I look back at the portrait, seeing Ariana coming back. "Look!" All eyes turn to the portrait.
"She's coming back! And she's got someone with her!" Just then, the painting blooms faintly and Ariana emerges from deep within the dark canvas.
"Who's that with her?" Ron asks. We all look closely before the painting bursts from the wall, the person clear and standing in front of us from a tunnel.
"Neville!" Hermione exclaims, relief washing over us. Neville's face looked horrid. His eye was swollen and he had cuts all over her face. His clothes seemed to be the only thing untouched.
"Neville, you look..." Harry started and Neville nodded.
"Like hell? I reckon. This is nothing. Seamus is worse. You'll see. Hermione! Ron!" Neville embraces them, and sends me a smile as well. "Mira, nice to see you." I nod. It was nice to see a familiar face again. He then turns to Aberforth. "Hey, Ab. There might be a couple more people on the way." We turn around, seeing Aberforth standing in the doorway. Aberforth nods. Neville turns to Harry, Ron and Hermione and smiles again. "Well? Ready?" Neville leads us down the passage.
"I don't remember this being on the Marauder's Map." I tell Neville, having had the map memorized while I was a student at Hogwarts.
"That's because it never existed till now. The seven secret passages were sealed off before
the start of the year. This is the only way in or out now. The grounds are crawling with Death Eaters and Dementors." I frowned.
"How bad is it, Neville? With Snape as Headmaster." Hermione asks. Neville looks back at us for a minute with a shrug.
"Hardly ever see him. It's the Carrows you have to watch out for. Brother and sister. They're in
charge of discipline. Like punishment, the Carrows." Neville points to a gash on his face. I furrowed my eyebrows.
"They did that to you? But why?" Neville chuckles.
"Today's Dark Arts lesson had us practicing the Cruciatus Curse. On First Years. I refused. Hogwarts has changed." We all give each other shocked looks. "Aw, c'mon. Don't be grim. We're all used to it by now. And the thing is, it helps when people stand up, gives everyone hope. I used to notice that when you did it, Harry. C'mon, we're almost there." Neville leads us up a short flight of stone steps to a door and pauses. "Let's have a bit of fun, shall we?" Neville smiles as he pushes open the door. "Hey! Listen up, you lot! I've brought you a surprise!" I can't see inside, but I can hear the voices of the students.
"Not more of Aberforth's cooking, I hope. Be a surprise if we could digest it." I chuckle at the sound of Seamus' voice. Neville looks back, jerks his head toward the open door. The four of us step out and emerge into a large room that looks like a treehouse. Faces turn and blink. At first it is silent, then voices explode. Madness ensues as we descend the ladder and are swallowed up in a scrum of backslaps, handshakes, and hugs. I see many familiar faces; Luna, Cho Chang, Dean Thomas, even Lavender Brown. Neville makes eye contact with me as he pulls Nugel closer to our group.
"Get the word out to Remus and the others that Harry's back." Nigel nods, scrambles over to a battered wizard wireless. As it crackles to life he leans close to speak.
"River, DA calling. Do you read? We have a new weather report: Lightning has struck. I repeat, lightning has struck..." I smile at Neville. They were coming. The order was coming. George, Fred, Remus... everyone.
"Okay, okay! Stand down! Let's not kill them before You-Know-Who gets the chance!" As the group settles, Neville looks back at us. "Right then. What's the plan, Harry?" I raise my eyebrows, looking back at Harry. Was there even a plan? Harry gazes out over the expectant faces in the room, noting the hollow eyes and broken bodies and the desperate, almost palpable desire for hope. For a moment he seems lost, awed by the sacrifice his friends have made, much of it for him.
"Okay. There's something we need to find, something hidden here in the castle. It could help us defeat You-Know-Who." Neville and the rest of the group nod.
"What is it?" Neville asks, arms folded over his chest.
"We don't know." A few eyes start to lose hope.
"Where is it?" Dean asks, trying to help the group.
"Don't know that either." A confused murmur fills the room. "I realize it's not much to go on." Seamus scoffs.
"That's nothing to go on." I chuckle, looking right back at Seamus.
"When has Harry ever had a good plan?" I ask him, before looking back at Harry. "Sorry, Harry." He just shakes his head. I'm not wrong.
"I think it might have something to do with Ravenclaw. It would be small, easy to conceal, and valuable. Any ideas?" He looks up. For a moment, there's no response.
"Well, there's Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem." I look at Luna. "The lost diadem of Ravenclaw? Hasn't anyone ever heard of it? It's quite famous." I nod, waiting for her to go on.
"Yes, but Luna, it's lost. For centuries now. There's not a person alive today who's seen it." Cho says, Her fellow Ravenclaws nod. Ron frowns.
"Excuse me. But would someone tell me: what's a bloody diadem?" I look back at Ron.
"It's a kind of crown, Ronald." I tell him, looking back at Cho and Luna.
"Ravenclaw's was rumored to have magical properties, to enhance the wisdom of the wearer." Cho explains. I look back at Harry, hoping that this was it - what we were looking for. Just then quick footsteps are heard and Ginny appears. She stops, seeing Harry.
"Harry." She breathes out.
"Hey there." Harry smiles back at her, the both of them only looking at each other. Ron smiles, about to speak, then notices Ginny's eyes have not left Harry. He frowns, looking back at Hermione.
"Six months she hasn't seen me and it's like I'm Frankie First Year. I mean, I'm only her brother." I laugh, looking back at Ron.
"Got loads of those, though, doesn't she? There's only one Harry." Seamus comments and I smirk at Ron, who rolls his eyes.
"What is it, Ginny?" She looks back at Neville, her eyes finally tearing from Harry's.
"Snape knows. He knows that Harry was spotted in Hogsmeade." Quickly, the group of students start exiting the Room of Requirement. Students started travelling back to their houses. I look towards Harry and Neville.
"So... what's the plan?"
YOU ARE READING
Daughter of Black
FanfictionShe was named after both her parents. On her father's side of the family, it was tradition that they were named after stars - Mira. Her mother's name was Arabella so her father gave her part of her mother's name as well. He wanted part of both of th...
