– Chapter Twenty Two –
Famine
Romi woke up the next morning starving. Her stomach growled awfully as she pulled herself in a sitting position and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Zhi was sitting in front of her, purring loudly, and staring at Romi with large eyes.
"Are you hungry too?" Romi murmured, "I'm sure there is some mice in the dungeons or something."
Zhi just flicked her tail. Romi sighed, and then pushing her cat out of the way, she sat up in bed and stretched. The other girls were just getting up as well, rubbing their eyes and moving slowly.
Romi walked down to breakfast with Hermione, and sat with Neville and Ginny. Harry and Ron appeared ten minutes later, and looked at the breakfast table as though they'd never eaten before in their lives.
"I never thought I'd be so happy to see food," Ron said as he slumped into a seat next Romi. Harry took a spot on the opposite side of the table.
"I thought you were always happy to see food," Romi replied, pushing a large bowl of porridge in his direction.
"True," answered Ron, "but just even more so today. I just woke up starving!"
"Me too," Harry added, taking a slice of toast for himself.
"How is that egg coming, Harry?" Hermione asked, glaring him down as he spread jam on his toast. Harry looked a little red.
"It's going fine," he mumbled.
"Give it a break, Hermione," Ron said, "he's got tons of time to work it out. In the meantime, more important things like the quiz we've got in Herbology this morning."
"Just remember to feed them before you start pulling," Neville said, pouring himself more tea. "You'll be fine."
"Thanks mate," Ron answered, raising his toast to Neville before devouring the whole thing.
They stayed at breakfast a bit late that day, even though it seemed like everyone else in the castle was too. Romi thought that the breakfast tables looked very empty when the leftovers were finally magically called back into the kitchen downstairs. Though, she couldn't decide if it was because people seemed unusually hungry today, or because there was a lack of food to begin with.
Zhi had followed Romi down to the Great Hall and was gnawing on a chicken bone on the seat next to Romi. Where she had got the chicken bone, Romi had no idea, but when they all stood up to go to class, Zhi carefully clamped the chicken bone in her jaws and padded her way after them.
Neville looked back a couple times as they made their way towards the greenhouses.
"I think she's coming to class with us," he said finally.
"That's alright," Romi replied, "that way I can keep an eye on her so she doesn't choke on those chicken bones."
"Maybe you should take it away from her," Neville suggested.
"You try taking that away from her," Romi replied. Neville glanced back again, and then looked at Romi.
"I've heard that chicken bones aren't as bad for cats, they like to crunch before they swallow," Neville said, lightly. Romi grinned as they made it to the Greenhouses.
Romi wasn't sure if it was just her, but it seemed like even the plants were hungry. Romi wasn't particularly good at Herbology to begin with, and got several bites from different plants on a regular day, but today seemed even worse. Even Neville got bitten, which never happened, and even bizarrely still, the plants they weren't working on seemed to want to bite them too.
Zhi stayed with Romi the whole class, except for about twenty minutes before the end when a Venomous Tentactula tendril bit her on her tail, and Zhi attacked the plant in frenzy. It was shocking enough to see Zhi attack a plant, when normally she didn't fight or chase much of anything, but it was shocking still to see the plant fight back. Professor Sprout eventually got control of the Venamous Tentactula under control and quite firmly told Romi to put Zhi outside. Romi gathered her cat in her arms and shut her out of the greenhouse.
Even before returning to her seat, Zhi started to meow at the door in a very loud and annoying manner, in order to be let in again.
"What is with her?" Neville asked, as their lessons were now interrupted periodically with meyowals from Zhi.
"I have no idea," Romi replied. "Ouch!" she yelped, pulling her bitten hand away from the plant. "I think everything's just gone loopy," she said finally, putting her finger in her mouth and sucking on it.
Class finally ended and all of the Gryffindors made their way back up to the castle, sore, bitten and exhausted.
