Chapter 49

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, 2nd May 2012

Harry's eyes screwed up as pain suddenly jolted through his head, igniting his scar in searing pain. He almost doubled over with the pain. Images flashed through his mind, blurring behind his eyes.

Nagini slithered along the cold stone floor of Malfoy Manor, moving between the bodies littered through the room. She hissed angrily, looking up at her master. The Dark Lord stroked the head of the snake gently as she reached him.

Could the Demon's words be true? Surely, he would have felt it if one of the Horcruxes were destroyed… They were such vital pieces of him. The Demon told him that Potter and Dumbledore were aware of his secrets and were on the path to destroying each one.

"It's not possible…." Voldemort murmured in Parseltongue. "He can't know our secret…"

"The creature was lying." Nagini hissed in his ear. "They are safe…"

The images flashed through his brain. A ramshackle shack, a cave, Gringotts bank, and of course; Hogwarts…

"No…" Harry breathed. "No…"

"Harry?!" Dean exclaimed. "Are you okay, man?" Harry's green eyes were wide behind the glasses.

"He knows…. He's coming," Harry gasped after what seemed like an age.

"Who's coming?" Sam asked, but he already knew the answer.

"I have to find Professor McGonagall. Snape and Malfoy, I lost them in the crowd," Harry was babbling, pain etched into his features.

"We'll find her," Sam nodded. The three sprinted into the Great Hall. Spells were flying everywhere as the good battled the evil. A hoard of Ghouls burst in through one of the stained-glass windows. They were snarling, trying to go after anyone they could. One Ghoul grabbed a sixth year and ripped out her throat, snarling.

"Oh shit!" Dean grabbed his gun and shot at the ghoul. While the other students pulled out their wands.

"Reducto!" A student pointed their wand, and the Ghoul went flying.

"Incendio!" their friend cast and the Ghoul screamed, flames engulfing it.

"Harry! Wait!" Sam cautioned as Harry darted through the crowd, losing Sam and Dean within seconds. His heart was banging like a drum inside his chest.

"Fuck!" Dean exclaimed. "Not good."

"Professor!" Harry said urgently as he found Professor McGonagall protecting some of the younger years. She was ushering them into a spare classroom.

"Potter?" McGonagall asked. "What are you-?"

"Professor, Snape… he… He killed Dumbledore." Professor McGonagall's eyes widened, and she swayed on her feet but too much needed to be done for her to have a fainting spell. She didn't even need to question the boy further.

"Severus…. Oh, my… We…." Her eyes were filled with horror. "Some of us thought… Albus would never hear a bad word spoken about him…."

"It doesn't matter now! I think they're still on the grounds," Harry gasped out.

"They?" she asked.

"He and Malfoy."

"Thank you, Potter. We need to get the students safe." She turned back to the students, her goal to get them to safety, then to come back and assist with the battle.

"I… I saw into Voldemort's head… He's coming." Harry muttered to her as not to scare the younger kids.

"I thought it wouldn't be long," McGonagall nodded, hiding the fear in her features. "We need to evacuate the younger years at once."

The Monsters and Death Eaters were held at bay for the moment, which gave the Wizards and the hunters time to plan. Dean and Sam were going through the students rapidly. Sam had always had a sixth sense of sorts, for knowing where the supernatural were. It started when he was twenty-three and had been the only ability to stay after Azazel's death.

"The Demons are gone," Sam reported. "From the Hall at least."

"Oh, look at Sammy being all diplomatic. I love it when you take control," Lucifer smirked. Sam winced.

"What's going on?" John shouted. "What's the plan?"

"They're evacuating the younger kids, and we're fighting." Every eye was fixed upon Minerva, who was speaking from the top of the Hall. Behind her stood the remaining teachers all looking dishevelled from the previous fighting but still looking calm and controlled. They stood in stark contrast to the terrified looks of the students. At this point, all of the students were in the Great Hall, fear etched on their faces.

"The evacuation will be overseen by Mr Filch and Madam Pomfrey. Prefects, when I give the word, you will organize your Houses and take your charges in an orderly fashion to the evacuation point," Minerva announced. Many of the students looked petrified. A Hufflepuff student -Ernie Macmillan, Dean realized- stood up at the Hufflepuff table and shouted; "And what if we want to stay and fight? There was a loud roar of applause.

