Harry couldn't look at the precious diadem sitting upon Dumbledore's desk and savour the sweet satisfaction of it being in front of them all. It should have been a joyous occasion. It should have been a time for celebration, with them one step closer to defeating Voldemort. Having spent the summer months fretting about whether their search would be successful, Harry should have been giving them all high-fives and bear hugs for making the dream a reality.

The headmaster hadn't yet confirmed whether the crown was a horcrux or not, but Harry already knew. It carried the same permeating sense of evil that all the other dark artefacts had contained. Hermione's face was twisted into an expression of disgust whenever she looked at it, which told Harry that she was feeling the eerie pervasiveness too. It was a look of stony discomfort that was matched by her boyfriend, though Matthew had another reason entirely for feeling sick as he stood there.

As soon as he'd interrupted Harry and Enola's moment alone together, Harry had known that a frank conversation was on the horizon. The fact that no words had been said since that discovery was doing little to calm his nerves. Instead of blowing up, which might have been the expected reaction, Matthew had prioritised the horcrux, leading Harry and Enola to where the others had crowded around the object. He'd been the one to carry it to Dumbledore's office, using a gentle levitation spell to lower the risk of contamination.

He was so furious that Harry was sure that Matthew could have gripped it with his bare hands without even realising.

If the rest of their group had picked up on the tension, then they hadn't considered bringing it up. They were probably all too nervous around the item to notice the teenage angst. Ginny, having had personal experience when it came to horcruxes, was spying it with thinly veiled unease, and Neville's focus was currently on being something to lean on. Draco and Daphne were also keeping their distance, the magic too dark even for the students of Slytherin.

The headmaster, meanwhile, was too enwrapped by the discovery to care about any animosity.

"Fascinating," Dumbledore murmured. "Completely fascinating."

"Is it…you know…what we were looking for?" Harry asked.

He almost felt guilty for focusing on the more pressing matter at hand, as if he were simply using it as a distraction from his other discrepancies. He was sure that the glare Matthew had been sending in his direction somehow grew fiercer following the question, but Harry stood firm. If everyone else was allowed to put all their energy into unearthing the secrets of the horcrux, then surely he was permitted the same sort of leeway.

"You're asking if it's a horcrux. Well…I'm certain your friends have already come to their conclusions."

"It can't be anything else," Hermione said with a grimace. "The magic around it is…dirty. There's no other way of describing it."

"It feels different, though," Enola remarked. "The same magic is there…the same aura…but it's almost…muted compared to the others."

Harry wished that he could have been just as unphased as Enola apparently was. She'd been just as shaken when Matthew had stumbled across them but had somehow worked past that unease already. Was she just a good actor, a proposition he'd been contending with ever since he'd met her? However she was doing it, she was able to push all her focus onto the mystery before them. The longer Harry struggled to do the same, the more useless he felt he was being.

Hermione was nodding her head. "If I hadn't been purposefully looking for a horcrux, I probably wouldn't have noticed it. The others practically screamed at me, whilst this one is…whispering. I don't know whether that unnerves me even more. Like it's got something to hide."

"I think it stems more from how it was created," Dumbledore mused, waving his hand just above the crown.

They all watched as small, tentative waves of magic formed between his digits and the item. The energy that crept from the diadem was a sickly green in colour, clashing horrendously with the warmth of Dumbledore's power. It was a subtle use of magic that Harry wasn't entirely used to. His own experimentation with pure magic had been brash and largely driven by adrenaline. It was a reminder of what he still had to learn, leading on from what Enola had been teaching him before their hormones had gotten in the way.

"I've been lucky - or unfortunate, depending on one's perspective - to have witnessed my fair share of horcruxes in my time," the headmaster pressed on. "As have most of you in this room. All of them have come with their own defenses. Tom Riddle's diary conjured up a projection of his own consciousness. The ring was cursed. The locket tried to use our darkest weaknesses against us. This, on the other hand, doesn't appear to have the same level of protection."

"Why would that be the case?" Hermione wondered, her continued disgust momentarily overshadowed by her curiosity.

