Hallowed
Chapter Eleven: Ravenclaw Tower
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were left standing there with a thoroughly confused Bogrod as Griphook sprinted away shouting "Thieves" at the top of his voice. The three were facing mounds of scalding treasures that hadn't stopped multiplying since their initial beginning. Already, their ankles and lower legs were covered in burns and Harry's upper body was also littered with them. He looked over to Bogrod and hoped Ron had kept the imperius curse going. It seemed he had, for the goblin hadn't pelted out after Griphook just yet. Looking back to Hermione, Harry could almost read her mind; they were stuck here with an imperiused Gringotts goblin while another goblin was getting away with the sword and alerting the entire bank of their presence.
"What do we do now!" Ron shouted as the clattering and clinking of metal and glass on stone became a muffled roar. "Bloody idiot is going to let the entire bank know we're here!"
"Use Bogrod to get us out of here." Harry managed as the three started carving a path back toward the entrance to the vault. The door had sealed as soon as Griphook had started shouting the word "Thieves", but Bogrod raised a finger and opened it again. When the excess silver, gold, and glass had been strewn out over the stone landing outside, Ron and Harry spotted a few of the trolleys coming down to meet them. These contained armed wizards rather than goblins, and the wizards were no doubt death eaters or at least in line with Voldemort at the moment. Shooting a few stunners into the air, Harry was thankful that a few of the wizards that were coming down were now slumped over in their seats; successfully knocked out.
"So that little git figures he can just leave us here and get the sword?" Ron asked as he too sent a few stunners up. "Forgot who saved him from the Malfoys' place, didn't he?"
"Frankly, I don't think he cared." Harry said as he searched his brain for a way to get out of this mess. "Hermione, any ideas?"
"One…" She said as she shrank her bag again and replaced it in a secure robe pocket. "But it's… mad!"
"Let's hear it, then!" Ron shouted as he saw a few of the wizards getting out of their carts nearby. "Not much time to sit around and think about it, eh?"
"Relashio!" Hermione shouted. A purple jet of light had shot from her wand and went off somewhere in the darkness. At first, all was silent, save for the still clattering contents of the Lestrange vault and the shouts of the wizards a little ways off. Harry watched for any sign of movement and then he saw it; a puff of smoke and the sudden breaking of chains.
"You've lost it!" Ron shouted. Apparently he realized what Hermione had just done.
"No, if I'm right, it's our way out of here!" Hermione shouted back. She had already made her way past them and was standing hear the edge of the stone landing. She was keeping an eye on the still somewhat stunned dragon as it clumsily lumbered nearer. Using her wand, she managed to use the loose chain to lead the dragon toward them. "Well, come on then!" She motioned to its grey-brown leathery side as it got near enough. "This is our only way!"
Harry, who had been that close to a Hungarian Horntail hadn't been all that thrilled to clamber onto another dragon's back, but he realized that if they were to get out, they had no real choice. He let Hermione get a good secure spot on one of its spinal ridges before he did the same. They both waited while Ron climbed aboard, and only when he was secure did Hermione point her wand at the dragon's scaly side and mutter "Reducto!" Immediately, the dragon roared in protest and flames billowed from its mouth. Harry cast a look back onto the landing to see Bogrod dive out of the way in time. The spray of fire caught several of the wizards that had been coming toward them however; their screams were echoing throughout the cavern. Feeling another jolt however, Harry gripped the thickridge ahead of him as the dragon spread its wings and propelled itself into the air. Chain still swinging dangerously below, the three were pleased to see Travers knocked plum off his feet and into a freezing little pond that seemed to be the dragon's water source.
Soon, the screams and spells of Gringotts' security wizards were growing dimmer and replaced by a rushing of wind. The dragon, though blindly flying, was climbing upward toward the bank's main level. The air around them was slowly getting a bit warmer, but it was still much colder than anyone would have preferred. The heat in the vault had been refreshing with their still wet robes, but it had done little to dry them. Harry could feel his right arm still aching from the burns and where the dagger had been plunged through it, but that was the center of his pain at the moment. The res of him was numb from the cold. As they reached the upper vaults, more and more torches were seen; goblins, wizards, and witches were all pointing and staring at the dragon's clumsy ascent, but they did very little to stop it. It was assumed that due to the upper levels, these goblins did not have the clankers that would have made this dragon tense up.
