The Art of An Ending

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Missing Diadems

Exhausted but delighted with her night's work, Erica told Draco and Pansy everything that had happened during next morning's Charms lesson (having first cast the Muffliato spell upon those nearest to them). They were both satisfyingly impressed by the way she and Harry had retrieved the memory from Slughorn and positively awed when she told them about Voldemort's Horcruxes and Dumbledore's allowance that she may go along, should he find another.

"Wow," said Pansy, when Erica had finally finished telling them everything; Draco was waving his wand very vaguely in the direction of the ceiling without paying the slightest bit of attention to what he was doing. "Wow. You're actually going to go with Dumbledore... and try and destroy... wow."

"I don't think I will," Erica shrugged, "If he gets one and destroys it that's great, but we need to work on the others."

"Draco, you're making it snow," Pansy chided him, grabbing his wrist and redirecting his wand away from the ceiling from which, sure enough, large white flakes had started to fall.

"Oh," Draco mumbled, looking down at his shoulders in vague surprise. "Yeah, but seriously, no wonder we couldn't find anything about what Horcruxes were. That's some serious magic..."

He brushed some of the fake snow off Erica's shoulders, and she sighed.

"I know," she admitted, "I still can't really believe it. I think it's finally time we talk to Luna and track down the Grey Lady to ask about the Diadem though."

"Oh yeah," Pansy laughed. "I sort of forgot all about that."

"You're not the only one," Draco snorted, shaking his head. "Okay, but can we talk to Luna first because the Grey Lady sort of freaks me out."

Erica and Pansy looked at Draco pointedly, but he withstood their combined bemusement, raising his hands.

"It's a legitimate fear, okay?" he attempted to defend himself, before his gaze caught something behind them. "Flitwick," he added, in a warning tone.

The tiny little Charms master was bobbing his way towards them and Erica was the only one who had managed to turn vinegar into wine; her glass flask was full of deep crimson liquid, whereas the contents of Draco and Pansy's were still murky brown.

"Now, now," squeaked Professor Flitwick reproachfully. "A little less talk, a little more action... let me see you try..."

Together they raised their wands, concentrating with all their might, and pointed them at their flasks. Draco's vinegar turned to ice; Pansy's turned to water.

"Yes... for homework..." said Professor Flitwick, looking distinctly peeved, "practice."

They had one of their rare joint free periods after Charms and decided that they may as well try and find Luna, though they were soon distracted when they reached the Entrance Hall and noticed the commotion there.

A cluster of seventh-years stood together, and when they grew a little closer, Erica realised that it was, indeed, Katie Bell in the middle of them, looking completely healthy and surrounded by her jubilant friends. She nudged Draco and Pansy as they slipped down the stairs to the Slytherin dungeons and noticed Draco's distinct look of relief as they dropped their bags off in the common room.

They found Luna in a Potions lesson, and whilst Draco and Pansy were all up for just giving up and finding her at lunch, Erica was tired of putting things of.

She wrapped on the door twice neatly, and then poked her head around when a call of "come in" drifted out, noting the noxious fumes inside the dungeon.

"Excuse me, Professor," she intoned, looking directly at Professor Slughorn. "I need to borrow Luna Lovegood for a moment. Apparently there's been an issue with several of the other fifth-years that needs to be resolved."