"Maybe Voldemort was getting cocky," Matthew suggested. "He might have thought that he'd hidden it well enough that there was no need to go the extra mile. No one would have ever thought that he'd put one inside Hogwarts of all places."

Harry was of half a mind to remind Matthew that the only reason why they knew the school was a potential hiding place was because of Enola's intervention. He was fighting for any justification for his lies, hoping to prove once and for all that Enola was a good person. If that debate was finally put to bed, then Matthew would have no reason to grumble about the potential relationship. Besides the fact that Enola was closely linked to his past, but that was another hurdle to clear.

Dumbledore stroked his long beard. "I'd hazard a guess that it's more down to Tom Riddle's inexperience at the time. Relatively speaking. There's only a certain window in which he would have been able to freely get to the Room of Requirements without being suspected."

"When he was a student," Harry surmised.

"Exactly. Or in the recent throes of leaving Hogwarts. He might have killed people at that stage, but he was still learning the true extent of his strength. If he was hasty to make and hide a horcrux, then he might have foregone the guards he later became such a fan of."

"But it still fits the bill," Hermione commented. "You said that Voldemort was obsessed with the Founders of Hogwarts. It belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw, didn't it?"

Dumbledore's eyes sparkled as he looked at her. "A keen sense of deduction as always, Miss Granger. Frankly, I can't believe that I have it in front of me. It belongs in a museum or a prized collection, not left to collect dust in a forgotten corner of the castle. The Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw."

It was fairly obvious which House the item belonged to, even without being given the title. Harry's mind may have been wandering, but he'd still noticed the bird-like shape that the metal had been forged into. The silver design, matched with the sapphire jewels that decorated it, were also perfectly reminiscent of the banners and uniforms that Ravenclaw students stood by. If Voldemort had been hell bent on twisting artefacts of the Founders, then he couldn't have missed the diadem once it fell into his path.

"It was said to have been enchanted by Rowena herself," the headmaster explained. "The stories claimed that the wearer would be granted enhanced wisdom. Lord Voldemort must have avoided wearing it in that case, for he didn't learn the error of his ways. How he came to find the diadem, however, is a mystery to me."

"Is there a way of finding out?" Daphne asked. "Or do we just have to accept we'll never know?"

She sounded particularly displeased about the possibility. Harry could have laughed, if he wasn't so tense. And if he wasn't slightly afraid of what the Slytherin girl would do in response. It was perfectly clear as to why Daphne and Hermione had grown closer, forging a tight knit friendship. They both wanted answers to everything, so much so that they were perfectly suited for Ravenclaw. It was only because their other traits - unrelenting bravery and a sharp cunningness - that they'd found a home elsewhere.

"I believe there is someone currently at the school who could shed some light on the situation. One of the many ghosts roaming these corridors. Though I've tried in the past to encourage her to open up. Perhaps this latest discovery will prove to be the ammunition I've been sorely needing."

Harry stepped forward. "How can we find her?"

Dumbledore held up a hand. "You've already done more than enough. Leave some tasks for me. Your main job was to find the horcrux and you've succeeded in that regard spectacularly well."

"Then let us destroy it. We've got practice when it comes to that."

Neville nervously raised his hand. "I'd like it put on record that I don't have any practice in that sense."

"Though I'm keen to see it in action," Daphne countered, her eyes flashing in interest.

"I don't know whether it's wise to have so many people in the same room," Dumbledore intervened. "There's still a chance that we could have missed something and if there was to be any backlash…well, I don't need to spell it out for you."

"They helped us find it," Harry argued. "They deserve to see it through."

"They helped more than others," Matthew muttered under his breath, though he'd purposefully spoken loudly enough for Harry to hear.

It was the first time since he'd been caught in the act with Enola that Matthew had brought up the incident. Harry had started to think that his best friend was going to leave it on the back burner in the spirit of cooperation. It seemed that biting his lip was growing to be too much of a difficult task. If the horcrux wasn't filling the air with its poisonous presence, then the atmosphere was becoming stifling solely because of the bombshell Matthew could have dropped at any given moment.

Harry spoke through gritted teeth. "Have you got something to say?"

Matthew did his best to look innocent. "Me? What would I need to talk about?"

