CHAPTER 23

THE DUEL IN GRYFFINDOR TOWER

Scorpius never brought up what happened again, which was honestly fine with Rose, since she wasn't sure what exactly she would say if he asked her about it. She was perfectly fine with ignoring that it ever happened at all, and tried to only think about the upcoming final exams, which over the last few weeks of May were causing her increasing anxiety. By the time she was sitting in the Great Hall in early June she thought her head might explode. She had been forcing Al to study as well, as much as he didn't want to, and when she returned from the bathroom she found her cousin had fallen asleep on top of his books. She looked at Scorpius in disbelief. "You didn't wake him up?"

"We've been here for four hours, Weasley, he can sleep," Scorpius said, shrugging as he continued reading. "He just fell asleep about a minute ago, too. It'd be cruel. Hey, what started the Goblin Wars?"

"Wizards being condescending twats, but that's not exactly what they're looking for," Rose muttered. "Debates over ownership of precious metal resources. Anyway, four hours, really?"

Scorpius nodded. "Yeah, it's nearly 9:00."

"Wow. Okay. Er, we probably should go up to the common room, actually; we can keep studying there, but I'm sure the house elves want to clean up and we're practically the only ones left here…"

"Yeah, let's go," Scorpius said. "Hey, Al, wake up. We're leaving."

"What?" he mumbled sleepily when he finally responded to Scorpius shaking his shoulder. "Oh, we're done? Good. I want to go to sleep…"

"You were just asleep," Rose said, rolling her eyes. "You can't sleep your way into fourth year."

"Shut up, Rose."

After they gathered their things for a minute or so, as they stood up to leave Professor McGonagall ran in looking frantic. She ran right up to them. "You're absolutely sure, Miss Weasley?" she asked gravely. Rose, bewildered, glanced at Scorpius, who shrugged.

"Er, sure about what?" she asked.

McGonagall looked confused. "On the second floor, just now, you told me Nott is coming tonight."

"What? I… don't think I did, Professor, I've been here for hours."

McGonagall looked completely astounded, then seemed to understand something Rose didn't. "Miss Weasley," she said, glancing at Scorpius and Al, "perhaps… perhaps you haven't yet." Her eyes flickered to the chain around Rose's neck and then she understood.

"Oh. Well… I'm sure that I'll be sure, Professor," she said, nodding, and McGonagall nodded as well.

"Yes. Return to your House, immediately." She ran to make the same statement at the podium, and Rose turned to Scorpius and Al.

"Don't ask me how I know, I'm not even sure, but Nott's coming tonight. We have to protect the Stone."

"What? What's going on?" Scorpius said.

"I'm not even really sure, but we have to go. Come on!"

"Do you have the Stone?" Scorpius asked.

"Yes, in my bag," she said, and opened it to look for the Stone. However, on top of all her books lay a slip of paper. She pulled it out and read it, realizing that it was in very familiar handwriting.

Leave the Stone in the Room of Requirement. You're going to have to tell them about the Time-Turner.

Rose nodded and said, "We have to leave it in the Room of Requirement, come on." Rose took off running, clutching the note, and she could hear Al and Scorpius following her. When they reached the third floor hallway, she took out the Stone from her bag and paced in front of the wall, repeating in her head, I need a place to hide something where no one but me will ever find it. A small door appeared, and Rose ran in. Inside were piles upon piles of random objects, and Rose stuck the Stone behind a statue in a small box. When she turned to go, she found Al and Scorpius staring at her.

"What's going on?" Scorpius repeated.

Rose sighed. "It's a long story, can we talk later? We have to get back to Gryffindor."

Scorpius looked at her carefully and said, "Fine."

"Thank you."

When they reached Gryffindor tower they were some of the last to arrive. Rudomin was standing talking to Molly, and James jumped up when he saw them.

"Nott's coming," Rose said before he could ask. "He wants the Stone."

"Do you have it?" he asked.