"Do you think they'll have a mid-day snack for us?" Ron muttered, "I feel like after that class, we need to refuel to tackle the rest of the day."
"Is Zhi okay, Romi?" Hermione asked, watching the small black cat in front of their group as though she was leading the way back to Gryffindor tower.
"No clue," Romi replied. "She hasn't left my side the whole morning, and aside from her momentary loss of temper in the Green houses, she hasn't been acting too strangely."
Suddenly Zhi stopped, head straight down to the ground and chewing something.
"What has she got now?" Neville said, as they came up to her. Romi bent down and picked up her black cat under the shoulders. Zhi didn't struggle, but up with her came another chicken bone, and Zhi was happily munching away on it.
"Now where did she get that?" Neville mused.
"Look," Harry said, pointing down the hallway, "there's another one."
Zhi squirmed out of Romi's hands and chased the chicken bone down.
"Maybe they were left over from some other cat," Ron said, finally. "Come on, we've got tons of homework to get done."
"Well, have fun," Romi said, as they made it to Gryffindor tower, "I've just got to grab my uniform, then I'm down to Madam Pomfrey's."
"Have fun will all that blood and stuff," Harry said with a yawn. "Maybe we should take another trip down to the kitchens."
"Those House-elves have enough to do without feeding you two," Hermione said, looking very ruffled.
"I'm going to leave before she starts in earnest," Romi said, scrambling through the portrait hole, "I'll see you guys at lunch time."
Romi made her way down to the Hospital Wing ten minutes later. Half way there and she was joined by Zhi again. She couldn't really figure that cat out today. Zhi walked with her all the way to the Hospital Wing and sat outside, watching up and down the corridor. Romi stared at her for a moment, and then entered.
"Ah, there you are, Romi," Madam Pomfrey said, looking up as Romi walked in. Madam Pomfrey was just handing a steaming potion to a first year kid that Romi didn't know. "Drink that right up, Mr Bickerton," she said to the kid, "and that cold will go away in an hour."
"Thanks," murmured the boy, and did as he was told. As soon as it was done, he made a face and held out the goblet.
"Run along now, then," Madam Pomfrey said, taking the mug back from him. He jumped off the bed and scampered out of the Hospital Wing.
"The flu season is still hanging on," Madam Pomfrey said, "not as bad as it was a couple weeks ago, but still. Winter has just begun."
"Yeah, though I have a feeling that we're aren't going to have too many cases," Romi said, putting her books down on the desk that she had used since last year. "Sorry I was a bit late, had to clean up after Herbology."
Madam Pomfrey came up to her and held up her right hand.
"You got bitten again?" she said, looking at her surprised. Romi shrugged.
"Plants just don't like me," Romi replied. "What are we learning today?"
"Hmm," Madam Pomfrey replied, "I would like to start with going over gastrointestinal problems."
"Seems like everyone's mind is on food today," Romi said with a little smile.
"Guaranteed, my dear, food is always on everyone's mind," Madam Pomfrey said, returning to Romi with a tray full of petry dishes. "We're going to start with some abnormal bacteria that you would find in your GI tract and what they do."
"Romi, I really hate to so say," Luna said, as they sat down to dinner at the Ravenclaw table, "but I think we have a horseman closing in."
"What makes you say that?" Romi asked, helping herself to a large heaping of Shepard's pie.
"Well, have you noticed everything's hunger today?" Luna pointed out. "And that." She pointed to Zhi, who sitting on the bench beside Romi, eating another chicken bone.
"As weird as that is, doesn't necessarily mean a Horseman," Romi said, watching her cat.
"You did say you thought Famine was coming," Ginny said, thoughtfully, mixing her Shepard's Pie with her fork as she thought.
"Well, as long as there is only one, right?" Neville said in a whisper, his eyes very wide. "I mean, one against four means the odds are in our favour – it worked last time."
"We had help last time," Ginny reminded him, "and I might add, even though there is four of us, none of us are even fifteen yet."
