Chapter 26 - Myrtle Warren


Lizzie peered over Neville's shoulder into what could only be the Room of Requirement, except it looked like a bunker war camp. "All hands, got a surprise," he said jubilously. He nudged Lizzie down off the ledge and a collective, stunned reaction erupted. She was scooped into a tight, intimately close hug and felt a familiar hand on the back of her neck and head.

Seamus kissed her forehead before letting go and taking her in, consequently Lizzie did the same and her eyes glassed over at the sight of his abused face. "Seamus - dear God," she breathed. He hugged her again.

"Thank God, you're alive," he said. She pushed on his chest lightly. Her hands were trembling some. He lifted his in surrender, silently apologizing for crossing an unspoken line between them. Lizzie shook her head.

"I'm glad to see you, I just didn't expect..." the weight of life at Hogwarts sunk heavily when she glanced around the room. The Patel twins were next for hugs. Cormac smiled weakly and Lizzie didn't return it.

"Do they know you're here?" Ernie asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest with an apprehensive demeanor they all seemed to be trying to hide.

"I don't know," Lizzie said. "He knows I'm headed here. I'm looking for something..." she added.

"Where are Granger and Weasley?" Michael Corner asked.

"Safe... they don't know I'm here. I'm trying to slip out once I find what I need."

"Slip out? We're not going to go after Snape? Overthrow the tyranny here?" Ernie asked sharply.

"No. I'm sorry to disappoint. That's not why I'm here at all. I need something and then I'm leaving..." she said firmly.

"Does anyone know you're here?" Seamus asked.

"Charlie, Ron's brother," she said, but didn't meet her former boyfriend's eyes when she said it.

"Then what, evade capture forever? The longer you-know-who is in power... can you not kill him? Are you some false hope? If so, please do us a favor and just tell us," Ernie retorted.

"He's not mortal. If he shows up now... we're done. I've been working on his immortality for months and am almost there. But if he gets to me before I've accomplished that, I'm good as dead, we all are. I just need to find something..." Lizzie explained desperately.

"What do you need?" Hannah Abbott asked.

"I'm going to sound mad, but the diadem of Ravenclaw," she said and cringed at the silence that followed.

Anthony and Michael both choked on a laugh. "That's lost," they said almost in unison.

"I'm aware. But it's here somewhere," Lizzie snapped back a little shortly.

"Thinking it will give you wisdom to destroy him? You can't be getting that desperate?" Anthony added. Lizzie shot him a mean look.

"He's had his hands on it, and turned it into something he can use to hold power. I need to destroy it... he's had a collection of things that we don't have a hope of defeating him until they're destroyed. I've found and gotten rid of most..." she explained.

"The break in at the bank?" Michael asked. "Was it supposed to be there?"

"No, but one of the others was. Same with the Ministry months back. This is the last place this can be. I'm certain," she said confidently.

"So you haven't been running?" Lavender asked.

"No, but we've been captured. That's why Ron and Hermione aren't here. I'm hoping to get back and keep them from getting recaptured... but I don't have a lot of time. If anyone has any leads..." she said. Nobody answered.

"Brilliant," Lizzie groaned. There was a quiet ringing in her ears she could only reason was from the cup as it grew louder.

"Where's Ginny? I really need her help with something else..." Lizzie said.

Seamus and Neville exchanged a look. "In Gryffindor Tower... we can help you, Lizzie," Seamus said.

"No, it needs to be Ginny. For this specifically..." she said. Seamus nodded.

"Ok, I'll go with you, if they catch sight of Neville, I'm not confident they won't kill him..." he said. Lizzie nodded but that reality gave her a wave of nausea.

"Neville, do not tell anyone that I'm here. I'm trying to leave tonight. I'm trying to avoid a bloodbath. Please," she pled. He nodded but gave her a worried glare.

Lizzie pulled on the cloak and threw it over Seamus as they left into the corridor with with the map. "This is how you managed everything isn't it?" He asked, admiring the evasive tools.

"Both are from my father, yes," she said and swallowed a laugh. "The nerve too," she added with a smirk.

