Complete and Utter Poppycock

Chapter 25: The Lost Diadem

Chapter 25: The Lost Diadem

"Neville — what the — how?"

Neville spotted Ron, Hermione, and me, and with yells of delight was hugging us too.

"I knew you'd come! Kept telling Seamus it was matter of time!"

"Neville, what's happened to you?"

"What? This?" Neville dismissed his injuries with a shake of his head. "This is nothing. Seamus is worse. You'll see. Shall we get going then? Oh," he turned to Aberforth, "Ab, there might be a couple more people on the way."

"Couple more?" repeated Aberforth ominously. "What d'you mean a couple more, Longbottom? There's a curfew and a Caterwauling Charm on the whole village!"

"I know, that's why they'll be Apparating directly into the bar," said Neville. "Just send them down the passage when they get here, will you? Thanks a lot."

Neville held out his hand to me and helped me climb up the mantelpiece and into the tunnel; Hermione and Ron followed, then Neville. Then Harry.

There were smooth stone steps on the other side. Brass lamps hung from the walls and the earthly floor was worn and smooth.

"How long's this been here?" Ron asked as we set off. "It isn't on the Marauder's Map, is it, Harry? I thought there were only seven passages in and out of school?"

"They sealed off all those off before the start of the year," said Neville. "There's no chance of getting through any of them now, not with Curses over the entrances and Death Eaters and dementors waiting at the exits." He started walking backward, beaming, drinking us in. "Never mind that stuff. . . Is it true? Did you break into Gringotts? Did you escape on a dragon? It's everywhere, everyone's talking about it, Terry Boot got beaten up by Carrow for yelling about it in the Great Hall at dinner!"

"Yeah, it's true," said Harry.

Neville laughed gleefully. I've never seen him this excited and happy before.

"What did you do with the dragon?"

"Release it into the wild," said Ron. "Hermione was all for keeping it as a pet —"

"Don't exaggerate, Ron —"

"But what have you been doing? People have been saying you've just been on the run, Harry, but I don't think so. I think you've been up to something."

"You're right," said Harry, "but tell us about Hogwarts, Neville, we haven't heard anything."

"It's been . . . well, it's not really like Hogwarts anymore," said Neville, the smile fading. "Do you know about the Carrows?"

"The two Death Eaters that teach here?"

"They do more than teach," said Neville. "They're in charge of all discipline. They like punishment, the Carrows."

"Like Umbridge?"

"Nah, they make her look tame. The other teachers are all supposed to refer us to the Carrows if we do anything wrong. They don't, though, if they can avoid it. You can tell they all hate them as much as we do."

"Amycus, the bloke, he teaches what used to be Defense Against the Dark Arts, except now it's just the Dark Arts. We're supposed to practice the Cruciatus Curse on people who've earned detentions —"

"What?" All four of our voices united up and down the passage in an echo.

"Yeah," said Neville. "That's how I got this one," he pointed at a partially deep gash in his cheek, "I refused to do it. Some people are into it, though; Crabbe and Goyle love it. First time they've been on top in anything, I expect.