Romi sighed, "Right now, I think it would be easy to be Harry and fight in the Triwizard Tournament."
"I don't think he would agree with you," Luna answered. There was silence for a little longer and then Ginny put down her fork and looked at her friends seriously.
"Horseman or not on their way here, I think we really need to start thinking about this False Prophet," she said, her eyebrows knitting together. "Perhaps if with can deal with them, then the rest of the Horsemen won't follow, right?"
"But where would we even begin?" Neville asked. "Unless you think it was that girl, who gave us the needle?"
"I doubt it, Pestilence didn't seem too happy to hear she'd interfered," Ginny replied, "Besides, we wouldn't know where to begin looking for her anyways."
"What do you think, Romi?" Luna asked. "Can you think of anyone that might be the False Prophet?"
Romi sat quite, thinking and watching her Zhi crunch up the last of her chicken bone. "I don't know about the False Prophet," Romi muttered. "But I can't stop thinking about Pheobe Capello's life line."
"Why would you be thinking about that?" Neville asked. "Didn't you say so yourself that you don't really know how to read palms…"
"Yeah," Romi said, with a smile and a sigh, "never mind, it has nothing to do with what we're doing right now. I guess that'll be a question for Captain, if he ever arrives again."
"His absence bothers me," Neville said, also frowning.
"There was once a time when you didn't like when he showed up," Romi said with a smile.
"That was because he usually brought a dangerous challenge with him," grumbled Neville, taking a bite of his dinner.
"Right cause – ow!" Romi yelped, as Zhi dug her claws into her thigh and then made a huge ungraceful leap from the table and raced up the aisle towards the Entrance Hall.
"What was that?" Ginny said, peering after the clearly psycho cat.
"Beats me," Romi answered, rubbing the spot on her thigh where Zhi's claws had ripped into it.
They all watched the little black cat head straight to the Entrance Hall and were completely surprised when she stopped and looked back right at them. Then Zhi hurried back down the aisle, stopped at Romi's feet and meowed very loudly, took a few paces forward and looked back and meowed again, very impatiently.
"I think she wants you to follow her…" Neville said, slowly, looking down at Zhi.
"Well, then," Luna said, sliding out of her seat, "we mustn't keep her waiting."
Luna started walking up towards the Entrance Hall, following Zhi. The other three looked at each other, and then with all of them snagging a last bite of dinner, they ran after Zhi and Luna.
It was only just nearing the end of dinner, but everyone still seemed to be in the Great Hall, finishing up. Zhi turned very quickly and walked down the corridor that led them to the dungeons.
"What do you think she's following?" Ginny asked, after they'd past the last dungeon and took a left in one of the corridors.
Romi glanced at Neville, she was starting to realise where they were going. "This place looks familiar, doesn't it?" she said to Neville.
"Yup," Neville answered, looking over the walls. "I swear every year we come down here the castle has added three more corridors."
"Perhaps the castle is always growing itself," Luna replied, "like the students inside as they increase their magical knowledge, so too, does the castle increase its size and mysteriousness."
"One theory I could actually agree on," Ginny said, as they rounded a bend. "That looks like the room where we dealt with the Astaroth last year."
Romi peaked in and saw the small mirror on the wall that gave a slight glow; the only thing in that room. "Looks like," she said. Romi looked around again. "Where did Zhi go?"
All four turned around in a circle, but they couldn't see her. Then suddenly there was the loud sound of cat's hiss and growl coming from around the corner up ahead. Romi sprinted down the hall way, and turned quickly, the other four following right behind her.
She slammed to a stop, causing Neville to run into her, as she stared at what was around her.
Instead of another long, dark corridor, she was standing on a white, rocky beach on the edge of a crystal blue ocean. The sun was warm and beating down from above her, the heat from the rocks she could feel on her skin, and the wind and waves from the ocean roared in her ears. Stunned for a moment, she looked behind her, to see that in the middle of the beach there was a large door-shaped black hole.