They crept silently through the corridors, avoiding a spotting. Seamus knew which portraits were notorious for tattling. Lizzie was surprised the halls were monitored by Wizard Order officers, but Judging by Seamus's apathy toward them, it was surely normal. When they made it to the fat lady, they could see Amicus Carrow pacing and Seamus pushed Lizzie around the next corner to hide.

"Bloody piece of garbage," he hissed under his breath.

"Is Ginny ok?" Lizzie breathed.

"Neville told you? Jesus. He's singled her out like nothing else. It's going to shatter you to see her, I'm sorry," he whispered sympathetically. Lizzie's heart fell, she wanted to break the man's fingers and take out his eyes. Seamus picked up on the hostility and took a resolved breath.

"You trust me?" He asked. Lizzie nodded and he smiled, remembering how much he'd adored her for years, so much so he blew it with bubbling jealously.

He pulled the cloak off himself and gestured for her to follow him. "Seamus," she hissed quietly but he gestured again with more urgency, so she obliged. At the fat lady he stated the password and nodded slightly for Lizzie to sneak in, still invisible under the cloak.

"Finnegan," Amicus's voice echoed and he jumped. Lizzie heard him get pushed through the portrait hole and pushed down to his knees in the center of the room. Seamus gave a look in her direction to go get Ginny so she tiptoed up the steps into the girls dormitory. Ginny was sleeping but curled into a tight protective position. Lizzie crouched down next to her and nudged her awake.

Ginny's eyes were quickly saucers at the sight of Lizzie and she rubbed them in disbelief. Lizzie put a finger to her mouth. "I need your help," she mouthed and bucked her head. Ginny pulled on jeans and a t-shirt quickly and then climbed under the cloak with Lizzie.

At the bottom of the stairs, Lizzie threw a hand over over Ginny's mouth to stifle a scream. Amicus had a foot on Seamus's face, pressing it hard into the ground as the other foot landed blows into his ribs. Lizzie lifted her wand toward him when the portrait hole swung open and McGonagall barged in. He stepped back from the feeble young man on the floor. By the looks of Amicus, Seamus got a blow in.

"What in Merlin's name is the meaning?" McGonagall yelled reproachfully in outrage, helping Seamus onto a chair and coddling his face.

"Out of bounds at this hour. We have reason to believe his little girlfriend is in the castle..." Amicus sneered.

"His? Who? Potter?" McGonagall asked.

"He needs to tell me where she is," Amicus said, pointing a wand at Seamus's chest. Seamus breathed heavily but shook his head.

"She's not here," he said breathlessly.

Amicus raised his wand but Minerva fired at him. He whipped around and spat at her. "Idiot old woman, I can take your wand hand for that," he hissed.

"Try, I dare you," she growled. "Get out of this common room."

"I'll be fetching Snape to deal with Finnegan about Azalea," he said.

"You do that," Minerva retorted. When he left, Lizzie ripped off the cloak.

"Jesus Christ," she said, kneeling next to Seamus where he sat and fumbled through her bag for a healing potion.

"Lizzie," Minerva said in a flushed shock and scooped up her neck in a hug. "What the heavens are you doing here?" She snapped.

"I need time. Just time... to find something. Please keep this silent. I'm not here, I'll be gone soon," Lizzie explained hurriedly.

"I've got Finnegan, go... Ginny, honey..." McGonagall said.

"Lizzie needs my help," Ginny said sharply.

"Really, I wouldn't put her in any risk unless I absolutely needed her," Lizzie assured them. Minerva nodded apprehensively, Lizzie kissed Seamus's temple, and then draped the cloak back over herself and Ginny.


"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" Ginny whispered.

"Happy to see you to, love," Lizzie retorted.

"Well you do realize it's suicide for you to be here, right?" Ginny snapped back.

"We're going down the Chamber," Lizzie said quietly.

"Not the reunion I was expecting, are you out of your bloody mind?" Ginny hissed. Lizzie pushed them into a dark alcove of the corridor and looked around the corner to spot any potential eaves dropping portraits or patrollees.

"You remember his diary, don't you?" Lizzie asked.

