A/N: This is a work of fiction using the characters from Harry Potter that are trademarked by J.K. Rowling.

"Neville" Harry sighed once his friend appeared in the darkened hallway behind the painting. The anxiety he had felt seeing the movement behind the painting melted away once he laid eyes on one of his oldest friends.

"You alright, mate?" Harry asked when he saw the yellowing bruises and scrapes on Neville's face and neck.

"This is nothing," Neville shook his head with a boyish grin, "You should see Seamus."

"Enough. Go on, you're running out of time." Aberforth grunted from behind the newly reunited trio.

Harry and Hermione climbed into the tunnel and followed Neville through the dark. It took nearly thirty minutes, but they finally reached a set of stairs and emerged into the converted Room of Requirement. Beds were set up in nearly every inch of space and only a small circle of space was found in the middle where a large number of students were gathered together.

Harry slumped down in a nearby armchair, grateful to be off his feet. His body ached and he couldn't remember the last time he had relaxed.

This last stretch of their journey was taking its toll on both him and Hermione. Ron had already stayed behind at Shell Cottage to gather the reinforcements and despite himself, he couldn't help but be jealous of Ron that he had a warm, safe place to rest his head at night.

After a small amount of conversation and a lot of arguing it was decided that the remaining students would be included in their Horcrux hunt. This wasn't a burden that Harry wanted others to feel. It was bad enough that Hermione and Ron were involved but when he saw the determination on Hermione and Neville's face Harry knew he was outvoted.

Harry ran through the hallways of Hogwarts. Explosions could be heard outside, and the students scrambled in preparation to fight.

"Neville!" Harry yelled out when he spotted his friend in the chaos.

"Did talk to the Grey Lady?" Neville gasped out once he was within arms reach of Harry.

"Yeah, he hid the Diadem in the Room of Requirement. He had to have thought he was the only one to have found that particular Hogwarts secret. It's the only place I can think of that nobody would have seen the Diadem in centuries."

"Well let's go!" Neville said as he grabbed Harry's hand to pull him forward.

"Neville, no. I don't know what I'm going to find in that room. Who knows what he left behind? I don't want you to get hurt."

Harry watched as Neville quirked an eyebrow and looked around them at the chaos. Dust fell from the ceiling and Harry could see a large gaping hole in the side of the hallway.

"You really think it will be more dangerous than this?" Neville asked.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"You know me so well," Neville laughed.

Harry and Neville cautiously walked through the room of requirement. It no longer looked like the base camp of the resistance. It was now a large, cavernous room filled to the brim with junk and lost treasures.

The duo stalked down the makeshift hallways, deeper into the labyrinth. Harry could remember exactly where to go next but told Neville to keep his eyes peeled for a stone bust of an old man wearing a wig and a tiara.

Neville and Harry split up, each searching for the diadem. Harry spotted the blistered old cupboard where he hid his old potions book and on top of the cupboard, sitting innocently, was the stone bust, a dusty old wig, and an ancient, discolored tiara with a sapphire on the front. The blue gem seemed to twinkle, not at all muted by the layers of dust that coated everything else.

"I found it," Harry whispered, he stretched out his hand, and just as his fingers wrapped around the diadem, he heard a voice yell out from behind him.

"Hold it, Potter!"

Word Count: 661

Challenges/Prompts:

Scamander's Case – Color: Sapphire Blue, Object: Ravenclaw's Diadem
Wicked Web – Harry & Neville, Relationship: Reunited Friends
Five Nights at Freddy's – 48. Object: Chair
Writing Club: Room of Requirement – 5. Object: Armchair