Neville, Ginny and Luna were all with her, but were looking around them in astonishment.
"This is impossible," Ginny whispered, looking around. "Are you seeing what I am seeing?"
"Depends on what you're seeing," Neville answered, sounding stunned.
"The forest behind my family's house," replied Ginny.
"Definitely not," Romi answered, looking directly at Ginny. "I'm seeing a beach, and feeling it too. I think it's Greece…" Ginny frowned making eye contact with Romi.
"What about you two?" Ginny asked, glancing at Luna and Neville.
"The field near my house where I used to spend a lot of time as a child," Neville answered, looking around again.
"My family's living room," Luna answered. "With the blanket that my mother had knitted me for my ninth birthday – the one she never finished."
They all looked at each other.
"How can we be seeing different things?" Romi asked, looking around.
"That's because this room is cursed," hissed a voice. "It shows what's deep in our hearts." All four whipped around, wands out and Romi drew her sword as well. There was no one there that they could see. Romi backed up so that she was up against the other three.
"Let me see what I can do about this," hissed the voice again. Around them everything shuddered like a mirage and a desert appeared before them. There were two or three stubby cactuses that were shrivelled and dried up. The ground beneath them cracked and devoid of water. The sun was shining, blistering above them.
"There now," said the voice, "you should all see the same thing."
"A desert?" Romi said to the emptiness in front of them. She glanced at the other three, who nodded, indicating that they were seeing a desert too.
"The desert is my curse," hissed the voice, and to Romi's left there was a mirage and out of the waves appeared a man.
He was tall, and thin with a greedy look in his eyes. He kept licking his lips and slurping back saliva as he watched them with a wild hunger in his eyes. He had no muscle, his arms and legs looking like sticks and his stomach was distended and bloated. His skin and the whites of his eyes were a sickly yellow colour.
"Sorry, I took so long," he hissed with feigned politeness, taking a little bow.
Romi, Neville, Luna and Ginny just stared at him.
"Wow," he said, taking a shaking step forward, "I heard from my sister that the four that had been gathered to oppose us this time were something I didn't expect… some young ones which shouldn't be anything to worry about. I just didn't realise you'd be so young."
"What are you called," Romi said firmly, pointing her white wand at him.
He opened his mouth and paused for a very long time. "Guess," he said finally, and smiled, his lips cracking and a little drop of blood streamed out. He laughed, which was sounded weak and exhausted. "I am one of the Old Ones. And when I am done with you, I will raise my brother again. Such an inconvenience you were to him. But my Sister is convinced that you don't need to all four of us to take care of you."
"Perhaps that's your mistake," Ginny said boldly.
"Who are you?" Luna demanded.
"You think you can take me on, you can't even guess my name!" he laughed again, and took another shaking step forward.
"You're Famine," Romi said quickly, "No muscle mass, yellowing of the skin and eyes, distended stomach – signs of malnourishment."
"I could tell you about my excrements – or lack thereof," Famine said, smiling sickly again, "but one must be polite at the dinner table."
"What dinner table?" Ginny asked.
"This one." Famine waved a hand and suddenly a large wooden oak table appeared in the middle of the desert. It was massive, but it was set for four people. There was all sorts of things on the table, food, books, pictures, gadgets and knickknacks. It was almost as though the contents of the Room of Requirement had been dumped on this massive table.
"What is this?" Romi demanded.
"Why don't you take a look?" Famine said with a greedy smile. Romi and Ginny gave a glance at each other, but in that second didn't notice that both Luna and Neville had taken a step closer and looked.
Their wands dropped and eyes going fuzzy, they walked straight to two of the place settings and sat down.
"What are you doing?" Romi asked, taking a step forward and looking at her friends worriedly. She glanced at Ginny, who was just as equally confused. Luna picked up a large book, a new expression took over her face. She sat down and flipped through the book, with her expression that could only be described as hunger.