"I try not to," Ginny said.

"Well, he made more," Lizzie said simply. Ginny's face was inches from hers as they huddled under the cloak. Her face contorted in horror.

"Not... diaries, but things that he put himself into. I have one in my pouch. We stole it from Bellatrix's vault at the bank. It's going to try to kill us..." Lizzie explained.

"Lizzie, what the fuck?" Ginny whispered harshly.

"Yeah, what the fuck is right, broken record in my head for months is just asking myself what the fuck we're dealing with here. Anyway, we have destroyed three including the diary. There are six. This is the fourth," she said, pulling the cup. "The fifth is in the castle and the sixth is his snake, you following?" Lizzie continued in quiet but rapid English.

"It doesn't matter if we find them if we can't kill them, as long as they exist he is anchored to the world and cannot die. He's immortal. They all must be destroyed before anyone has a shot at him..." she added.

"Riddle himself was in that diary," Ginny said.

"Yeah, because he didn't have a victims body to give it when he made it, that's why he targeted you and tried ro use yours. The others were killings of young girls in various fashions. All of them fit a profile for him. That's a really long story though and we don't have the time. You'll probably see something none short of a worst nightmare down there. He cut up this one, she was an obscurial. From what we've gathered, the ones he gave a body to are this intersection between his soul and the victim. I really can't explain it very well until later, but we need to kill it before it kills us... the only way can kill it is with..." Lizzie continued.

"The teeth, you want to teeth," Ginny finished.

"I want to pull some teeth, yeah. Ginny, listen. It's just like the diary, it possesses people. I made the mistake of not warning Charlie and he got... violent... to put it lightly. Ron deserted us at one point because he couldn't handle it. Hermione was driven mad. I need you to do whatever you can to resist it. I need you because I know you've been able to before."

"Not well... I almost got you and six others killed," Ginny retorted.

"Yeah, well I killed six girls under the same and I can still resist this enough to push forward. We just need to kill it... understand?" Lizzie asked. Ginny looked horrified and apprehensive, but nodded.

They pushed the door open to the girls bathroom and Lizzie removed the cloak to move toward the sink and feel for the symbol. When she looked up into the mirror she startled at the sight of Myrtle.

Something about her felt ominous and Lizzie could feel the cup moving slightly in the pouch. "Hi, Myrtle," Lizzie said. Ginny looked between them curiously.

"Odd place for you to be," Myrtle said coldly.

"Can we catch up a little later, please?" Lizzie asked reproachfully.

"Sure, invisible Myrtle isn't worth your time. Not worth anyone's time," she spat.

"Not worth my time. Not worth Tom's time?" Lizzie asked. Myrtle narrowed her eyes with reproach and some confusion.

"He didn't like your stories about your dead muggle mother, how you missed your little brother, or how your father was nervous about you... except he did. You were collected, a murder trophy..." Lizzie felt herself talking but didn't know how to stop.

"He didn't..." she said scathingly.

"You do know who he is, don't you? New name, you wouldn't recognize him. Kills muggle borns for sport. They don't even say his name," Lizzie said in an almost song-like cadence and then laughed at Myrtle's expression.

"I know your brother. Tell me, did your family shun you for being a witch or is it something they turned against after you died because you died here?" Lizzie asked.

"I only ask because I grew up with your neice and your brother tried to beat it out of her..."

"You're..." Myrtle said but looked flustered. "I never liked you," she hissed.

"Ditto, Myrtle! You're insufferable," Lizzie snapped back reproachfully, knowing why her anger was rising against her will. Myrtle looked scared as she stared into the reflection behind where Lizzie was standing. Lizzie could feel the presence but tried to shake it while Ginny tugged nervously on her sleeve.

