𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒-ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣❥

𝐇𝐁𝐏 𝟐𝟎

Emily could feel the Felix Felicis wearing off as she and Harry crept back into the castle. The front door had remained unlocked for them, but on the third floor they met Peeves and only narrowly avoided detection by diving sideways through one of their shortcuts.

By the time they got up to the portrait of the Fat Lady and pulled off the Invisibility Cloak, Emily was not surprised to find her in a most unhelpful mood.

"What sort of time do you call this?"

"I'm really sorry — we had to go out for something important —"

"Well, the password changed at midnight, so you'll just have to sleep in the corridor, won't you?"

"You're joking!" said Harry. "Why did it have to change at midnight?"

"That's the way it is," said the Fat Lady. "If you're angry, go and take it up with the headmaster, he's the one who's tightened security."

"Fantastic," said Harry bitterly, looking around at the hard floor. "Really brilliant. Yeah, I would go and take it up with Dumbledore if he was here, because he's the one who wanted me to —"

"He is here," said a voice behind Harry and Emily.

"Professor Dumbledore returned to the school an hour ago."

Nearly Headless Nick was gliding toward Harry and Emily, his head wobbling as usual upon his ruff.

"I had it from the Bloody Baron, who saw him arrive," said Nick. "He appeared, according to the Baron, to be in good spirits, though a little tired, of course."

"Where is he?" said Emily, her heart leaping.

"Oh, groaning and clanking up on the Astronomy Tower, it's a favorite pastime of his —"

"Not the Bloody Baron — Dumbledore!"

"Oh — in his office," said Nick. "I believe, from what the Baron said, that he had business to attend to before turning in —"

"Yeah, he has," said Harry, excitement blazing in his chest at the prospect of telling Dumbledore he had secured the memory.

He wheeled about, grabbed Emily's hand and sprinted off again, ignoring the Fat Lady who was calling after them both.

"Come back! All right, I lied! I was annoyed you woke me up! The password's still 'tapeworm'!"

But Harry and Emily were already hurtling back along the corridor and within minutes, they were saying "toffee éclairs" to Dumbledore's gargoyle, which leapt aside, permitting Harry and Emily entrance onto the spiral staircase.

"Enter," said Dumbledore when Harry knocked.

He sounded exhausted.

Emily pushed open the door.

There was Dumbledore's office, looking the same as ever, but with black, star-strewn skies beyond the windows.

"Good gracious, Harry and Emily," said Dumbledore in surprise. "To what do I owe this very late pleasure?"

"Sir — we've got it. I've got the memory from Slughorn."

Harry pulled out the tiny glass bottle and showed it to Dumbledore. For a moment or two, the headmaster looked stunned. Then his face split in a wide smile.

"Harry, this is spectacular news! Very well done indeed! I knew you could do it! Well done to both of you!"

All thought of the lateness of the hour apparently forgotten, he hurried around his desk, took the bottle with Slughorn's memory in his uninjured hand, and strode over to the cabinet where he kept the Pensieve.