There was a loud crashing noise from just above, and Hermione, Harry, and Ron had to grip the dragon's sides and back as it flew straight up through the main floor of Gringotts. Marble, wood, and dust rained down on them as it used its head as a battering ram to get through the floor and the glass dome overhead. It seemed that the dragon could tell it was out in the open skies, because it spread its great wings, damaging the metal and glass dome more as it went, and let out a satisfying puff of smoke.
"Reducto!" Hermione shouted again, and the dragon reacted instantly. Staring ahead, it leapt from the bank's high ceiling and rose swiftly into the air. Only as Diagon Alley and London in general faded from view due to the clouds, did Ron speak up.
"You really are barking! Using a dragon…"
"Would you rather I had left us there?" Hermione grinned as she looked back at Ron. She had never really been one to fly before, but after getting a taste of it on the back of Buckbeak, she had easily learned to enjoy it; granted she hadn't experimented with a broom all that much, but still… Harry had to grin as well. This was really not the way he had planned on escaping Gringotts.
They flew on for what felt like half an hour, and no one really knew where they were, due to the heavy blanket of clouds below. All any of them knew was that it was damned cold up on the back of this dragon, and it would be nice to land and have their robes properly dried and warmed. As if on cue, the dragon started to descend. The clouds came closer and closer, while its head plunged deeper into what looked like a terrible dive. Ron, who had been looking down, suddenly turned very green. Harry had been looking down as well, but what he finally saw made him a little more relieved; the dragon was headed for a vast lake. As they broke through the clouds, Hermione was scanning the surrounding area in an attempt to figure out where they were, but there was no point. It all looked alien to them. Lakes, trees, and a thick blanket of snow were all that met them, but Harry could see that it was late afternoon.
"We're getting closer!" Hermione said as she looked over the side of the dragon again. "What should we do?"
"Jump?" Ron suggested, but his tone suggested he really didn't like the idea.
"When?" Hermione asked; gripping her wand and replacing it in the same pocket as her bag.
"Now!" Harry shouted. They were as close to the water as they wre going to get. The dragon had evened out and was flying rather low over the lake now. "Go!" They all took a large breath of cold air and leapt off of the dragon's back and into the water below. As soon as Harry's body wentin, he could feel himself being pulled away.
There was a surge of anger; blinding white-hot anger that filled him like a fast-acting poison. He could see the bank, the vault, and the cup gone from its place. There was a goblin on the floor; dark hair and torn clothes of Griphook lay before him. The sword was in the goblin's tight grip. He watched it disappear into thin air. Then he was there, on a sea-washed cliff side; the mouth of the cave he remembered so well stood open to him. Through the passage, to the boat, across the lake, and onto the island, he saw the eerie green light from the potion. With a wave of his hand, it cleared to reveal nothing. That same white-hot wave went through him again, and Harry could practically feel his forehead splitting open. Then he saw it; Hogwarts, Rowena Ravenclaw, and a tower flashing into his mind as clear as day.
He could feel four hands gripping his shoulders and arms and pulling him up through the icy water. When his head broke the surface, he opened his eyes and saw them; Ron and Hermione were both looking at him with very concerned expressions. They were both treading water while he was nearly about to go back under due to his lack of movement. They managed to get him to the frozen shore, and when his feet hit solid ground, Harry was fully back to himself. Aching to the point of collapse and cold to the bone, he coughed and caught his breath while Hermione withdrew her wand and the bag she had shrank back in the bank. From within it, she removed freshly laundered robes for them all and sat it down on the ground while they changed. Before handing them to the other two, Hermione cast a lasting warming charm on the piles of clothing. The two men beside her both had matching grateful expressions as they took turns under the invisibility cloak changing into their warm robes. When they were done, Hermione took her turn while Harry performed drying and cleaning charms on their old things before shoving them back into Hermione's bag. They could be cleaned properly another time. Hermione emerged and performed the same spells on the old robes from Grimmauld Place that she had used for her impersonation of Bellatrix. When they were placed back into her bag as well, she turned to Harry.
"You saw something." Harry didn't even ask how she knew, but Hermione answered anyway. "You just went rigid in the water and Ron and I had to go after you. What was it?"
"He knows what we're doing." Harry said as he pulled the chalice from a pocket of his robes to examine it. "He knows we're looking for these and that we've found the locket." He couldn't find a way to describe the pain and rage that had passed through him at the time. Harry usually could understand it, but Voldemort's thoughts were becoming unstable and disconnected.