Lizzie turned to the mirror and leaned her hands into the sink as she fought painful intrusive images of Katie in the bathroom at Sacred Heart. She watched a black snake slither down into the pipe and looked at her reflection to see herself picking the skin furiously until it bled and peeled, but her hands were gripped tight on the porcelain as she battled the urge to follow suit. Ginny reached out to touch Lizzie's rigid arms, but before Lizzie could stop herself she threw the back of her hand across her face. Ginny was bleeding and in shock from the blow as Myrtle stared between them. Lizzie's hands were shaking and she didn't know what she was seeing. Ginny lunged at her and pulled her shoulders back from the sink when she landed her head into the glass mirror. Lizzie sunk to her knees, reeling in an immeasurable amount of pain. The horcrux knew it was on the decent to its death.

"Liz, open it. Just open it..." Ginny begged in a panicked tone. Footsteps echoed from the corridor above and Lizzie hoisted her body up on the sink. She shut her eyes and hissed a word in parseltounge that caused the sinks to wrench apart and expose a long tunnel into the depths and bowels of the school.

Lizzie stiffened with resolve and put her legs over the edge. Ginny sat next to her and squeezed her hand before she dropped down the tunnel and Ginny followed. The bones at the base below crunched under her body as she rolled out and tried to collect herself. Ginny helped her up and Lizzie had some shred of hope that the horcrux would continue its assault on her, allowing Ginny the soundness of mind to destroy it when they got to the chamber.

Her head throbbed in pain and she walked through the tunnel to the metal door of the Chamber. Ginny became quiet, her steps hardly made a noise behind her. It was quiet enough to hear something else lurking, but Lizzie remained fixed on retrieving the fangs.

The chamber was dark, but it seemed to breathe. When she took a breath, the room felt like it subtly expanded, and when she exhaled she could feel moving air on her face. She didn't recall this before, but she had been hostage to adrenaline in saving Ginny, and Tom, one of the other fragments of him, was already there. This time, it sensed the heir that lived in the cup. Ginny took an unnaturally deep breath and seemed a bit rigid in stance. Lizzie walked briskly to the decaying basilisk carcass while her feet echoed loud on the wet stone. She crouched down and pulled six teeth from the jaw, stowing them safe in her pouch. Ginny crouched down next to her and pulled a seventh. Lizzie pulled out the cup and stared at it. The ticking noise painfully beat her eardrums when she felt someone to otherside of her.

She looked over slowly to see a young man staring down at the cup as well. He moved his face an inch from her neck. "You're done," he breathed in her ear.

The movement Lizzie made to stop Ginny's arm from plunging a basilisk fang into Lizzie's neck was pure reflex.

Lizzie fell backwards and used every ounce of strength to keep the dagger-like tooth away from her heart or her throat. "Ginny! Stop!" She shrieked. Lizzie could see the cup just out of her reach. She could summon a fang or her wand with a free arm, but both were locked in a brace to keep Ginny from sending the fang through her flesh. Her eyes were scarlet like her brother's were.

"Ginny, resist it! You have to stop," Lizzie begged. A loud spark broke her for a moment and Lizzie moved to secure her wand which was now being held hostage by someone else. She summoned a fang instead and held it to Ginny's throat as Ginny's was held to hers. Lizzie couldn't do it. Laughter erupted in her ears at the premise, but she couldn't do it.

"Please stop. Resist him. Please," Lizzie cried desperately, regretting bringing Ginny at all.

Ginny sat up, straddling Lizzie's chest, as Lizzie held the tooth defensively. She looked pained, but Lizzie couldn't read her. Lizzie reached for the fang in her hand but retracted instead to cover her neck and head as Ginny's came down in a long motion toward her body.

"No!" Lizzie yelled as Ginny let out an agonizing scream of her own. There was a high pitched ringing that echoed in the Chamber. When it started to fade, Lizzie made an effort to sit up, Ginny slid off and crumpled into a fetal position. For a moment, Lizzie feared Ginny had plunged it into herself until she saw the mangled cup lying next to her instead.

Lizzie pulled Ginny into her lap as she shook uncontrollably. "Ok, it's done. I'm so sorry," she whispered. The air was dense with dread and a haze of darkness set in. Ginny took a minute to recover, uncertain of what had just played out, but the fear in Lizzie's eyes spoke volumes.

Lizzie touched her face and smiled weakly. "You're ok, we're alright. This one is done," she said. There was a sharp pain in her lower abdomen that made her let out an involuntary yell.

