his face.
The tiara was beautiful, the gemstones sparkling in the light of the room as Luna rolled it over in her hands.
"Look, it even has the inscription," she turned to the other four. Neville was bewildered, not understanding the significance. Ginny looked appreciatively at the beauty of the object. Hermione was as pale and shocked as Harry was as she, at the same time as Harry, saw engraved on the silver the words they had seen on the drawing in Bathilda's book.
Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.
"Luna…" Harry's voice was faint. "Are you… saying that… that is the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw?"
Her eyes lit up as Harry revealed his knowledge about the artifact. She smiled broadly at him.
"It's a very good replica if it's not, and these stones do seem real," she lifted the object to her eye, giving it a critical study.
"This is all very interesting, but aren't we supposed to be helping Harry and Hermione escape?" Ginny dryly pointed out. "Not look at tiaras."
Harry felt a spike of irritation at Ginny's tone and he met Hermione's gaze. He knew that if there was a chance that it was the real diadem, that Voldemort had put a piece of his soul in it and then hid it among all the other lost items of Hogwarts, he had to take the diadem with them. He stared at the diadem, willing his own wits to get to work.
"If that really is the lost diadem and it's been here the whole time, then we… we should take it somewhere safe," Harry said quickly, seeing Hermione thaw out her shock and look over at him. Luna frowned, clearly a little affronted at giving up an artifact belonging to the Founder of her House. He supposed he would feel the same way about the Sword, in fact, he did. But if it was a horcrux, it had already been polluted and Harry would have to destroy it. He didn't think Luna would take all too kindly to him vandalising the priceless object without having to explain why he had to.
"Daddy should be able to test its authenticity," she said quietly.
"Bathilda, Harry," Hermione said suddenly, "we can take it to Bathilda. She would be able to tell if it is authentic or not."
Luna looked over to Hermione, her eyes widening. "Bathilda? As in Bathilda Bagshot?"
Harry wanted to gather Hermione in his arms and kiss her for her brilliance.
"Yeah, we know Bathilda Bagshot. She used to visit me and my parents when I was a baby," he explained, "if it's real, it belongs with a Ravenclaw and she's a pretty well-known one."
"That she is," Luna said, nodding, and she handed it over to him. "Here, even if it's a replica, it's still very pretty."
Harry gave a soft, disbelieving laugh as he dropped the broom into the crook of his elbow and reached for the diadem. Hermione moved to his side, trying to hide her own shock so they didn't give away the significance of the discovery.
He smiled assuredly at Luna and took the diadem from her outstretched hand. It was heavier than he expected and the metal was uncommonly cold. Without appearing too suspicious, he handed it over to Hermione.
"We'll make sure it finds its way to safe hands, Luna…" Hermione said as she took it from him and went to stow it in the bag. Harry's heart was racing.
Don't get distracted. We need to get out of here first. Horcrux or not, it doesn't matter if we're dead.
The thought quelled his excitement very successfully. He cleared his throat and looked over to Neville, seeing the broom in his hands.
"Right, we've got the brooms. Good find. They should fine at getting us out."
Once Hermione had secured their find, she drew up to Harry's elbow. He met her gaze, her eyes wide, brows lifting meaningfully to communicate what she could say in front of Luna, Ginny and Neville.
It's a horcrux.
With the locket, they could feel something wrong about it. As if there was something living inside, like a small heartbeat. Harry thought he was imagining things until the others said that they had felt the same thing. Thankfully, they wouldn't be carrying the thing for long now that they had the means to destroy it if it was indeed a horcrux.
Before he could show or feel any hints of elation, he transferred the broom back to his hand.
"Come on. Let's get moving before its curfew," Harry said at once. Neville led the way and they all set off at a run. Harry drew to the back of the group, Hermione falling back in step with him as the other three moved ahead.
"Harry…" Hermione breathed his name out, "the diadem…"
"I know," he said to her, "is it… a horcrux?" He kept his voice low as they ran.
"I'm not sure, but Bathilda will know," she said to him, "Christmas might be more interesting than we thought."
Harry laughed as they ran. "If that really is a horcrux, I think it's safe to say that Christmas has come early."
Hermione slapped his arm, grinning. She met his gaze briefly, the look in her eyes warm and joyous, then she turned her attention ahead to where they were running.
When they reached the exit of the Room, they all clattered to a stop, breathing heavily. Ginny went to open the door, but Harry stopped her.
"Wait… I'll check the map first. We don't want to run into another ambush."
She dropped her arm back down to her side and gestured for him to check. He reached in his coat pocket, fingers grasping the parchment that he had stashed away.
Harry checked the corridor outside the Room, letting out a breath of relief when he saw that it was deserted. In fact, there were hardly any students or staff in the corridor at all. They were mostly in the Great Hall or the Common Rooms. He checked the Gryffindor Common Room, seeing that Snape and McGonagall had left. He glanced up at Neville, nervous about the trouble he likely faced for his potential involvement in the security breach.
