Lost Memories

lxxi. teamwork

In the few times I had prowled the castle at night, with Harry, I'd never been this afraid. Through squares of moonlight upon the floor, past suits of armour whose helmets creaked at the sound of their soft footsteps, around corners beyond which who knew what lurked, Harry, Luna, and I walked, checking the Marauder's Map whenever light permitted, twice pausing to allow a ghost to pass without drawing attention to ourselves.

"This way," breathed Luna, pulling us toward a spiral staircase.

We climbed in tight, dizzying circles before we reached a door. There was no handle and no keyhole: nothing but a plain expanse of aged wood, and a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle.

Luna reached out a pale hand, which looked eerie floating in midair, unconnected to arm or body. She knocked once, and in the silence, it sounded like a cannon blast. The eagle opened its beak, but instead of a bird's call, a soft, musical voice said, "Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?"

"Hm, what do you think?" said Luna to us.

"It's like the chicken or the egg: which came first," I mused. "There isn't a beginning because it's the Circle of Life."

"What does that mean?" Harry questioned.

"Well then," Luna breathed, "I think the answer is that a circle has no beginning."

"Well reasoned," said the voice, and the door swung open.

The deserted Ravenclaw common room looked nothing like Gryffindors; it was a wide, circular room, airier than any I had ever seen at Hogwarts. Graceful arched windows punctuated the walls, which were hung with blue-and-bronze silks. Looking around, we tried to find the statue.

"Harry, over here," Luna said.

Both of us turned in the direction Luna pointed to and Hary quickly stepped out of the Cloak.

"Harry, no!" I whispered harshly.

Out from under the Cloak, Harry climbed up onto Ravenclaw's plinth to read the words: " 'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.' "

"Which makes you pretty skint, witless," said a crackling voice. Harry whirled around, slipped off the plinth, and landed on the floor. I turned to look up at the woman. The sloping-shouldered figure of Alecto Carrow was standing before us– Luna and I stayed hidden under the Cloak—, and even as Harry raised his wand, she pressed a stubby forefinger to the skull and snake branded on her forearm.

With a quick reflex, Luna and I quickly pulled out our wands and Stunned the ugly woman. The force of our Stun caused her to fly into a large bookcase and hit the ground with a hard smack.

"I've never Stunned anyone except in our D.A. lessons," said Luna, sounding mildly interested.

"Especially a double Stun?" I breathed. "Very noisy, I wouldn't be surprised if—"

The ceiling had begun to tremble. Scurrying, echoing footsteps were growing louder from behind the door leading to the dormitories: our Stuns had woken Ravenclaws sleeping above.

"Lotts, where are you? I need to get under the Cloak!"

Luna and I ran to Harry and quickly pulled him to his feet, smashing his body against ours. A stream of Ravenclaws, all in their nightclothes, flooded into the common room. There were gasps and cries of surprise as they saw Alecto lying there unconscious. Slowly they shuffled in around her, a savage beast that might wake at any moment and attack them. Then one brave little first-year darted up to her and prodded her backside with his big toe.

"I think she might be dead!" he shouted with delight.

"Oh, look," whispered Luna happily, as the Ravenclaws crowded in around Alecto. "They're pleased!"