"Liz, are you alright?" She asked. Lizzie nodded as the pain subsided. The ringing kept up in her ears but her thoughts started to yell at her over the noise to get out.

"Can you fly?" Lizzie asked.

"I guess, can you?" Ginny responded and then summoned brooms. The tunnel was still open judging by their decent into the chamber and they managed a narrow flight out before it closed.

Lizzie hid the brooms in a bathroom stall when she heard hurried footsteps and ducked into a stall with Ginny where she threw the cloak over the both of them.

A man entered with an aggressive gait, Myrtle was in his wake. "You said the Weasley girl and Potter?" Amicus hissed. Myrtle nodded meekly. He busted open several stalls when Ginny, despite Lizzie's silent protest, revealed herself as a diversion.

He stopped in his tracks and considered her a moment. Lizzie could see her hands trembling. "Where's Potter, Ginny?" He emphasized her name in a patronizing way.

"She's not here," Ginny said. He raised his eyebrows, clearly not believing her.

"You're out of bounds," he said.

"I was -" she started to say but he cut her off. He approached her close, tucked hair behind her ears, and Lizzie's veins pulsed in fury.

"You were getting on your kne-" he threatened, but a swift blow to the back of his head knocked him to his. Ginny doubled back and Lizzie seized her hand from under the cloak and bolted from the bathroom. They didn't stop until they reached the fat lady. Seamus got up from his place on the sofa, tending to a bad wound on his face.

"No, just go to the dorm, they're coming, go..." Lizzie said frantically.

"Ginny... get in bed," Lizzie said ushering her up the stairs. She looked confused and Lizzie added to it by using a memory charm to wipe the evening's endeavors.

Lizzie was halfway down the stairs when Snape and Amicus entered the common room. She froze as McGonagall chased them up to the dormitory.

"Miss Weasley, Minerva," Snape hissed and she retreated to fetch her. Ginny looked confused as to be expected from the memory charm, no matter how much Amicus insisted, Snape couldn't read anything from Ginny's mind. He did however look around the common room sensing the presence of another.

"I was struck in that bathroom," Amicus said. "She fled," he spat.

"Perhaps it was a bad blow," Ginny said innocently. He moved to snatch her jaw for the insolence but McGonagall blocked him with harsh reproach.

"I want all students in the Great Hall, immediately," Snape ordered, then took another intent look around, and strode from the common room with Amicus in his wake. Lizzie slipped out after them, under the cloak.

"Do we call him?" Amicus asked Snape. Snape shoved him against the wall.

"Unless you want certain death if she's not here or slips away, we wait, do you understand?" He warned. Amicus nodded.

Lizzie could feel the castle wake up and knew the time clock was ticking. It was tempting to follow Snape and murder him mid-stride. But the horcrux was priority. Lizzie turned around to see Minerva immediately behind her. She startled enough to give herself away and McGonagall pulled off the cloak and pushed her back through the portrait hole to the Gryffindor Common Room by the neckline oher collar. Lizzie was ushered in a hurry up to one of the empty dormitories and handed a robe to put on.

"You're going to need to hide in plain sight, they'll send dementors through the castle while we're in the Great Hall," she explained.

"I can do that," Lizzie said and swallowed nervously. "Who is the ghost of Ravenclaw Tower?"

"The Grey Lady, why?" Minerva said impatiently. "Keep that cloak handy," she interjected as Lizzie tucked the invisibility cloak into the inside pocket of the school one.

"I have one more thing to find. I think she might be able to help me," Lizzie explained.

"Well, first things first, we need keep you out of sight. If they don't call him because they don't find you, you've got a shot, don't you?" Minerva insisted. Lizzie agreed and Seamus appeared at the door.

"Mr. Finnegan, she's going with you, better she's hidden in the crowd, use the cloaknif necessary, I just don't want anyone bumping into nothing. I'll tell Longbottom to alert the Order to be on standby..." she ordered. He nodded and caught eyes with Lizzie. She tied her hair back and it turned black in her hands as she smoothed it into a ponytail. She covered her forehead with thick bangs and her blinked her eyes into a shade of dark brown, while the rest of her features remained locked. It was moments like this she wished she had the full abilities.