"If you are of age, you may stay," said Minerva. "The important thing is to get those underage out of here safely."

"Where's Professor Dumbledore?" shouted a girl from the Gryffindor table.

"He was absent from the school tonight on business," lied Minerva. She tried not to look in Harry's direction. "We have already placed protection around the castle, but it is unlikely to hold for very long unless we reinforce it. I must ask you, therefore, to move quickly and calmly, and do as your Prefects say. Those students wishing to stay and fight and who are particularly gifted in charms, please make your way to the front to assist Professor Flitwick."

The doors to the Great Hall burst open and the members of the Order of the Phoenix entered. Molly and Arthur Weasley, Tonks, Remus, Kingsley, Sirius, Mad-Eye Moody, Fleur, Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George and Hiesta Jones.

The Winchester siblings were happy to see that some of their students were getting ready to fight and others were reassuring the younger student's and preparing them to escape. It was everything that Sam and Dean had trained them for. Dean wondered if this was how John felt when he looked at his sons.

"Okay, let's get these kids the hell out of here," Dean said quickly. "Harry!" he called, spotting the teen with his friends. "You gotta get out of here kid, especially if Voldemort's coming."

"With all due respect Sir, but like hell I am." Harry rounded on him. "I'm not leaving and hiding to have my friends and family fight for me. It's me he's after. I'm staying."

"Exactly why you need to get out of here," Sam replied.

"Dumbledore gave me a mission," Harry replied quickly, not having time for this. The urge to hunt down Snape, and then find the Horcruxes was mounting. But even when he found them, how would he destroy them? "I won't let him down, Sir."

"Okay, do what you have to do but be careful." Dean put his hand on the kid's shoulder.

"No promises, Dean." Harry grinned before running off with Hermione and Ron.

A scream ripped through the air. Dean's stomach dropped at the all too familiar sound.

"Jo!" Dean roared as his wife fell to the ground. She appeared okay, thankfully. Dean ran over and punched the Wraith away.

"Are you okay babe?" Dean asked.

"I'm fine," Jo said angrily, her hand protectively lying against her stomach. She rose to her feet with Dean's help. She shot the Wraith in the forehead for good measure.

"I need to get you out of here!" Dean picked her up, careful not to jostle her.

"What are you doing? Put me down, I can still fight!" She protested.

"No, you can't." Dean snapped at her. Looking at her more closely, she had a gash in her forehead, and she was gasping as she clutched her right knee in pain. "I'm taking you to a safe place."

"No! You put me down right now you dick!" she started pounding on his chest.

"Jo, I'm not going to lose you again," Dean murmured darkly. "Don't make me watch you die this time." Something in Jo seemed to freeze her, but she still looked determined to fight as Dean brought her away from the fighting. He sprinted up the moving staircases. Madness hadn't completely settled in yet, as the good outnumbered the bad. For the moment at least. He reached the seventh floor, his heart racing as he ran toward the Gryffindor Common Room.

I need a place to hide her, Dean thought desperately.

"Dean, you're out of your damn mind! You have to take me back!" Jo screamed at him, as the portrait of the Fat Lady came into view.

"No Dean!" Jo roared again. "If you think I'm just gonna stand here while my friends and family battle, you've got another thing coming buddy!"

"Professor, what's happening out there?" The Fat Lady sounded alarmed as Dean approached her. "They're saying that the castle is under attack!"

"Dumbledore is dead. Voldemort is coming," Dean told her. The Fat Lady's eyes widened in horror, and it looked like she may faint if that were possible.

"Just let me in, Lady…." Dean frowned. "I need to keep my wife safe."

"He needs a damn lobotomy…" Jo punched him in the shoulder, glaring at him.

The Fat Lady looked between them cautiously before swinging open and Dean walked through the portrait hole. He carried her up the steps, with Jo's furious cries echoing off the stone walls.

"Keep it up Jo," Dean glared. "This is really helpful…"

"You deserve it!" She huffed. "I'll never forgive you for this, Dean. Mark my words…" The words stung. He hoped it was just the pregnancy hormones talking.