"It's clear," he announced and Ginny went back to open the door. Harry brought his gaze over to check on the girls' bathroom and see in Myrtle was still hanging around, waiting for her new boyfriend.
She was there and she wasn't alone. In fact, she was the only girl in the girls' bathroom. Their names made Harry's heart almost stop.
Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.
"Fuck!" Harry shouted, causing all four of the others to jump and wheel around. He raised his head, mouth open in horror. "He knows. Snape knows I'm here. And he's with Malfoy." He looked over to Hermione. "We need to run. There's no time for stealth now."
He turned over to Luna and Ginny. "They don't know you're involved, not yet."
Ginny's eyes flashed indignantly at him giving them orders. "We came to help you so let us help."
"What do you suggest then? Running with us to the Astronomy Tower and getting caught aiding and abetting Undesirable Number One? How does that help in any way?"
Ginny's jaw was set stubbornly. Luna put her hand on her shoulder.
"Harry is right, Ginny. Think of your family. If you're caught helping Harry directly, it's not just you who will be hurt."
Harry gave Luna an appreciative smile. Then he turned to Neville. "Hate to say it, Nev, but I think they'll already suspect you."
The Gryffindor boy nodded and gave a shrug. "It was bound to happen, sooner or later."
"I could use some back up," Harry said.
"You'll have it," Neville said, turning to grip Harry's arm. "Come on. We have a lot of ground to cover."
Ginny pulled open the doors that they scattered out into the hallway. Harry took the lead, his silvery cape flashing behind him as he went to run. The joint percussion of their flight echoed around the corridor as they dashed for the stairs. Harry skidded to a halt, arm butting into the wall as he turned the corner too sharply. He took them down one of his many shortcuts, now furiously sweating from the exercise and the adrenaline. His plan to wear a coat had backfired a little.
"This… is going to have to be a bit of a rushed goodbye," Harry said quickly, swallowing as he caught his breath. They reached the opening to the Grand Staircase.
Ginny moved up to Harry. She put her hands on his shoulders, looking up at him. Through the surging of his blood pumping rapidly through his veins, through the whirlwind of fear and determination, Harry felt a chime of loss and guilt as he gazed at the face of one who he had once used to dream of holding in his arms. Ginny Weasley brought a hand up to run through his short hair.
"The fugitive look suits you," she told him, then her eyes took on that hard, blazing look. It wasn't anger this time. It was the ghost of the feelings they once had for each other.
"Don't die," she whispered, then leaned forwards, rising on her tip-toes, to give him a final kiss on his stubbly cheek. He dipped his chin in response.
"I'll do my best," he said. Ginny edged back. "Thanks… for your help and… be careful."
"No promises," Ginny said and turned her gaze over to Hermione, her eyes narrowing at her. The hostility was gone, at least. She poked out her chin and regarded her new rival coldly.
"Keep him out of trouble, Hermione."
"No promises," Hermione said in response, causing Ginny's eyes to brighten a little at the quip. Hermione then smiled, looking over at Harry, "keeping Harry out of trouble is impossible."
"True enough," Ginny agreed, then she nodded in farewell. Luna then moved up to them next. As she came to give Harry a hug, his mind rattled as thoughts freed themselves from his panicked haze.
Luna. Mr Lovegood. The Deathly Hallows.
When she went to hug Hermione after him, he followed.
"Luna, we… we'll come to visit," he gasped out, causing her to look at him in surprise. "I need to speak to your father but would rather you were home too so you can vouch for me… if that's okay."
She smiled at him.
"Of course that's okay. You can tell me about the diadem and about your relationship with Bathilda. I'm sure daddy would be most interested as well. He is a huge fan of her work," she said dreamily. "I'll be home for Christmas."
"Brilliant!" Harry burst out, a little too enthusiastically, but before he could say more, a voice reverberated all around them.
"Students of Hogwarts. Make your way to the Great Hall at once. We have a security breach. " Harry knew the voice. Snape. The five of them all shared scared looks. "Harry Potter has broken into the castle. Anyone, staff or student, found assisting the known fugitive will be delivered to the Aurors."
"We have to move," Harry said to Hermione, "it doesn't look like they're calling him yet, not while they aren't sure if I'm even still here."
"Harry Potter, if you surrender yourself now, we will show leniency to your accomplices."
"Fat chance of that happening," Neville said darkly, "you two should go now. I'll make contact when Harry and Hermione are gone."
Ginny and Luna made their farewells, then rushed down the steps to reach the Great Hall before their absence became suspicious. Hermione grabbed Harry's arm, pulling him out of his daze. He turned, finding her and Neville looking at him. He raised his head, looking grimly at all the stairs they were going to have to climb.
But then he looked over at the broom in his hand.
"I have an idea," he said, a grin forming on his face, "but I have a feeling that neither of you are going to like it."
AN: I was going to post a big chapter with the full escape, but it was starting to get long so will be splitting it in two. Next chapter should be done soon. Writing it at the moment!
Thank you for all the follows, favourites and reviews! I'm thrilled that you're enjoying this story :)
I will be continuing the story even after the event is over but updates will be less regular.