McGonagall put a hand behind her neck and kissed her head as a motherly gesture. "You be careful, or I will kill you myself," she said firmly. Lizzie's mouth twitched into a fond smile.

"love you too," Lizzie said quietly and was pulled in for a tight hug before being pushed toward the door. Seamus took her hand and they decended into the masses of the common room heading to the Great Hall. Lizzie longed for the days of curling up in a blanket by the fire cracking in the hearth.


The air was cold and dreadful and Lizzie avoided eye contact with the death eaters and guards that lined the stairwells and corridors. Ginny was at the end of the row they were filed in. Lizzie's heart pounded furiously as they assembled in the Great Hall.

Snape strode in, commanding a deafening silence, and his eyes scanned the pupils with intensity. "It has come to my attention that Azalea Potter was spotted in Hogsmeade and the castle this evening," he began. Murmurs broke out across the room that were quickly silenced by his acid demeanor. He paced slowly, examining the students in detail.

"Miss Weasley, please step forward," he ordered. Ginny's heart skipped but she obliged. "It was reported you were seen with her, is this true?" He asked.

She shook her head, "no, sir," she said.

"Amicus, please escort Miss Weasley to my office," he ordered. "I would like it known that assisting Miss Potter will not be punished lightly."

Lizzie watched Amicus greedily grab Ginny's upper arm and escort her toward the large double doors. He suddenly stopped in stride with rigid stance and let go of her.

"Amicus," Alecto said, but he grabbed his left arm and sank to his knees in an invisible pain. "Amicus!" Snape yelled as he keeled forward unconscious onto his face.

Alecto moved toward Ginny and Snape whipped his head around to scan the crowd again. "I invite whoever responsible to step forward or suffer a fate worse than death," he hissed.

Alecto raised her sleeve to call their master and Lizzie rushed forward into the center impulsively to distract her. Snape narrowed his eyes, not immediately certain who he was looking at.

"Were they the bloody snake man's idea, or yours, headmaster?" Lizzie asked with reproach. Her voice seemed to trigger his further disdain. "Torturing children is low even for you."

"Azalea," he said, anger seemed to wash over him.

"Don't call him, no reason to bring him here and endanger everyone here," Lizzie bargained. He clenched his jaw in consideration.

"For killing my brother, she should be publicly executed here," Alecto spat. Lizzie scowled at her.

Alecto moved to press the mark and Lizzie shot a spell that lit her wand hand ablaze. Snape approached Lizzie aggressively to snatch the collar of her robes when McGonagall blocked her from reach.

"You're not endangering my students," she hissed. Snape narrowed his eyes and McGonagall cast a spell he blocked and returned. Alecto was reaching for her brothers arm to press the mark when Ginny wrapped an arm around her neck and tried to wrestle her off. The dual continued, distracting Snape, while Lizzie moved toward Ginny to help, nervous to cast a spell that would just as easily hit her friend.

Alecto broke free and struck Ginny hard to the ground. Lizzie cast a curse to petrify her, but the position of her good hand on Amicus's arm, and the way the serpent grew blacker against the pigment of his skin, confirmed she'd accomplished her objective. Snape whipped his head around incredulously and took off in billowing cloud of smoke.

"Coward!" McGonagall shrieked. Her chest heaved with adrenaline and apprehension. There was a long pause of the room collectively holding their breath.

"Finnegan! Tell Longbottom we need the Order. We need all hands," McGonagall said. She whipped her wand in a wide circle and Lizzie could hear armed Wizard Order guards shout while large thuds hit the stone floors of the above corridors. When she looked out beyond the doors, it was the stone statues, only animated, and apprehending the small fleet of clueless guards while Minerva took back her domain.

She stared at Lizzie with sad and nervous eyes but the resolve was fierce. "Go find what you're looking for," she said sternly.

"Yes, ma'am," Lizzie breathed. She discarded the cumbersome Gryffindor cloak and headed up the corridor to Ravenclaw Tower.