Neville took a letter, ripped it open and read it quickly. Then he went for another.
"Neville," Romi said, walking up to him, and putting a hand on his shoulder. She shook it slightly, "Neville!"
He didn't reply, but just grabbed another letter and ripped it open. Romi glanced at it, but it was nothing but a blank page. Neville was smiling broadly.
"What did you do to them!?" Ginny demanded, pointing her wand at Famine. Famine was smiling with such a satisfied look on his face, eyes half closed, like he was wallowing in luxury.
"What did you do?!" Ginny shouted again.
"Oh," Famine said, walking around the table to where Luna was seated, head in a book. "Truth, I love truth." He said, leaning over and smelling her hair. Romi pointed her sword at his neck.
"Step away from her," she said loudly. Famine didn't move for a moment, just watched her for a long moment,
"His is approval," Famine whispered, nodding at Neville.
"I said move," Romi repeated, her voice full of quiet danger. She pressed the sword a little deeper into Famine's flesh. The longer he stood there beside Luna, the fuller his flesh seemed to become, the yellow disappearing from his skin.
He moved slowly, looking at Romi.
"But you are not tempted by the table," he said, licking his lips, "Your drive, it's not on my table."
He breathed in deep through his nose, and took a step towards her, Romi took one back still keeping the sword at his throat.
"Oh," Famine said, smiling and laughing, "Oh fantastic!"
"What's fantastic?" Ginny said, her wand pointing at Famine still, but she was by Neville's side, half looking at Famine and half trying to get Neville's attention.
"You're one of the Old Ones!" Famine said, grinning like he had just been given all the Christmas presents in the world. He looked to Ginny, grinning still, "She's one of the Old Ones!"
"What does that mean?" Romi demanded. Famine looked back to Romi.
"It means," he said sweetly, "that when I devour what drives you, I will be sustained on it for a very long time."
He sucked air through his mouth like sucking through a straw. Suddenly a pain ripped through Romi's stomach and she dropped her sword, crying out. It was like something was being forcefully ripped away from her insides. She collapsed to her knees.
"Romi!" Ginny shouted, running to her side, and grabbing her arm. Famine laughed out loud, and sucked in again. The pain doubled inside and then Romi saw a ribbon of brightly coloured vapour float slowly from her heart.
"What the…" Ginny said quietly, staring at the ribbon.
"Aha!" Famine laughed again, "Magic! Primordial Magic! There is nothing like it. I think I shall take all of yours."
He sucked in again, and Romi nearly passed out from the pain, collapsing on the hard desert ground.
"Stop it!" Ginny shouted, she stood up and pointed her wand at Famine again.
"What are you going to do little girl?" Famine taunted. "What spell do you know that could possibly have any effect on me? Why don't you just save yourself some pain, and take a look at the table? You'll find your drive and then nothing else will matter. Honestly, it's a very painless way to die."
Ginny glanced at the table, and then back to Famine.
"I'd rather have my friends back, thank you," she demanded. Famine narrowed his eyebrows slightly.
"That's not possible," he said, "You are not an Old One. There must be something at the table that you desire."
"Yes," Ginny answered, "my friends."
Famine shook his head. "No!" he shouted, and pointed at the table. "There is something at the table for everyone! Truth drives the girl, her desire to know it always makes her crave it. Approval is the deepest desire of the boy's heart, he will never be rid of the need for it. There is something on this table that drives you! Tell me what it is! TELL ME!"
Ginny lifted her chin slightly, "I love my friends, and I will get them back."
Famine took a step back, his face turning into a horrific growl. "Then I will just kill you without feeding. Sometimes one must go to bed without supper and–" he stuttered to a halt, staring at something over Ginny's shoulder, his expression changed from anger to fear. "Not possible," he whispered.
Ginny glanced quickly, unable to resist.