"Anything else?" Ron asked hopefully.
"Hogwarts." Harry nodded. "One is at Hogwarts and it has something to do with Rowena Ravenclaw."
"Rowena Ravenclaw?" Hermione shook her head in slight confusion. "How do you know?"
"I saw her and Ravenclaw tower. It has something to do with her, but I'm not sure what." Harry said as he replaced the golden cup into his pocket. "We'll have to go to Hogsmeade and try the cellar at Honeydukes."
"So apparate into Hogsmeade?" Hermione sounded skeptical. "Won't that be dangerous?"
"Not into Hogsmeade, no." Harry shook his head. He remembered what he had heard about the village. "Caterwauling charm was placed."
"A what?" Ron looked befuddled at this news.
"Caterwauling charm, Ron." Hermione repeated. "It basically alerts anyone of intruders' presence by emitting a rather noticeablel squalling sound." Turning her eyes onto Harry again, she searched him as she spoke next. "How did you know?"
"McGonagall told me."
"When you saw her in Godric's Hollow…" Hermione nodded slowly.
"Yeah. Said she had to leave the village and go to the north, where we met Sirius, and disapparate from there."
"You saw her in Godric's Hollow?" Ron asked as he helped Hermione place a few other things back in her bag that she had gotten out to find their robes. "What was she doing there?"
"Said she needed an excuse to leave the castle over Christmas." Harry shrugged as he went on. "With the Carrows and Snape, I can't say I blame her. Saw her in the graveyard on Christmas Eve night."
"So there's a charm over Hogsmeade to keep "undesireables" out…" Ron muttered as he thought for a moment. "Think that cave is alright, then? The one where we met Sirius and Buckbeak?"
"Should be safe enough." Harry hoped it was, anyway. The last thing they needed was the entire village and castle to be alerted to their presence. He waited as Hermione slung her bag over her shoulder and tightened her traveling cloak around her neck. Once they were all set, the three concentrated on the cave where they had discussed the prophet and tournament with Sirius before disapparating away from the lakeside and the dragon that had finally landed and was taking in mouthfuls of water from an island nearby.
When they hit solid ground again, they were in the musty cave outside of Hogsmeade. Dark and gloomy, it still looked exactly as it had when Sirius had inhabited it for a short time. Harry could see many of the shop lights from Hogsmeade's high street as he looked out of the cave's mouth. The sun wasn't too far down just yet, and normally, this would be the time when students were headed home from their visit to the village. Motioning to the others, he pulled out the invisibility cloak and threw it over them all. It was a hard fit, but all three managed to get beneath it again to travel the distance from the cave to the village. On their way in however, they saw a few familiar death eaters. Goyle was emerging from the Three Broomsticks, while Macnair was exiting the Hog's Head pub. Then there were other cloaked figures that met them as well; these had normal witches and wizards moving quickly from store to house or back toward the castle. Dementors were coming out of the shadows to glide throughout the streets.
The three pressed on in their movement toward the village, and when they got onto the high street, Harry felt as if someone had taken ice and injected it into his veins. The dementors were hovering on every street corner, and he didn't have to listen hard to hear that familiar rattling breath they took. With a slight nudge from Hermione, he pressed on, and they came within feet of Macnair as he prowled the alleyway near the Hog's Head. Unfortunately, as he passed, so too did two dementors. They didn't seem to phase the death eater much, but Harry could already hear the screams of his mother and father in his ears. He could feel the white fog filling his mind, and his legs felt as if they were made of rubber and would fold beneath him. While Macnair went on down the high street, Harry searched his pocket for his wand. It was there, and he had his grip on it, but as he went to pull it out, he heard a voice from somewhere down the lane.
"And stay away from my bar, you gits!" With that, a patronus had come cantering toward them in the form of a goat. It stood between the three and the dementors as a shield. Harry could feel his head clearing ad the screams and shouts growing further away. They were nearly gone when he heard that same voice speaking in a low hiss. "You three, over here."