"It's safe," Rose said.

"What do you mean?"

"I… can't tell you. It's safe, trust me."

Just then, they heard a loud thud from below. "What was that?" Al asked nervously.

"He's trying to get in. I'd better help the Aurors," Rudomin said quickly. "Molly, make sure no one leaves this room." He ran out of the portrait hole and it slammed shut again as quickly as it could, as if even the Fat Lady was nervous.

"Have you seen Hugo, James?" Rose asked, and just then she saw her brother on the other side of the room. She ran over and said, "Are you okay?"

He nodded, but he seemed scared, and said, "I'm okay. This is kind of like that time on Christmas when we had to stay at Luna's house, right? We're just waiting?"

"Yeah, we're just waiting. It'll be fine," Rose said, though she knew she couldn't know that. Even if all the teachers were helping the Auror guards, Rose had a sinking feeling that Nott and his followers would probably get in eventually. They wouldn't just give up.

"You can see them out this window!" Dylan Finnigan-Thomas called from one of the windows towards the back of the room, and almost immediately most of the House crowded around it trying to see. Rose managed to find a spot where she could see, and kept Hugo away from the window. She saw Nott, along with all the people they'd seen in the Daily Prophet article, and flashes of light flickering between them and two Aurors that Rose didn't recognize and Professor Barton. She felt a little better knowing that there were probably as many professors as possible waiting on the other side, including Professor Rudomin, but she still couldn't help but be scared. Several students gasped when they saw Nott blast Professor Barton against a wall, and shoot ropes out of his wand, restraining him. He got closer to him, and a flash of red light emerged from his wand. Professor Barton looked like he was screaming, though they couldn't hear anything, and finally Nott turned away after he seemed to say something to him. He directed two of the followers into the Forest, and they ran off immediately. One of the Aurors had fallen unconscious, at least Rose hoped, and Nott walked up to the other Auror, who didn't see him as she was battling three of his followers, and a flash of green light from Nott's wand struck her to the ground. Rose knew that it was definitely what she thought it was, as the followers were laughing. Nott stepped over her body and threw the doors open with a bang that reverberated through the castle, and Rose felt her stomach drop when they walked in. They could see flashes of light from inside, but their view was blocked from there.

"The teachers will hold them, they've got to," Molly attempted to reassure everyone, but no one was really listening. A few were still staring at the Auror on the ground, and the rest had formed their own nervous conversations. For the next half hour or so, there was a tense quiet that had fallen over the common room, despite some nervous whispering that still remained. The only loud noises were the occasional bang or thud that echoed from the entrance hall. However, at around a quarter before ten o'clock, the noise softened some and they started to hear footsteps on the staircases. "They're probably not coming here," Molly added. But when the footsteps continued to get louder, Molly sounded nervous when she said, "Can the prefects come up here with me? Everyone else start going up to your rooms, please."

"Hugo, go, now," Rose said, starting to push him towards the boys' staircase.

"What? No, I want to help," he argued. Rose shook her head and pushed him more.

"You're a first year and they're Death Eaters, get upstairs, I'm serious!" she said, and he hurried up the stairs.

"We should go, he's looking for us," Al said, and he was running for the boys' stairs when the portrait hole burst open. Nott stepped through, followed by a follower that Rose recognized to be Dolohov, looking around the room. One of the prefects attempted to stun him but he blocked the spell without even looking.

"Albus Potter?" he said, sounding already angry. "Rose Weasley, too, and Malfoy. Show yourselves, don't be cowards. I know you're here; Barton said you were in the Forest but he was clearly a liar." Rose was hoping he wouldn't see them, but just then he made eye contact with her. She realized it was pointless now and walked out from the middle of the crowd. He smiled a little. "Give me your bag. Now."

Rose hesitated, and he seemed to do a nonverbal summoning spell, since the bag went flying off of her shoulders and into his hands. He started rummaging through it, throwing books this way and that, and threw it on the ground in frustration. "Potter! Potter, where are you?"