Squatting beside Zhi, not too far away, was an older girl with strawberry blond hair and grey eyes. She was wearing a Slytherin uniform, and was rubbing Zhi on the back of the neck. Zhi was purred loudly and contentedly.
"Nia," guessed Ginny correctly. "But where–" she was interrupted by Famine.
"YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE HERE!" he shrieked, his voice echoing all over the desert. "YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TAMPER WITH TIME, THAT IS YOU'RE PUNISHMENT!"
"In case you didn't notice," Nia replied. "I don't play by the rules."
"You broke time, you are forbidden from it!" Famine answered, "YOU ARE FORBIDDEN TO TAMPER WITH THESE EVENTS!"
"And yet I am unable to break away from time, and I will tamper with whatever I like," Nia replied. She looked at Ginny and smiled. "Good to see you again – or is this the first time? Either way. I'm sure you will do well."
Famine screamed something guttural, and pulled out of thin air a great two headed battle axe. His body, revived from draining Romi, Neville and Luna was now strong enough to wield the weapon and he ran straight at Zhi and Nia.
Zhi darted away towards Ginny quick as a dragonfly, but Nia just stayed crouched watching Famine charge at her. When Famine was still several feet away, Nia looked over at Ginny again.
"Remember," she said, "the cup of life is all the nourishment one needs."
Famine was upon her and swung his giant axe down on Nia.
And she vanished. Famine halted, furious, roared and turned all around, looking for the girl. Ginny looked back to Romi, who now appeared unconscious with the coloured ribbons still slowly flowing out of her. Neville and Luna were still glued to the table.
Ginny looked back at Famine, feeling a little panic flutter in her chest. It was clear that she was the only one left who could deal with Famine, but she didn't know what to do. Suddenly there was a meow at her feet. Ginny looked down, and there was Zhi sitting, looking up at her and beside the cat was a very rough, wooden cup.
Ginny stared at it, and then glanced back up to Famine, he was turning around to look at Ginny.
"Alright," Ginny whispered, "Nia's saved us once, I guess we could trust her again." Ginny quickly grabbed the cup, and looked in. There was nothing in it.
"Well, I'll get that little Time-Destroyer later," Famine grumbled. "Once I'm done with you."
Ginny held up the cup in both hands, glancing between Famine and the cup.
"What do you have there," Famine said slowly, eyeing the cup. "How did you get that?"
"Zhi gave it to me," Ginny said, taking a step back, and glancing down to the cat.
"The cat gave it to you?!" demanded Famine. "She's not even a Familiar!"
"Well, she's very smart, I guess," Ginny said. "It's just a cup though. Why does it bother you?"
"Give it to me!" Famine insisted, raising his double headed axe again.
"No," answered Ginny.
"GIVE IT TO ME!" he screamed.
"Come and get it," Ginny replied, taking another step backwards and nearly tripping over Zhi. Famine shrieked and ran at her. "Aguamenti," Ginny whispered.
The cup in her hands filled up with bright, clean, clear water just as Famine was a step away from her, and Ginny flung the water into his face.
Famine stopped, apparently stunned that Ginny had just struck him in the face with a cup full of water. He spit some out, his eyes full of fury, he glared her down.
"How dare you throw–" Famine started, but then he halted, anger left his face and confusion replaced it. He started to shake, his stomach distending outwards. He coughed, foaming at the mouth.
Then with a sudden rumble, and he exploded.
Ginny just put up her arms in time, covering her face from being splattered with what seemed to be rotting food. She gagged from the smell and then slowly lowered her arms, and looked around.
The desert was gone, and so was the table. All four of them were standing in a bright white room, with nothing but the black doorway that they had walked through. Neville, Luna and Romi were all standing there, covered with rotten food, just like Ginny, and looking, aside from disgusted, alive and confused.
"Are you alright?" Ginny asked, sounding exhausted.
Romi looked down at herself, there was no lingering pain, which was a relief, and she felt like her normal self.
"I think so," Romi said, "thanks."
