White Heather for Protection

Win Some, Lose Some

"Really, young people nowadays, no respect for their elders!" the damnable hat exclaimed.

Heather gave him a look, clearly amused.

Ticked off, he dumped the thing unceremoniously onto the table. "Cease your infernal racket! Here, the Gryffindor you wanted. Now tell us where the sword is!"

The hat seemed to sniff in offence before giving Miss Weasley a considering inspection. "A Gryffindor? Hmm, you don't seem like much. Let me have a closer look, girl."

Miss Weasley's eye twitched in annoyance, though thankfully she refrained from letting that fiery temper of hers loose. Regrettably, they still had use of the hat yet. With great reluctance, she let the hat perch atop her head for the second time in her life.

Whatever conversation they had, Severus and Heather were not privy to it. The expressions the girl cycled through – irritation, bewilderment, defiance, then thoughtfulness – were interesting, but not of his concern.

"Yes, yes," the hat said in a muted version of its booming voice, "I see now. You are indeed Gryffindor, through and through. Godric would be proud!"

"So? Are you going to tell us where the sword is now?" Heather asked.

"Ahh, that, well, Gryffindor's Sword is always there for those brave of heart who seek it!" the hat said, before falling silent and seeming to unanimate.

The stunned silence in the room gave way to sounds of disbelief.

Severus briefly considered minor fire spells that would singe cloth. Just mildly. Enough to leave marks.

"That's not helpful at all!" Heather said.

"Argh! Stupid hat!" Miss Weasley shouted, tearing it off her head and throwing it to the floor. It landed with a deafening clang, sounding nothing like it should. A sharp pointed object seemed to stick out from under its voluminous brim.

"Is that-?" Heather said, incredulous.

Severus strode forward and grabbed the hat by its tip, lifting it off the floor to reveal a large, gleaming sword, hilt encrusted with rubies in the most garish manner possible.

"You blasted piece of cloth!" he spat, shaking the thing threateningly. It did not reply.

"You mean this entire time the hat had the sword and refused to say anything?" Miss Weasley said, glaring acidly at the thing.

"I bet I know who put it up to this," Heather muttered, scowling menacingly at the still portrait of the previous Headmaster.

"Well that was just a huge bloody waste of time!" Miss Weasley complained.

"Language, Miss Weasley," Severus corrected automatically.

"Whatever, sir."

He took a deep breath. "Now that we have the sword, you should get it to the goblins as soon as possible. Vault audits take time, considering how vast some of them can be. The quicker they begin, the quicker we may destroy the object."

His words immediately got the other two to focus.

"Yes, of course. I'll floo Gringotts tonight," Heather said. She then looked at the younger girl. "After escorting Ginny back to her dorms."

Miss Weasley began to protest the treatment, but a stern glance was enough to quell her words.

"Miss Weasley, you will need to create an appropriately severe punishment for yourself. Enough so that your fellow student believe it would be prudent not to step out of line."