Turning, they saw a man stepping back from the doorway of the Hog's Head, and for a second, Harry could have sworn he had seen Dumbledore. The silver-white hair and beard moved quickly out of sight, and a brown cat left the bar. Hermione's hand closed around Harry's arm and she almost pulled him toward the bar. He was still slightly shaken by the dementors, and he hated the lasting effect. Finally snapping out of it, he joined them in their brisk walk, and managed to get inside the door before it slowly closed. When they saw it lock, all three looked to the bar where that same old man stood. He had Dumbledore's light blue eyes, but they did not hold Albus' warmth. The face was similar, but hardened by time. Harry also saw that the man's nose was clearly not broken. He wore dark brown robes that were thick for the winter, and he walked with an almost always tired air as he moved closer. Motioning for them to follow him, he led them up above the bar.
Once clear of the stairs, Harry removed the cloak and took a moment to look around the room he was in. There was a sofa, a table, a portrait of a beautiful young woman with auburn hair and the same blue eyes as Dumbledore's, and Sirius' mirror. Harry could see himself in the mirror as he looked at the square piece of polished glass. Turning to look at the Hog's Head bartender, Harry saw a knowing look. He didn't even have to voice the question of how the old man had gotten it, either. The bartender had moved past him, picked up the mirror, and turned it in his hand a few times before he motioned to them to sit down. He pulled out a few dusty butterbeers from a case in the corner and sat them on the table as well before sitting down himself.
"Got that mirror from Mundungus Fletcher, I did." The barman looked Harry over carefully. "You were wondering just how I got it off of Sirius Black, were you not?"
"That was his mirror." Harry said evenly. "Dung had no right to steal it."
"Think about it this way; where would you be if I hadn't gotten it off him?"
"It was you I saw in the mirror then." Harry said as he searched his mind for the times he had seen the eye looking back at him. "I saw you over the summer and while we were captured-"
"At Lucius Malfoy's estate, yeah." The man nodded sharply.
"You're Aberforth, aren't you? Albus Dumbledore's brother?" Harry guessed. Seeing the man nod, Harry went on. "You sent Dobby."
"I did; rather liked that elf. Where'd you leave him?"
"He's back at Hogwarts." Harry said simply as he wrenched off the cap of his butterbeer and took a small swig of it. The liquid filled him with a warmth that he felt he really needed. True, it wasn't as powerful as chocolate's effect, but it still did the job for chasing the chill of the weather and the dementors away. "Thank you for letting us in here, but how did you know we were here?"
"Saw too many footprints in the snow." Aberforth said simply as he looked over the rim of his own bottle. "That cloak of yours won't completely conceal you in this weather."
"Do you hear from the Order at all?" Hermione asked as she too took a long draft of her butterbeer.
"The Order's done." Aberforth said flatly. "Any resistance was quashed long ago."
"We need to get back into the castle. Is there any way to do that?" Ron was looking from Aberforth to the portrait back and forth as he asked this.
"No way in or out that will be safe for you lot."
"Dumbledore left us a task, and to finish it, I need to get into Hogwarts-"
"Did he now?" Aberforth asked with a skeptical tone. "Any task that involves you goin' back in there is a suicide run. You'd be better off turning around and going into hiding."
"Can't do that, now can I?" Harry asked. He could already tell that there was definite animosity between Aberforth and his brother. "I know he wouldn't just send me off into impossible odds-"
"Really?" Aberforth asked; his voice rising in volume slightly to overtake Harry's. "Think he wouldn't do something to put you in danger, do you?"
"I trusted him."
"That's a boy's answer, not a man's." Aberforth snapped. "You think he wouldn't give you some damned near impossible task… You're lying; not to me, that doesn't matter. "You trusted him and you thought you knew him… Tell me, in all that time you knew him, did he ever mention my name? Ever mention hers?" Aberforth gestured to the portrait on the wall.
"That's your sister, Ariana, isn't it?" Hermione asked in an attempt to diffuse the tension between them. "We saw her and your mother's graves in Godric's Hollow's cemetery."
"She looked up to him, but I was the one that could keep her calm and her mind off things." The barman looked from Ariana to Hermione. "Albus was too busy looking for power that he let it blind him to what really mattered. Mother died, and he was there to assume the family's responsibilities he never wanted." He was sounding more and more bitter as he went on, and Harry could see Aberforth's expression darken with every word. "His quest for ultimate power made her pay the ultimate price."
"I don't really care what happened between you and your brother." Harry said almost coldly as he looked Aberforth in the eye. "I need a way into that castle tonight, whether you can help or not. Maybe you've given up, but there are those Order members out there that are still fighting."
