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TWENTY ON THE TIGHT-ROPE
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A GOLDEN TELESCOPE reflects the image of a moving painting on the opposite side of the room, the engravings of constellations distorted the portrait of the man. Small magical objects, all bronze, silver, or gold, sit proudly along the shelves in the cabinets, all with their own little tale. A compass that leads to what you desire, the birthday of the creator's soulmate written in Roman numerals on the front. A golden box that hides the most coveted of treasures from the most dangerous of enemies. A silver goblet, with serpents snaking in-between roses and lilies, that's poured into on a wedding night and never empties until the death of the happy couple.
A chair with a snake coiled around a rose carved at the top has been pulled up for Holly to sit down. After bursting into hysterics next to the maze, she's exhausted, having cried every single emotion she's been holding in since she ran into that maze. During the final task she was too concerned on carrying on that she didn't stop, and now, she's cried so much that she wants to go back to her dorm room, and curl up in her bed.
But, she knows that there's some things she has to do before that happens. She's sitting in Dumbledore's office with her dad — Eugene was taken home after she returned with Cedric's body, the teachers aware of the situation thinking it might be safer for him to stay there for the time being — with her hand propping up her head. Sirius stands to the side of the office, and the three wait for Harry and Dumbledore. Gus keeps on eyeing Sirius suspiciously. He's been doing that ever since Holly said, "Oh, hi, Sirius," without realising that her dad was aware that Sirius Black was 'dangerous.'
Since then, Sirius has tried to explain what happened, but still, Gus' looking at him with caution. Holly, however, can barely keep her eyes open.
After this, though, she knows that her friends will want to know what happened. She needs to let them know, a lot of their parents were there. She also wants to speak to Draco, to tell him that she saw Atticus and she isn't sure what to do — however, she doubts she'll be able to leave this office and go straight to her common room, because she still has a huge cut along her leg, and, the Cruciatus Curse was used on her earlier. To be fair, if she's told to go to the hospital wing, she isn't sure if she'll complain, maybe they'll let her sleep through tomorrow if she's there, she's cried enough for a year, she's tired...
She hears two sets of footsteps, and she sees Sirius cross the room in an instant, letting out, "Harry, are you all right? I knew it — I knew something like this — what happened?"
"What didn't?" says Holly. She chooses to keep quiet about grabbing the cup a couple seconds before the two boys; she supposes now, if she comes clean, it'll look bad, her stealing the victory from a dead boy. This was all for nothing.