"Well, at least I won't be burying you this time. I am not losing you," Dean said as he set her on her feet in the Common Room. "I love you. I've already lost Cas… I can't… You can call me a selfish bastard if you want."

"You are a selfish bastard." Jo agreed with him, smiling a little.

"I know," Dean smiled sadly, trying to remain calm, but panic was slowly taking over.

"You're going to do your damnedest not to die, and you are going to protect our child! I don't really care if you're mad at me or not. I just want you safe, okay?" Jo glared at him

"I'm sorry Jo," Dean said as he closed the door on her. He sprinted down the steps and back into the seventh-floor corridor, turning back to look at the portrait.

"Do not let her out," He told the Fat Lady. "Keep her safe."

Harry was running aimlessly with Ron and Hermione struggling to keep up. He had to think. What could the other Horcrux be? And who was to say it was even in the castle? He'd already filled his friends in on what had happened. The Cup sat in the pocket of Harry's robes. They needed to find more Horcruxes, and soon.

"Harry, slow down mate," Ron called after him. That's when Harry saw it. The glimpse of the familiar black cloak disappearing behind a corner. Rage boiled in his veins, pure and unbridled.

"I'll meet you guys back in the Great Hall. Alright?" Harry didn't wait for an answer as he ran after the one person he wanted to find.

"HARRY COME BACK!" He could hear Hermione yelling behind him, but he didn't look back. He sprinted around the corner, nearly knocking down a suit of armour in his rush. Harry bolted down the corridor, raising his wand.

"Incarcerous," Harry yelled, pointing his wand. He saw Snape flick his wand, deflecting the spell easily.

"HE TRUSTED YOU!" Harry roared down the corridor. "HOW COULD YOU?!" Snape looked at him with a cold stare.

"You know nothing Potter," His voice was deadly quiet. Harry aimed at Snape's back as he turned, and yelled, "Stupefy!" The jet of red light soared past Snape's head.

"Cruc-" Harry yelled, aiming for the figure ahead, but Snape blocked the spell. Harry could see him sneering.

"No Unforgivable Curses from you, Potter!" he shouted over the distant sounds of fighting. "You haven't got the nerve... or the ability."

"Incarc-" Harry roared again, but Snape deflected the spell with an almost lazy flick of his arm.

"Fight back!" Harry screamed at him, his voice breaking. "Fight back, you coward!"

"Coward, did you call me, Potter?" shouted Snape. "Your father would never attack me unless it was four on one, what would you call him, I wonder?"

"Stupe-"

"Blocked again and again and again until you learn to keep your mouth shut, and your mind closed, Potter!" Snape sneered, deflecting the curse once again.

"Sectum-" Harry began yelling, recalling his accidental curse on Malfoy, the only difference this time was, he meant it. Snape flicked his wand, and the curse was repelled yet again. Harry was finally catching up, and he could see Snape's face clearly. He was no longer sneering or jeering; his face was one of rage.

"You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? It was I who invented them — I, the Half-Blood Prince! And you'd turn my inventions on me, like your filthy father, would you? I don't think so… No."

"Kill me like you killed him, you coward-" Harry challenged.

"DO NOT CALL ME A COWARD!" Snape screamed in reply, his face taking on a demented look. Harry raised his wand. Professor McGonagall rounded the corner. Her face was bruised and cut already from the beginning stages of the battle.

"Severus." She stated calmly. She raised her wand and fired a non-verbal curse toward him. Before Harry could react, two Death Eaters came into view behind Professor McGonagall. Snape deflected the curses she continued to fire at him. The deflected spells hit the Death Eaters and, and they collapsed. She pulled Harry behind her, not wanting him to get hurt in the crossfire. She gave a fierce look toward Snape. He hesitated and then dove through the window next to him. They rushed to the window, seeing a long black cloak flying away from the castle.

"It seems he learned a few tricks from his Master…" Professor McGonagall muttered, and then rounded on Harry.

"Potter, what were you thinking? Chasing after him on your own," she frowned. Ron and Hermione then came into sight, after being caught in a duel with several Death Eaters, only managing to catch up to their friend now.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped after they caught up.