"Only Order member in that castle has assumed you're captured." That stopped Harry in his movement to get up from the table. "But if you've really got to get in that place and kill yourself, then go on ahead." Aberforth stood and moved to the portrait. He looked Ariana over before saying softly. "You know what to do." With that, the young woman turned and started strolling down the path that was painted on her canvas. It showed a garden on either side and a periwinkle blue sky above. As her retreating back got smaller and smaller, Ron voiced a question.
"Where's she going?"
"You'll see soon enough." Aberforth said with a resigned tone to his voice. Harry looked from the portrait back to him again.
"I trusted the man I knew. It's all I could do at the time. He didn't offer any personal stories, and neither did I. I won't say it's been easy, but everything he has told me has been the truth. I'm using that to end all of this."
While Aberforth said nothing, he rose from his chair and headed back down to the bar. Hermione looked from him back to Harry and had a satisfied look on her face. "You know, you might not have given him the answer he wanted, but I don't think he's given up just yet. He did keep an eye on us in that mirror, and he didn't have to."
"Hope that's not true, what he said about McGonagall, I mean." Ron muttered. "Wouldn't think you were captured, would she? Doesn't strike me as the sort to just give up."
"No…" Harry could almost see why she would think they had been captured. He hadn't written at all since they had escaped Malfoy Manor, and he hadn't even had time to look at the parchment since then. Addressing the last part of Ron's comment, he had a slight bit of confidence as he spoke. "You know she isn't the sort to just stop fighting. Look at what happened with Umbridge."
"Yeah, she even said she'd have chased the toad out herself but Peeves had nicked her walking stick." Hermione had to smile at that memory. As Harry did the same, he couldn't help but want to kick himself for not at least mentioning that they were alright. At that point however, the figure of Ariana Dumbledore could be seen coming back toward her portrait, and she wasn't alone.
"Who's that she's got with her?" Hermione had just enough time to ask this before Aberforth returned and the portrait swung open. When it did, Neville stepped out of it. "Neville!"
"At first I thought it was a joke, but…" Neville said as he stepped down from the passage beyond the portrait. "Figured it was worth a look. It's damned good to see you lot!" He said as he met the eyes of Harry, Hermione, and Ron. When he spoke next, he addressed Aberforth. "Hey Ab, I think we'll have a few others coming through." At this, the barman nodded and headed downstairs again to wait by the window. This left Harry and the others to follow Neville back through the portrait and into the stone passage he had just come from.
"Is this the only way in, then?" Harry asked as they heard the portrait close behind them. The corridor ahead was alight with a few torches every so may feet apart. It was warmer than any had expected it to be, but it was simple flagged stone. "Have the others been sealed off?"
"Snape had them sealed early on." Neville nodded as he moved on ahead. Harry could see he was holding his arm very carefully.
"How'd that happen?" Ron asked as he pointed at Neville's arm. They were moving along the passage at a good pace, but they couldn't see anything but torches ahead.
"Never healed properly. Last lesson with the Carrows was practicing the cruciatus curse… I refused." Neville said calmly as if it was a casual thing to practice the "torture" curse in school. "Terrible lot, the Carrows."
"Yeah, I've met them." Harry said as he remembered their being there when Dumbledore had been killed. "Heard they're professors of Muggle Studies and Defense."
"Yeah, if you can call either that now." Neville said. They were gradually going up a slow incline, and Harry could just make out the brown wooden surface of what looked to be the back of a portrait or a door at the end. "Good news is that we hardly ever see Snape. He's always shut away in his office. Carrows take care of punishments now. I actually think Filch is depressed over it."
"He would be depressed over something like that." Ron muttered as they finally got within a few yards of the portrait's back. "Git."
"Let's have some fun, shall we?" Neville grinned as he reached for the wooden surface to push it open. He motioned for the others to stand back. When the portrait swung forward, he stepped out. "Look alive, you lot. I've got a surprise."
"Hope it's not anymore of Aberforth's cooking…" Harry could hear the voice of Seamus Finnegan. "Hardly able to keep that down."
Neville stepped aside and had Harry, Ron, and Hermione step through the passage's entrance. As many eyes fell upon them, cheering erupted and there were several gasps and movements to rush forward. Neville cut past them and said something to Lee Jordan, who was standing nearby. Lee immediately got on a device that Harry recognized as a means to broadcast from the wizarding wireless. He said something and stepped back. This left others to rush forward and welcome the three back into the school. Among them were Luna, Dean, Seamus, Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Cho Chang, and Ginny. There were several others that none of them recognized, but it felt good to be among familiar faces. Only when most had gotten to say hello and welcome back, did Neville speak again.