Al walked up, already holding out his bag. He did the same thing with Al's bag, then with Scorpius. "Where is it?" he growled. "Where've you put it?"

"Put what?" Rose asked.

"Don't play dumb, girl, you filthy blood traitor, I know you have it! He probably asked you to hide it for him, big mistake, I'll find it, I will, I'll find it…""We don't have anything for you, really, we don't," Rose said, and he walked up to her and held his wand up to her throat.

"Hey!" Scorpius called out, and Dolohov Stunned him immediately. At this point, no one was moving, all seeming transfixed on what was happening in front of them.

"I know that you do," Nott spat. "Tell me where it is or you'll be sorry."

"Expelliarmus!" James shouted, and it must have surprised Nott, because it worked. Dolohov, however, grabbed James before he could do any more damage and threatened him with his wand.

"Should I Disarm him?" he asked Nott, and Nott shook his head.

"No. No," he said, picking his wand up from the ground. "If the boy wants a duel, he's got one."

"Fine," James said, staring him down.

"James, don't be stupid," Molly hissed.

"Silence!" Nott roared. "Antonin, please keep the brats at bay while I deal with Potter. The rest of them can go." The rest of the House ran up the stairs, though Rose could see a significant amount standing on the balcony and in the doorways at the tops of the staircases, watching. Molly stood firmly in her place, despite the fact that she was shaking, and Dolohov glared at her until she followed the rest of the House, but stayed at the top of the stairs.

"Wands," Dolohov demanded, and Rose and Al handed him theirs. He took Scorpius's wand himself, as he was only just starting to come around.

"Bow, Potter, didn't anyone ever teach you dueling manners?" Nott sneered. James only nodded his head a bit, and Nott shook his head as he bowed. "Very well. Challenger casts first."

"Incendio!" James shouted, and flames burst from his wand. Nott produced a stream of water and successfully blocked the spell.

"You're announcing your next move, I'm always going to know what to do, Potter," he said, and added, "Expelliarmus."

"Protego!" James shouted, and the Shield Charm worked. Nott looked annoyed and before he reacted, James called out, "Oppugno!", pointing his wand at the books from Rose, Al, and Scorpius's bags, and a slew of papers and books flew at Nott, who ducked to avoid some of the onslaught but got struck by some materials nonetheless. James looked pleased with himself and Nott chuckled. "I handed you that one."

"Don't go easy on me," James said, smirking, and Nott sighed.

"Very well. Crucio!" he shouted. The red light blasted through James's Shield and Rose winced as he crumpled to the ground. Al gripped tightly onto her sleeve as Nott laughed and walked over to him. "Get up, Potter, finish this."

Suddenly, Rudomin came through the portrait hole and sent a silent Stunning Spell at Nott, who fell to the floor. Dolohov whirled around, but before he could do anything, a voice called out, "Stupefy!" and he fell down as well. Molly stood a few steps down from the top of the stairs, wand outstretched, shaking just as badly. Rudomin regarded her and said, "Well done, Miss Weasley." He turned to James and said, "Are you all right, Mr. Potter?"

"I'll be fine," James managed, sitting up. "Arsehole," he spat, eyeing Nott.

"I'll restrain them," Rudomin said. "And I'll take them to a safer location until this is over. Everyone stay put, understand? We'll have someone look at you to make sure you're all right once we've apprehended all the followers, Mr. Potter."

"Someone should look at Malfoy, too," he said, "he got Stunned."

"Right. Is everyone all right otherwise?" Rudomin asked, and there was silence.

"Well, can we have our wands back? Dolohov has them," Al asked. Rudomin searched through his coat and produced their wands, handing them back. He then produced ropes from his wand and tied up Nott and Dolohov, then levitated them.

"Wait here," he said sternly. They nodded. Rudomin floated the two men out of the room and shut the portrait hole firmly behind him.