Of Constellations → 𝘥. 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘧𝘰𝘺

xxix. d.a., still recruiting

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chapter twenty nine

d. a., still recruiting

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The second week was no better than the first. In both Dark Arts classes, we were supposed to practice the Cruciatus Curse on students who'd earned detentions. Once again, the majority of us refused. It was disturbing to experience the deep relief when the Carrow siblings started to use other means to punish us for our disobedience—the pain from the bruises and cuts was nothing compared to the pain from Cruciatus.

But, I was worried my relief would be short-lived. By that weekend, Ginny had another terribly risky idea.

We were sitting under the shade of an alder tree as far away from the castle as possible, pretending to be intensely invested in a game of Exploding Snap.

"So, Dumbledore left Harry, Ron, and Hermione some stuff in his will. One of the things he left Harry is the Sword of Gryffindor. They didn't let him have it, though, it's still in the headmaster's office. I'm not exactly sure why we need it, but I'm sure it's absolutely necessary that Harry gets it back," Ginny was saying in low tones.

I scanned the faces of the other three, trying to ascertain whether they felt as petrified about this as I did, but both Neville and Luna agreed to it immediately.

A ghost of the pain I'd felt nearly a week ago brushed over my skin. If Snape were to catch us breaking into his office, what sorts of torture would we have to endure? I remembered the fondness in his eyes during his Defense Against the Dark Arts classes last year. If anyone were to know of even harsher ways to punish students than the Cruciatus Curse, it would be him.

Still, though, when Ginny caught the grimace on my face, her expression was on fire in a way that told me this was something she wasn't going to let me get out of doing.

Ignoring Draco's advice, I swallowed down the Slytherin sense of self-preservation and tried to connect to whatever fibers of Gryffindor's bravery were within me.

Apparently, there were not many, because I was so nervous by the time Ginny told Luna and me to meet her and Neville, I was worried I was going to be sick. I was no longer sure whether this was a mission I wanted to embark on. For one, I still didn't know what Ginny's plan was—how were we getting into the office? And, assuming we would be able to smuggle it, how were we getting it to Harry? Stick it in the Room of Requirement and wait for him to turn up?

Whose location, moreover, was completely unknown. No one could be totally sure that Harry was even still alive.

It was very late at night and the castle was deathly quiet. I knew there were Death Eaters patrolling the halls (including Draco who was definitely going to be displeased with me if he knew what I was doing).

We met first in the Room of Requirement—Ginny and Neville were already there when Luna and I arrived.

"Okay, I had Nearly Headless Nick listen in to the password to the headmaster's office. We'll be in and out in minutes," Ginny explained as soon as Luna shut the door behind us. The Room of Requirement looked different now. No longer a classroom with books and a large open space, it looked like a vast storage room that no one had stepped foot in for years.

I glanced around, thinking about Draco spending his entire year here trying to fix that Vanishing Cabinet. A fleeting, though intense, twinge of melancholy flickered behind my eyes. The towers of forgotten, dusty keepsakes must've closed in on him after all of those hours alone.