"So, what's the plan, Harry?"
"I've got to find something." Harry began. This led to a few other questions from others.
"What is it?" Dean asked.
"We don't know."
"Where is it?" Ernie voiced this one.
"We don't know that either." Harry said with a slight frown. "I realize that's not much to go on, but I think it has something to do with Rowena Ravenclaw… Something small and easily concealed."
"There's the diadem." Luna said calmly as she stepped forward from the cluster of people. When no one said anything, she went on. "The lost diadem of Ravenclaw? Hasn't anyone heard of it?"
"Yes, but Luna, it's lost…" Cho nodded, though she seemed to be thinking the same thing.
"What is a bloody diadem, anyway?" Ron asked when the crowd had gone quiet again.
"It's a sort of crown or a tiara." Cho said. "People looked for it for years thinking that it would bring them great knowledge."
"Seems to be a good start." Harry said quietly. In truth, he had no idea what he was looking for, but this diadem seemed to be a safe assumption.
"I can at least show you what you're looking for." Luna offered, and Harry agreed. "You might want to take that cloak of yours, though. No need to be seen just yet." Harry nodded and pulled the cloak back out from where he had stuffed it in his pocket at the Hog's Head. Walking through the room they were in with Luna, Harry threw it over them as he got to the door.
"We'll get things ready, Harry." Ginny said as she saw him disappear. "Looks like we'll have a good fight on our hands, doesn't it?"
'One that's been a long time coming for some." Harry said as he placed a hand on the door and prepared to push it open.
He and Luna moved through the corridors quickly, and Harry realized that they had been in the room of requirement when they had exited the passage. He also knew where she was taking him. The path she chose was discrete but it led to Ravenclaw tower. They had withdrawn the Marauders' map to keep an eye on the corridors surrounding them, but so far, there was nothing to really worry about. They could see Mrs. Norris on the second floor and Filch skulking around the dungeons. Snape was in his office on the seventh floor at the moment, and their path seemed clear. Upon reaching the tower, Luna stopped outside a handsome door with a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle's talon. Using it once, they heard a very faint but smooth voice pose a question.
"What holds no secrets but is quick to show one's flaws?"
"A mirror's reflection." Luna answered smoothly and was granted access to the common room. When the door swung open, Harry saw the many tables, midnight blue carpet, and almost starry ceiling of the room ahead. There was a warm fire, armchairs, and many bookshelves, but what caught Harry's attention the most was a marble sculpture of a very beautiful woman; Rowena Ravenclaw herself. When he pulled the cloak off to examine it more closely, he heard a sudden movement and cackling laughter. Turning to see who the third party was, his wand landed on Alecto Carrow.
"Knew you'd be here tonight, he did."
"Assumed as much." Harry shot back. He hadn't expected anyone to be here, but then again, he wasn't sure if Voldemort was aware he had seen Ravenclaw Tower while invading his mind, either. "Before you touch that mark of yours, I'd think about it. I could be long gone by the time he got here. Happened with Bellatrix Lestrange at Malfoy Manor."
"Already done it, haven't I?" Alecto smirked as she moved her wand from Harry to Luna and back. "No escaping this time, Potter."
"We'll see." Harry said calmly as he kept his wand firmly trained on the Carrow sister, but turned his eyes to Luna. She seemed to already have an idea, because she plunged her hand into her robes and withdrew a black pellet and flung it to the ground. Immediately, darkness overtook the room, and Harry cast a stunner straight ahead. He heard the resounding thump of a body hitting the floor, and he threw the cloak back over himself and Luna. While they waited for the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder to dissipate, Harry spoke aloud. "Where do you reckon the diadem is?"
"There's no real way to know." Luna said from beside him. "It vanished many centuries ago, and there have been no records of it resurfacing." Before she could go on, there was another voice, but this one was far off. Harry recognized it as the same voice that had questioned them before they entered the common room.
"Where do vanished objects go?"
"I dunno, do I?" This was a male's voice; gruff and almost dim-sounding, Harry knew it to be that of the Carrow brother, Amycus. "Open up."
"It will not do to leave such things unanswered." The voice said airily in response to Amycus. This was not what the other Carrow wanted to hear.
