Chapter 7

The Solution

"This isn't going to work." Neville gulped, glancing nervously around the corner and down the west hall.

"This was your idea Neville." Ginny reminded him, rubbing her head, which she had just smacked against the stone wall behind them, "Now man up and get your arse out there."

"Easier said then done, I imagine." A dreamy and rather muffled voice sounded from behind them and after much scuffling Luna's head came into view, "It is rather daunting, isn't it? Breaking into the headmaster's office?"

"Yeah, Luna, but it was his idea." Ginny hissed.

"Still." Luna said, managing a short of half shrug, which was impressive considering how little space there was. She, Ginny and Neville were crouched in a very tight passage behind the portrait of Bridget Baston outside the headmaster's office. The space was ment for one person at most, not three, and it was a feat in itself that they had all managed to squeeze themselves into there.

"For the love of God Neville, go!" Ginny whispered urgently after glancing at her wrist watch. In just three short minutes the bell signaling the end of class would ring, and the halls would be flooded with people. They needed to get into the headmaster's office before that happened. Ginny knew for a fact that Snape was down in the Dungeons helping Slughorn take care of a very curious conundrum involving acid pops, Bubotober pus, and several confunded Nifflers. Her class had been let out early because of it, and, though Snape had given her a suspicious glare went they had filed out, she was sure she had gotten off scot free. It was lunch period after Potions, and Snape always took his in the Great Hall. This was the perfect time to get into his office.

Now, however, it seemed that all of her hard work was going to have been in vain, because Neville seemed completely frozen. With an irritated grunt, Ginny maneuvered her way to the front.

"Alright, on my count-Luna, you're sure of the password?"

"Oh, yes." Luna's typically spacey voice replied.

"Ok, on the ready, wands out everyone-one-"

"Oh god," Neville choked.

"Two-"

"I wonder what will happen to us if we get caught?"

"Carrow would just about piss himself with joy-"

"Will you two shut up! THREE!"

They burst from the portrait and sprinted down the hall, screeching to a halt in front of the Gargoyle stationed in front of Snape's office.

"Pure-blood." Ginny gasped, clutching her side, and the gargoyle slowly spun around to reveal the familiar spiral staircase it concealed.

The trio hurried up the stairs as quietly as they could whilst still moving at a reasonable pace. No sooner had Luna reached the first step, and the gargoyle swing shut then they heard the bell ring, signaling the end of class.

"Well that was close." Neville commented in the ringing silence that followed the bell in the stairwell.

"Come on, let's go." Ginny said, shaking it off as she began to climb the stairs again. Neville and Luna followed, the former apprehensively, the latter with a definite spring to her step.

The ascended the stairs in silence, each taking in their surroundings and careful not to make a sound. They all flinched when Ginny pushed open the office door, making it creak loudly.

It seemed deserted, Ginny noted, taking a cautious step into the room, and then another, Luna and Neville following close behind.

She had never been in the office when Dumbledore had been headmaster, but the room still seemed like him. Tiny, odd looking instruments whirled on the endless shelves that lined the walls, adding a dull humming to the otherwise silent room. The portraits were all asleep, or at least pretending to be. Ginny couldn't help but notice that the rather large portrait that usually held the visage of their late headmaster was empty.

"You know, I've never been in here." Luna said conversationally, moving closer to the shelves to examine a particularly strange silver object, ",It's really rather nice."

"Looks just like it did when it was Dumbledore's." Neville murmured, echoing Ginny's thought as he cast his eyes about the room.

"I didn't know you'd ever been in here Neville." Luna said brightly, turning to her friend.

"Yeah, well…"Neville suddenly looked uncomfortable, and avoided both Luna and Ginny's curious glances.

"Come on then." Ginny said, wanting to avoid break the short awkward pause, and gestured her friends deeper into the room.

"Ok, it was right around here.." Ginny said, looking from left to right as they approached the headmaster's desk.

"There!" Luna exclaimed, and 'there' it was. Glittering in a glass case next to the ever shabby Sorting Hat was the sword of Gryffindor.

"Excellent." Neville said, "But how do we get it?"
But Ginny was already climbing up into the desk, scattering parchment and ink left and right as she went. Extending her wand arm towards the case she stumbled a little before standing and uttering.

"Diffindo!"

The glass shattered and, with a resounding CLANG! The sword fell from it's place on the wall and fell with a soft thump onto the carpeted floor below.

"Stealing from the headmaster? My, what would Dumbledore say?" A sly and to familiar voice said, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Hello Mr. Nigellus." Ginny said jauntily, without missing a beat, or even turning to glance at the sneering portrait.

"Such a stupid girl, messing with things that do not concern you."

"As a matter of fact they do concern us." Neville said, stepping forward to Ginny's side, "In case you haven't realized, there's a war going on out there."

"I realize more then you could possibly comprehend boy." Nigellus smirked, his oily voice practically dripping with distaste as his cold grey eyes observed Neville, 'And mark my words, Professor Snape is doing what is in this schools best interest."

"Well then you have a pretty skewed view of what's in this school's best interest!" Neville exclaimed, his face flushing.

"Come on Neville," Luna murmured, taking Neville by the elbow, "Let's just go."

As they hurried for the door the portrait called out after them "Heed my words! You are rash fooli-" but the door swung shut before the rest could reach their ears.

The halls were empty, everyone was away at lunch. It was a bit of luck that they didn't run into Peeves. But even though it seemed luck was on their side, Ginny had to admit that the silent halls, so devoid of life and sound, were creepy.

They smuggled the sword down the second floor staircase, and were nearly to the Gryffindor common room when Ginny finally allowed herself a smile and sigh of relief.

"I can't believe we did it!"

'Yeah." Neville grinned, "Almost too good to be true isn't it?"

"It is." An oily voice agreed from the shadows. The trio halted immediately as Snape emerged from the shadow of a suit of armor, "I'll be taking that back now, Longbottom."