"Snape's gone," Harry fumed.

"Good riddance," Professor McGonagall said angrily.

"That doesn't matter right now." Ron snapped. "We have to destroy that bloody Cup," he muttered to Hermione, out of McGonagall's earshot.

Ron reached out a hand and pulled Harry aside by the arm, pulling out a small gold coin.

"Is that-"

"The fake Galleons Hermione made last year? Yeah," Ron nodded. They started burning. The DA is in a classroom on the second floor near the library."

The three students took off at once, dodging spells and hexes. They arrived in the classroom out of breath. The remaining members of DA turned to look at the trio. Relief was evident on their worried faces.

"Harry! You're okay!" Neville grinned, relieved. He grabbed him for a hug and patted his back.

"Glad you're okay too, Neville," Harry nodded. "But you guys should be gone."

"And let you have all the fun?" Seamus grinned. "Go way outta that," he frowned.

"I'm serious," Harry frowned. A loud boom sounding in the distance.

"So are we." Dean Thomas walked up to the front. "We're here to fight with you."

"I can't let you fight for me," Harry frowned.

"We're not doing it for you," Seamus scoffed with a grin. "I mean, fair play to you, Harry, but You-Know-Who wants us all dead."

"Be serious for a minute Seamus…" Ron frowned. "This isn't a Quidditch match."

"We're going to fight," Ginny nodded in determination. "So, suck it up and deal with it."

"What's the plan, Harry?" Neville asked.

"There isn't one," Harry replied, his scar burning fiercely.

"Making it up as we go?" George grinned. "Brilliant!"

"Harry, they can help." Ron dropped his voice low so no one else could hear apart from them and Hermione. "We need to find more of the Horcruxes, destroy the Cup. We don't have to tell them what they are." Hermione bit her lip and nodded.

"Ron's right. The more help we get, the better. We don't even know what we're going to look for, or where. Please, Harry."

"Alright, okay," Harry replied after a long moment. He turned around to face the others.

"We need to find something hidden in the castle that will help us take down You-Know-Who. It could have belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw. Has anyone heard of something like that? Maybe something with her eagle on it?"

There was a group of Ravenclaws, Terry, Cho, Luna, Michael, and Terry.

"There's her lost Diadem," she suggested.

"It's lost Luna," Michel Corner frowned.

"When was it lost?" Harry disregarded Michael's words and zeroed in on Luna.

"Centuries ago," Cho told Harry and his heart sank. "Professor Flitwick says the Diadem vanished with Ravenclaw herself. People have looked, but nobody's ever found a trace of it. No one who's alive has seen it."

"What the bloody hell is a Diadem?" Ron demanded.

"It's a sort of crown. Like a tiara," Cho replied. Ron, Harry, and Hermione looked at each other.

"I can take you Harry," Luna spoke up. "Rowena Ravenclaw is wearing it in her statue."

They left the classroom. Harry spotted Sam and Dean in the distance, fighting before he said a brief goodbye to Hermione and Ron.

"This way, Harry," breathed Luna, pulling him toward a spiral staircase. They climbed the staircase and at last, they reached a door. There was no handle and no keyhole: nothing but a plain expanse of aged wood, and a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle.

Luna knocked on the door. The beak of the eagle opened, but instead of a bird's call, a soft, musical voice said, "Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?"

"Hmm … What do you think, Harry?" said Luna, looking thoughtful.

"What? Isn't there a password?"

"Oh no, you've got to answer a question," said Luna.

"What if you get it wrong?"

"Well, you have to wait for somebody who gets it right," said Luna. "That way you learn, you see?"

Harry stared at her, trying not to lose his patience with her. She couldn't help how her House was guarded, though it did make it extremely inconvenient. "Yeah … Trouble is, we can't really afford to wait for anyone else, Luna." The sounds of fighting grew louder as he spoke.

"No, I see what you mean," said Luna seriously. "Well then, I think the answer is that a circle has no beginning."

"Well reasoned," said the voice, and the door swung open. Harry sighed in relief. They walked into the Common Room. That's when he saw it. The statue of Rowena Ravenclaw, and on top of her head, was the Diadem. He examined it carefully, taking in the shape and details.