"Yeah," Luna added, looking exhausted. "I'm sorry. And soon as I looked at the table it was like I couldn't do anything else."
"Me too," Neville said, shaking his head, "I heard you calling, but honestly… I didn't care."
"That's alright," Romi replied. "Seems like Ginny saved the day," Romi said, beaming at her.
"Well, I had help," answered Ginny, "Nia paid a visit and Zhi was also very good." Ginny added, looking down at the black cat. Romi followed her gaze and saw that Zhi was turning around to lick all the food off her coat.
"Oh, goodness, Zhi!" she yelped, "Don't do that! You'll get sick!" Romi hurried forward to her cat and picked her up, trying to keep the cat's tongue away from the rotten food.
Neville and Luna laughed.
"Did you get the necklace?" Neville asked, after a moment, looking back at Ginny. Ginny looked from Romi and Zhi to Neville, when her face fell.
"Oh, no! I forgot!" Ginny said, looking horrified.
"That's alright," Luna said. She was crouching down beside a large pile of what appeared to be rotten lettuce. She stuck her fingers in it and pulled out a long chain with a pendant at the end of it.
The other three came up to her and took a look at it.
"It looks like a bushel of wheat," Ginny said. "Best take a better look when we've washed it off."
"Yes, please," Romi said, still holding Zhi's mouth closed as the cat turned her head all over the place to get out of Romi's grip. "I would like to wash off too."
"Let's get out of here," Neville agreed, and he led the way to the dark door frame. Once they had all walked through it, Romi looked back into the room and was startled to find that there was nothing but a brick wall where the cursed room used to be. Neville, Ginny and Luna looked back when they saw that Romi wasn't following them.
"I wasn't expecting that," Romi said, motioning to the wall behind her.
"After three and a half years at Hogwarts?" Neville replied, "I'm starting to think that nothing will surprise me now."
"True," Romi said and hurried after the other three. "I think I'm going to be very scratched up by the time I get her washed."
"Famine was surprised with her," Ginny said. She was smiling happily, despite being covered with compost.
"Why?" Romi asked.
"Well, it was Zhi that showed me the cup of life – the thing I defeated Famine with. He was surprised that she did that, he said something about her not even being a Familiar," Ginny explained.
"I didn't think witches or wizards had Familiars anymore," Neville said, as they trudged their way up the marble staircase.
"Well, I'm sure some do, but it hasn't been popular for a very long time, it requires a lot of magical power," Ginny answered. She glanced at Romi. "Though I bet if anyone can do it, you can."
"I'm not the only one with power," Romi said, looking at Ginny. "You have a great deal too. In case you haven't noticed but you just defeated a Horseman. I would say that's pretty powerful to me."
"Yeah, I suppose," Ginny replied, her face going dark again. "That's Famine and Pestilence."
"Yeessss," Neville prompted when Ginny went silent for a long moment. "That means we're half done."
"It also means that you and Romi have to face War and Death," Ginny said. "And that won't be a walk in the park."
"I think we can handle it," Romi said, smiling happily, "With such great friends as you all, I don't think there is anything that we can't handle."
They parted with Luna on the fifth floor, making their way to Gryffindor Tower and climbed in one after the other. Romi had no idea what time it was, but there were very few people in the common room. Harry and Ron were sitting at a table attempting to complete some homework while Hermione was knitted something rather shapeless beside them.
"Whoa," said Ron, as he glanced up at the three of them. "What happened to you three? Did you blow up the kitchen?"
"Not exactly," Romi replied, fighting with Zhi. "I haven't done that in years – Uncle Lucius wasn't very happy, and I've tried to avoid doing it again."
"I could imagine," Harry said with a laugh, looking his sister over.
"I'm going to go have a shower and attempt to wash this cat," Romi replied, clinging onto Zhi as the cat tried to crawl over her shoulder to freedom. "Then I'm going to go to bed and sleeping forever."