A Potter Secret

Destroying the Diadem

Harry continues on, almost running now, then winces, faltering as he's struck by a spike of pain, his fingers tracing his scar as he resumes his pace, knowing he's getting closer, feeling it, his head humming with the Horcrux's sinister siren song, the sound growing louder and louder as he turns down yet another aisle and stops. A vein throbs visibly at Harry's temple. Hand trembling, he reaches out, pushes aside a stack of decaying spellbooks and finds a pair of eyes looking at him over the rim of a dusty canister. He pushes the canister aside and reveals a pockmarked stone bust of a warlock with glass eyes. Perched atop its head, dulled by time, Is Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem. He reaches out. "Well, well, what brings you here, Potter?" Draco calls.

Harry looks slowly over his shoulder. Draco, Blaise and Goyle at his side, steps into view, his face bisected by light. He holds a wand on Harry. "I could ask you the same," Harry replies.

"I virtually lived here last year. Remember?" Draco smirks.

"I remember," Harry says.

"You have something of mine. I'd like it back," Draco demands. Draco gestures to the wand sticking out of Harry's pocket.

"What's wrong with the one you have?" Harry inquires.

Draco studies it for a moment. "It's my mother's. It's very powerful, but it's not the same. It doesn't understand me. Know what I mean?" Draco says, looking up. Just then, over Draco's shoulder and several yards beyond, a shadow flickers. Ron. Harry looks down, notices a drop of water fall from the pant cuff, cuts his eyes away. He reaches for the wand in his pocket. "Easy."

Harry looks up, sees Draco watching him closely. He studies Draco's face. "Why didn't you tell her?" Harry asks. Draco doesn't respond. "Bellatrix. You knew it was me. But you didn't say anything."

Blaise and Goyle, confused by this, regard Draco dimly from either side. Draco fidgets, his hand twitching on the wand. "Give me my wand," Draco demands.

Harry continues to study Draco's face. "No. I don't think so," Harry decides. With blithe disregard, Harry removes the wand in his own pocket, ponders it. "Besides, its allegiance is to me now. If you want it, you'll have to win it back. Perhaps even kill me." Harry looks up. He and Draco lock eyes.

"C'mon, Draco. Don't be a prat. Just do 'im," Goyle pushes. Draco's hand twitches, his brow conflicted, then his eyes shift, catch sight of Hermione, in silhouette, far beyond Harry's shoulder, her wand pointed at him. He blinks, as if she were a mirage then a ball of scarlet light bursts from her wand, briefly illuminating her face, and strikes his hand. As his wand flies free, Goyle steps into the breach and fires back at Hermione. "Avada Kedavra!"

The spell caroms off the stone bust instead, sending the diadem spinning into the air. Ron fires a flurry of spells at Goyle, but he manages to elude them all by crashing through the wall of junk. As it teeters, Ron pelts through the hole made by Goyle and gives chase. Ting! Harry looks up, sees the diadem bounce off the top of a birdcage, skitter along the top of the highest shelf and bounce out of sight. Gone. Turning back, he finds Blaise taking aim at him. "Expelliarmus!" Harry casts. Blaise's wand flies free and he scarpers. An instant later, Hermione steps into view. A massive groan echoes and the walls of towering junk shudder. Harry looks up. Hermione looks up. Then at each other. The sky is falling. One after another, the towering walls spill like dominos.

Harry and Hermione run side by side as the world comes crashing down. "Did you see where it went? The diadem!" Hermione calls.

"It's gone! We'll never-" Harry stops. Ting! Ting! Ting! The diadem drops from the sky and hops, skips and jumps down the aisle in front of them. Harry and Hermione exchange a glance and pelt after it. Harry nearly has it in grasp when a small avalanche of moldy books bars his path. Hermione leaps over the books, reaches out and grabs it. Harry comes panting up. "Well done. Let's find Ron and get out of here."