"Shut it and open up." Amycus snapped. "Alecto! You in there! Let me in!"
"What the devil is going on here?"
Harry and Luna froze in their preparation to blast the door open and knock Amycus out. Since hearing him speak, they had decided on pulling the door open and blasting him back as hard as possible, but this stopped them.
"I need in there and this thing ain't havin' it." Amycus responded to the newcomer.
"Didn't Filius let Alecto into Ravenclaw tower earlier in the evening?" I don't see why she wouldn't respond to your obvious attempts."
"Don't really give a damn, do I? Go on, open it!"
"As you wish."
"Where do vanished objects go?" The voice at the door asked again.
"Into non-being, which is to say, everywhere."
"Well reasoned." The door swung open again, and Amycus Carrow stepped inside followed by Professor McGonagall. Harry took this moment to look both teachers over. Amycus hadn't changed much since the last time he had seen him on the Astronomy tower, but McGonagall looked worse for wear. She looked thoroughly exhausted; eyes had dark shadows, her posture even seemed to be off. She stood taller than Amycus, but the witch Harry used to consider rather formidable was replaced by a woman who almost looked as if she had indeed given up as Aberforth suggested.
"Alecto?" Harry was brought out of his thoughts as he saw Amycus move through the room and freeze when he spotted his sister. "Alecto!"
"She is merely stunned." McGonagall said in a dismissive tone. "She will be well enough soon."
"No she ruddy well won't!" Amycus snarled as he turned on his heel to face McGonagall again. "Felt it burn… She summoned him, she did. Must have thought the boy was here…"
"What are you on about?" Now a bit annoyed at Amycus senseless rambling, Minerva narrowed her eyes. "Who would have been here other than Ravenclaw students?"
"She wasn't here by accident!" Amycus shouted. He strode forward, and Harry had to pull Luna back with him to avoid a collision with the death eater. "He thought Potter would be here tonight!"
"Potter…" Harry and Luna watched her expression to see just how it would change, but it didn't. McGonagall still looked rather miffed. "Why would he be in Ravenclaw Tower? He belongs in my house." This was said with a pride that Harry had never really listened for in her tone before. Immediately, he felt that same warmth flood through him as he had at Bill and Fleur's wedding.
"How should I know!" The Carrow brother snapped as he glared at her. "Doesn't matter now. She called him here, and Potter's not… " Amycus looked around the room and while there was silence, they could all hear the slight sound of people stirring upstairs in the dormitories. "Yeah… That's what I'll do… Say a few of these brats made her do it-"
"You'll do no such thing." McGonagall said sharply with a horrified expression. "No student would be fool enough to force her to summon him here, and I will not allow you to even consider blaming them for her misjudgment-" She was silenced by his wand at her throat. Amycus may not have been nearly as tall or intimidating, but he had a means of getting his point across.
"You're not in a position to stop me are you, you old bat?" Luna had to restrain Harry as Amycus deliberately spit in her face before continuing. "We're in charge now, and there ain't a ruddy thing you can do about it. Blame these brats and let them take the fall."
"The hell you will-" Before she could draw her wand however, Amycus was already moving his wand and shouting a curse.
"Crucio!" He jabbed his wand and Harry froze. He watched his head of house crashing to the ground; body jerking slightly as she went. Jaw clenched, she did not give Amycus the satisfaction of hearing any sign of pain, but her breathing was hard as he made a mad swipe with his wand. Immediately an angry cut appeared and sent blood spraying down the side of her face.
"Crucio!" Harry concentrated on Amycus as he could hear the incantation being shouted in his head. He had thrown off the cloak and was working his jaw furiously while watching as Amycus stiffened and was slammed onto the floor twisting and writhing as he fell. Howling in pain, his eyes were moving like mad; searching the room for any sign of who had just done this to him, but it didn't take him long to succumb to the pain. It didn't help that his head had slammed against hard stone when he had fallen backwards. Only when the shouting had stopped did Harry hear the slight buzzing of the muffliato charm. He assumed that Luna had cast it just before he had attacked Amycus. Harry dropped down beside his still shaking professor and pointed his wand at the base of the deep cut that the Carrow brother had caused. "Vulnura Senentur." Carefully following the path of the injury as he had seen Snape do in his sixth year, Harry was thankful to see the skin start to heal, though it seemed it would leave a scar.
