Dark Pasts { A Harry Potter Story }

Chapter 111 - Ravenclaw's Diadem

Once more, Harry and I found ourselves struggling to find our way through the crowd. I felt relieved for, at last, we knew where the diadem was, but another part of me was terribly scared as I knew that time was running out. What would happen once the clocks struck midnight? What would happen to Harry?

My thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Ron and Hermione, who had just come rushing out of a corridor in front of us. They gasped when they saw us.

"Where the hell have you been?" Ron asked. "We've been looking for you for ages!"

I noticed they were holding several Basilisk fangs in their hands.

"Liz said you went to the Chamber of Secrets," Harry said. "How'd you even get in? You need to speak Parseltongue!"

"He did!" Hermione said. "Show him, Ron!"

Ron made a horrible strangled hissing noise.

"It's what you did to open the locket," he told Harry apologetically. "I had to have a few goes to get it right, but," he shrugged modestly, "we got there in the end."

"He was amazing," she said.  "Amazing!"

"So we're another Horcrux down," Ron said as he held up Hufflepuff's cup. "Hermionestabbed it. Thought she should. She hasn't had the pleasure yet."

"Genius!" Harry exclaimed and I beamed at them.

"So what about you two?" Ron asked.

"We know where the diadem is," Harry said, talking fast.  "He hid it exactly where I hid my old Potions book, where everyone's been hiding stuff for centuries. He thought he was the only one to find it. Come on."

The walls of the castle trembled. We all looked at each other in alarm before running up the stairs to the seventh-floor. The walls trembled again as we entered the Room of Requirement. There were only two people inside: an old woman whom I recognized to be Neville's grandmother, and Tonks, who ran to hug me once she saw me.

"Is everyone okay?" Tonks asked.

" 'S far as we know," Harry said. "Are there still people in the passage to the Hog's Head?"

"I was the last to come through,"  Mrs. Longbottom said. "I sealed it, I think it unwise to leave it open now Aberforth has left his pub. Have you seen my grandson?"

"He's fighting," Harry said.

"Naturally," she said proudly. "Excuse me, I must go and assist him."

With surprising speed, she trotted off toward the stone steps. I turned back to look at Tonks.

"I thought you were supposed to be with Teddy at your mother's?"

"I couldn't stand not knowing —" Tonks looked anguished."She'll look after him — have you seen Remus?"

"He was planning to lead a group of fighters into the grounds —"

Without another word, Tonks sped off.

"Hang on a moment!" said Ron sharply. "We've forgotten someone!"

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"The house-elves, they'll all be down in the kitchen, won't they?"

Harry and I looked at each other questioningly. "You mean we ought to get them fighting?" he said.

"No," Ron said. "I mean we should tell them to get out. We don't want any more Dobbies, do we? We can't order them to die for us —"

There was a clatter as the basilisk fangs Hermione was holding fell to the floor. Then, suddenly, she flung her arms around Ron and kissed him deeply.  Ron threw away the fangs and broomstick he was holding and responded with such enthusiasm that he lifted Hermione off her feet.