"Stop acting like a child," Enola interjected, which probably wasn't helping the situation.

Hermione was the first to come to Matthew's defence, even if she didn't fully understand what was going on. "What gives you the right to speak to him like that?"

"The fact that it's accurate. I won't hide from the truth."

"You've been hiding from the truth since the moment you got here. You can't take the moral high ground now."

"Is there something that I need to be aware of?" Dumbledore asked carefully, his eyebrows reaching the edge of his fringe.

"Nothing," Harry quickly said.

It was going to be bad enough speaking to Matthew, whenever that fight finally reared its ugly head. The last thing Harry wanted was for Dumbledore to also get involved in his love life. Whilst he'd chosen to willingly work with the headmaster upon finding the horcrux, that didn't mean that their relationship had been repaired. Dumbledore knowing about how close he was to Enola was another potential tool that could have been used against him, and Harry was tired of giving the older man ammunition.

There was also the small fact that Harry didn't want the others to know, either. There was every chance that Hermione was going to find out eventually, through her own observations or being told by Matthew. But there was a possibility of keeping the damage under control as long as the rest of their group weren't informed about the salacious details. There was no telling what sort of teasing Draco would latch onto. There was no telling how the others would react, as if Harry had put his burgeoning love life ahead of keeping them safe.

The old professor let out a weary sigh. "I'm concerned that the horcrux, regardless of its potency, is affecting your emotions. The dark magic has been known to mess with the balance of one's mind, depending on your proximity. It's no wonder that your fuses seem to be shorter than ever. It's another reason why I regret involving you in this process."

Harry wanted to believe that Matthew's anger solely stemmed from the horcrux messing with him, and that he was actually surprisingly onboard with the idea of Hogwarts' latest couple. But the animosity had been there for a while, bubbling away under the surface, and Harry had done little to release the pressure. It was only natural that things would explode before long. And, seeing as the others in the room appeared to be controlling their feelings more ably, the flaring of Matthew's nostrils was a clear sign that something even more potent than a horcrux was in play.

"With the utmost respect, sir, you had to involve us," Harry replied. "You wouldn't have been able to do this on your own."

"A point you have told me several times, though I suppose I still need to work on accepting it. But I'm not changing my mind, Harry. I'm not pushing you away. I'm just regretting that this is the only path available to us."

Hermione was composing herself after the brief argument. "If the defences aren't as strong around the diadem, then it should be easier to destroy it. And we know how to do it now."

Dumbledore hummed in thought. "A strong dose of pure magic should do it, yes." There was a pause as he stared carefully at the crown, before his gaze returned to the group. "Perhaps Harry and Matthew will be best placed to strike the final blow."

Harry was immediately on high alert, his back straightening. Whilst he might have enjoyed being given the responsibility, the last person he wanted to work with was his friend, given the current cloud hanging over them. It wasn't out of the realms of possibility that Matthew would instead fire a hex at Harry, rather than attacking the horcrux. Putting the two of them together, when there were so many other options, felt like pouring fuel onto an already raging fire.

Looking back at the headmaster, there was a distinct sense that that was exactly what Dumbledore was testing. There was a mischievous edge to his expression, as if he were testing the two of them. If he'd picked up on the tension between them, which wouldn't have been difficult, then he was now using the situation to evaluate just how much their emotions could get in the way of their work. Dumbledore had made a name for himself for playing games and it seemed that Harry and Matthew were the latest pawns to enter the board.

"I…I don't know whether that's a good idea," Harry frantically rushed out.

"Nonsense. I doubt you'll break a sweat."

"Let's get this over with," Matthew said.

He took a step forward, positioning himself to the right of the diadem. For the time being, he was apparently willing to ignore his bitterness to get the job done. Or perhaps he was looking to one-up Harry, as if he were taking the moral high ground. Harry, refusing to be outmaneuvered, stood to the left of the crown, matching Matthew stride for stride. It was a petty reason to want to destroy a horcrux, but it was a motive nonetheless.

Not knowing what was going to happen next, Dumbledore moved from his seat behind the desk, making sure to pat the two boys on the shoulder for good luck. He stood in front of their gathered audience, encouraging them to huddle together so that he could protect them if there were some unexpected consequences. If anything, it forced Harry to focus properly on the task, a reminder of the dangers involved and the mental strength needed to channel his pure magic.