"Thanks, Luna," Harry smiled. They both left the Tower.

"What now Harry?" Luna asked.

"I don't know."

Harry was thinking deeply. Something was niggling at him, but he couldn't put his finger on it. What is it… what is it? He thought frantically. Then an echo of Cho's words came back to him. No one alive has seen it. Could the Ghost of Ravenclaw help him? Harry bolted off without a word, leaving Luna shocked and surprised.

"Harry!"

Harry did not answer and kept running through the castle. Eventually, he saw someone who could help him. There was a whole troop of the Hogwarts Ghosts running through the halls with one leading the charge.

"Nick!" Harry shouted after the Ghost, pushing through the crowd. "I need to talk to you!"

"Harry! My dear boy!"

"Nick, you've got to help me. Who's the ghost of Ravenclaw Tower?" Nearly Headless Nick looked surprised and a little offended.

"The Grey Lady, of course; but if it is ghostly services you require-"

"It's got to be her — d'you know where she is?"

"Let's see…" Nick's head wobbled a little on his ruff as he turned, peering over the heads of the swarming students. "That's her over there, Harry, the young woman with the long hair."

Harry took off in the direction Nick pointed without a word.

"Wait-" Nick called, but Harry was already gone. He sprinted until he reached the beautiful floating ghost.

"You're the Grey Lady?" She nodded but did not speak.

"The ghost of Ravenclaw Tower?"

"That is correct." Her tone was not encouraging.

"Please, I need some help. I need to know anything you can tell me about the lost Diadem."

"I am afraid," she said, turning to leave. "That I cannot help you."

"WAIT! This is urgent," he said fiercely. "If that Diadem's at Hogwarts, I've got to find it, fast."

"You are hardly the first student to covet the Diadem," she said disdainfully. "Generations of students have badgered me-"

"This is about Voldemort — defeating Voldemort — or aren't you interested in that?" Her voice was heated as she replied. "Of course, I — how dare you suggest-"

"Well, help me then!" Her composure was slipping.

"It-it is not a question of -" she stammered. My mother's Diadem-"

"Your mother's?"

"When I lived," she said stiffly. "I was Helena Ravenclaw."

"You're her daughter? But then, you must know what happened to it."

"While the Diadem bestows wisdom, I doubt that it would greatly increase your chances of defeating the wizard who calls himself Lord-"

"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!"

"I stole the Diadem from my mother."

"You-you did what?"

"I stole the Diadem," repeated Helena in a whisper. "I sought to make myself cleverer, more important than my mother. I ran away with it. 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. Then fell fatally ill. Despite 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."

"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? You mean-"

"The Bloody Baron, yes," said the Grey Lady. "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." she added bitterly.

"And the Diadem?"

"It remained where I had hidden it when I heard the Baron blundering through the forest toward me. Concealed inside a hollow tree in a forest in Albania."

"Albania," repeated Harry in disbelief. "Wait… You've already told someone this story, haven't you? Another student?" She closed her eyes and nodded.

"I had… no idea… He was flattering. He seemed to… understand… to sympathize…"

"Well, you weren't the first person Riddle wormed things out of," Harry muttered, cursing his rotten luck. "He could be charming when he wanted…"

Harry began to put the pieces together. Voldemort got the information from the Grey Lady and travelled to Albania to find it. But surely, he would not leave it there. Voldemort left the Horcruxes in places important to him. The Cup in the cave, the Diary in the Chamber of Secrets and the Ring in the Gaunt's shack. And when he was in Voldemort's head. He saw Hogwarts. So, it had to be in the castle somewhere. He must have hidden it when he returned to Hogwarts at some point. "The night he asked Dumbledore for the job!" Harry realized, and the Grey Lady looked at him strangely.

"I'm sorry?" she asked.

"Never mind," Harry shrugged off. "Do you have any idea where it is? What You-Know-Who did with it?"

"He defiled it, with Dark Magic," the Grey Lady whispered. "It's here. In the castle. In the place where everything is hidden… If you have to ask, you'll never know. If you know, you need only ask…" She drifted off then, leaving him with yet another riddle to solve. Damn Ravenclaws…