He glanced at his friend, hoping to find some semblance of comfort there. All he was met with was grim determination, suggesting that Matthew was putting all of his might into the exercise to release his frustrations. It was a tactic that Harry could get onboard with. He'd seen Enola's abilities when she'd been fuelled by anger and it had been an unnervingly potent display. It was a different form of pure magic that he was perfectly willing to try, in the hope that it would help him blow off some steam.

Despite the fact that they were at odds with one another, Harry and Matthew moved in sync as they fought the horcrux. Matthew's magic was more forthcoming from his fingertips, thanks to his greater experience, but Harry wasn't close behind. And, with his new perspective, his power billowed out from his hand with a vengeance. It was always freeing to cast a spell without a wand and it was that violent simplicity that they were all relying on now.

Their magic coalesced as it surrounded the ancient artefact, seemingly going brighter as it connected with the silver metal of the crown. Almost instantly, the delicate lattice work began to melt and fracture under the intense pressure. Harry idly considered how much of a shame it was to destroy such an important piece of history, especially with how reverently the headmaster had spoken about it, but he supposed that they had to have different priorities.

The main jewel that represented the chest of the shiny bird cracked, dislodged from its casing. Thanks to the damage, a gust of black smoke steadily lifted up into the air, not unlike what they'd seen from other horcruxes. Dumbledore saw that as his moment to intervene, gracefully whipping his wand in a sharp arc until the cloud dissipated. The whole room seemed to regain its warmth once the ugly spector had been removed and they all let out relieved breaths at the apparent success.

Harry was panting following the heavy exertion. "Did we do it?"

Dumbledore prodded the burnt remains of the diadem with the edge of his wand. "It is nothing more than a pile of rubbish now. One might see that as sacrilege, if they didn't know what evil we've saved it from."

"Voldemort will know, won't he?"

"I presume that he'll have felt the loss, yes. But there's little that he can do about it."

"He could put more wards around the remaining ones. He could try hiding them somewhere else, if he's worried we already know."

Dumbledore held up a patient hand. "Harry, it is best to enjoy and savour your victories when they're presented to you, particularly when you don't know when the next one is around the corner. You've succeeded in weakening Voldemort today. You all have. That's cause for modest celebration."

Harry didn't think he was capable of following the other man's advice. He knew deep down that it was a logical mindset to have, one that would keep him sane in the long run. But it would have been difficult enough to throw a party whilst Voldemort's lingering threat remained. Removing another horcrux from the playing field pushed the Dark Lord one step closer to drastic measures. And, based on the unsettled faces of those around him, he doubted that anyone was really in the mood to pat themselves on the back.

"For now, I believe these remains will help me earn the time of the ghost I previously mentioned," the headmaster pressed on. "I imagine she'll be happy to learn that such a dark presence has been removed. Perhaps happy enough to give me the answers we're looking for, if just for the satiation of our curiosity."

"Yeah…I think it might be a good idea to head back now," Neville murmured. "It's…been a long day."

For the first time, rather than focusing on his own worries, Harry took the time to acknowledge the state his friends were in. It was evident who'd come into the room with little experience of horcruxes, seeing as Neville and Ginny were looking worse for wear and Draco and Daphne weren't sporting their usual confident smirks. With Dumbledore's less than subtle invitation to leave, they were all edging towards the door, fully prepared to put the incident behind them.

Yet the first person who left the room was Matthew, who rushed past the group to descend down the spiralling staircase beyond. Harry hadn't exactly wanted to face the problem head on, but the sight of his friend leaving in such a mood didn't fill him with confidence. And the added problem was that those remaining in the office were now looking at him in bemusement. It was a good thing that they'd been worn out by the search and destruction of the horcrux, otherwise he might have been met by a barrage of questions.

Matthew was already out of sight by the time they were all in the corridor outside. Harry's steps were slow and ponderous, allowing the others to head off in their own directions. The one person unwilling to give him that space was Hermione, which didn't come as much of a surprise. A firm hand on his chest kept him in place, whilst one eyebrow had been arched dangerously, as if she felt the sheer force of her glare would convince him to open up. It was remarkably close to working.

"Spill," she said bluntly.

Enola lingered nearby, looking at the two friends caught at loggerheads. It felt like she wanted to help, looking to stand by Harry's side so that he didn't have to face the accusations on his own. It was a step in the right direction, a sign that she wanted to be more open that she'd been up to that point. But spending time with her had gotten him into his current predicament. Keeping her close was only going to make things more difficult, which was he gave her a subtle nod of the head, the permission she needed to return to her own quarters.

Harry tore his attention back to Hermione. "What are you talking about?"

She looked close to rolling her eyes. "What have you done?"

"Why does it have to be me that's done something?"

"Has Matthew done something then?"

"...not exactly."

"Then I'm going to need an explanation. He hasn't been right ever since we left the Room of Requirements. He was in a foul mood as soon as he spotted Enola, but it's somehow gotten worse. Because he's the way he is, he hasn't told me what's going on. His latest disappearing act was the final straw. I'm expecting answers and, the way I see it, you're the only one who can provide them."

Harry didn't want to say it. Matthew had seemingly spared him from dealing with the consequences of Hermione's disappointment, an advantage he'd lose if he opened his mouth. He was already on the verge of losing one friendship. His group of confidants may have expanded in recent years, but that didn't mean he wanted to push away someone who'd been there for him from the very start. But the annoying predicament was that Hermione was likely going to leave if he didn't admit to his mistakes, putting Harry in an utterly lose-lose situation.

He swallowed his pride. "Matthew came to find us after you found the diadem. It was just that…when he eventually caught up to us…we were busy…you know…kissing."

He expected anger. He expected disgust. He expected exactly the same sort of reaction that he'd been met with from Matthew, seeing as the couple were so scarily similar at times. There was an initial widening of the eyes on Hermione's part, before her expression softened into one of understanding. She hadn't even said anything to him and Harry already felt lighter. That told him that he should have spoken about it much sooner but, if he started questioning every misstep from his life, he'd likely never get a wink of sleep again.

"Oh, Harry," she replied quietly.

"I know. I know it was stupid. I know that it could put me in danger. I know why Matthew's angry."

"But you still did it."

"...yeah."

"You must like her."

There was a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead, though that pressure lessened once he was sure that Enola was no longer within earshot. He would have rather faced the full extent of Matthew's anger instead of addressing his feelings to the person who'd captured them. His friend's disappointment was understandable, something that was defined by reason and logic. In Harry's experience, matters of the heart were infinitely more complex.

"You understood all the risks and still chose this path," Hermione added. "I believe that means you thought it was worth the fallout."

"I wouldn't say there was a lot of thinking involved, in all honesty."

"You're going to have to speak to him. The sooner, the better."

Harry groaned. "Can't we just bottle up all this resentment and never talk about it. I'm pretty sure that's a healthy alternative."

She cocked her head to one side. "Do I really need to respond to that?"

"I know that I can't avoid the conversation. But it's not as if Matthew's making it easy for me. He doesn't want to talk to me apparently."

"You've hurt him, Harry, whether you see it that way or not. Why would he make this easy? Perhaps seeing you suffer is part of the idea."

"Do you think I need to suffer?"

It was a dangerous question, one which would tell him where he stood with his friend. Again, Hermione was sporting a sad smile, but Harry didn't know what to make of it. Was it a sympathetic look, one that spoke of a deep sense of understanding of what he was going through? Or was it a look of farewell, with Hermione coming to the decision that she had to stand by her boyfriend? If push came to shove, then there was only ever going to be one side she ended up on.

"I can't claim to understand what's happened to push you so close to Enola. But, speaking from experience, I do know what it's like to be in love with someone. You might not be throwing around that term just yet, and I'm not going to pressure you into saying it, but the principle remains the same. Life would be so much simpler if we liked the right people."

"Thanks, Hermione. You don't realise just how much I needed to hear that."

"Just think how much Matthew needs to hear it too."

"The question is whether he'll give me the time to say it before he hexes me into oblivion."