Dioleh and Draco froze, their ears perking up at the sound of the door opening. It seemed that Blaise, Imani, and Andre had frozen as well. Everything was silent. "And he never realized anyone could get in?" Ron said in amazement.
"Ron!" Dioleh called. The five of them rushed towards the door to see their friends and they each quickly greeted each other with wide grins.
Turning serious, Harry asked, "Anything?"
"Not yet," Blaise replied grimly.
"Then let's split up," Harry suggested. "Cover more area. Look for a stone bust of an old man wearing a wig and a tiara. It's standing on a cupboard and it's definitely somewhere in here." Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Blaise all went down different aisles while Imani and Andre went down another and Dioleh and Draco went down the final one.
They had been searching for several minutes when an eerily familiar voice snapped, "Hold it, Potter." The voice was muffled and distant.
"Nott," Draco whispered quietly. Dioleh nodded. Raising her wand, she quickly moved several objects out of the way so they could pass through into another aisle. Dioleh raised a finger to her lips as they came to the end of another aisle. Nott's voice was clearer now.
"Malfoy practically lived in here last year," he was saying with a scoff. "The Dark Lord had me keep an eye on him. The Dark Lord felt he wasn't to be trusted." With another scoff, he added, "Considering how the coward turned out, I'm not surprised that-"
"Don't you dare call him a coward," Harry snapped.
"Defensive of your new buddy, are you, Potter?" Nott jeered. "He here as well?"
"What's it to you?" Draco retorted loudly, not stepping into sight. Nott started. Harry smirked. Apparently, Theodore was more afraid of Draco than he was willing to admit.
"You're a traitorous coward, Malfoy!" Nott snapped.
Draco tsked, smirking before he stepped into sight and remarked, "It's funny how when I was a coward I was never called one but yet now that I'm not, it's the most common insult I receive, if you can even call it that. If you're going to try and insult me, Nott, at least put in some effort."
"So what, you and Potter are buddies now?" Nott scoffed. Draco smirked, glancing over to Harry before shifting his gaze up to the diadem above him, just out of reach.
"Something like that," he replied finally.
"So the snake changes his scales," Nott taunted.
With a dangerous smirk, Dioleh stepped into sight, replying, "And the dead come back to life." Crabbe and Goyle went deathly pale. Nott stared at her with eyes slightly wider than usual, but he kept his cool.
"And I thought the Malfoy family could sink no lower," Nott scoffed. "You're still with this bitch, Malfoy?"
"Call her a bitch one more time," Draco snarled, taking a step forward. "I dare you."
"Now, now, boys," Dioleh said, sending Draco a warning look. "Play nice." Nott scoffed again, rolling his eyes.
"Hand over the diadem, Potter," Nott snapped.
"I don't think I will," Harry replied calmly.
"Harry? Did you find anything?" Ron called. He and the others had been out of earshot the entire conversation.
"Descendo!" Crabbe shouted, pointing his wand at a pile of objects to the side of them. A shrill scream from Hermione sounded as Harry counteracted the spell, causing everything to instantly steady.
"No!" Nott shouted, shoving down Crabbe's arm.
"What's the matter?" Crabbe retorted. "It's Potter the Dark Lord wants, who cares about a die-dum?"
"Potter came here to get it," Nott snapped back with ill-disguised irritation. "So that must mean-"
"Must mean?" Crabbe repeated, turning on him with a furious glare. "Who cares what you think? I don't take your orders anymore, Theodore. You're no better than me."
"You tell him, Crabbe," Draco said sarcastically. "Real proud of you, mate. High time you stopped sucking up to whoever you think can protect you. Oh, wait. I forgot you're still kissing arse to Voldemort."
"Crucio!" Crabbe shouted, but his aim was so bad the spell almost hit Dioleh. Catching her at the waist, Draco pulled her out of the way and behind him just as Harry lunged for the diadem. Dioleh had instinctively grabbed onto Draco's arm, allowing herself to be hidden from sight as what could have happened flashed through her mind. As she clutched onto his arm tightly, her forehead against his back with her eyes closed, she tried to block out the memories that had been haunting her for a week and a half.
"STOP!" Nott shouted just as a flash of red light flew at Crabbe's head. Hermione had appeared behind them with Andre and Imani.
"It's the Mudblood!" Crabbe cried. "Avada Kedavra!" Instantly, Hermione dove out of the way as Andre and Imani took cover behind stacks of books around them. Harry aimed for Crabbe as Goyle lunged for Draco and Dioleh. Wordlessly, Draco cast a spell, knocking Goyle back harshly. Then there was Nott and Crabbe. Swallowing harshly, Dioleh pulled herself together and stepped out from behind Draco. Both Crabbe and Nott proved surprisingly formidable even when Draco, Dioleh, Harry, and Hermione turned on the two of them. In the mass of chaos, Ron appeared along with Imani and Andre as Blaise appeared at the other end. Crabbe was quickly disarmed and went running after his wand with Blaise in pursuit as everyone else turned on Nott and the revived Goyle. Then, the worst thing happened.
Having retrieved his wand, Crabbe turned to face them and shouted, "Fiendfyre incandatum!" Blaise instantly jumped off the pile of objects he had been forced to climb in his pursuit as large serpents of flame sprang towards him.
Scrambling back to his feet, he broke into a sprint, shouting, "RUN!" Everyone stopped fighting and turned to look. Now it was not only serpents slithering towards them, but whole dragons of flame. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sprinted one way while Nott, Goyle, and Crabbe went another. Draco, Dioleh, Imani, Andre, and Blaise took a thrid path, sprinting as fast as they could even as the flames followed, consuming everything behind them. "Hold it!" Blaise shouted, out of breath. They had reached a dead end.
"What can we do?" Imani cried.
"These flames can't be stopped!" Blaise retorted. "Only Crabbe could get rid of them!"
"Even by transfiguration?" Draco asked.
"You can try, but I doubt its worth the effort," Blaise replied.
"Well whatever you're going to do, do it quick!" Andre snapped. Draco moved to the front of the group and raised his wand. Drawing in a deep breath, he closed his eyes. Nothing happened. The flames had almost reached them now. Pushing Draco behind her, Dioleh raised her hands and instantly a harsh wind sprang up. The flames were slowed slightly, but not by much.
"DIOLEH!" a voice cried. She turned, her magic faltering. Hermione was on a broom behind Ron while Harry rode another. They landed and quickly Andre and Imani got behind Harry while Blaise got behind Ron and Hermione.
"Come on!" Harry cried, when he saw that neither Draco or Dioleh had moved.
"I have to keep the flames back!" Dioleh shouted, not allowing her focus to shift again.
"I have to find the others," Draco said. "They don't deserve to die, Harry!"
"We'll get them!" Harry promised.
"There's too many people, anyway!" Draco cried. "You get the other three and I'll stay with Dioleh. We'll make it out!"
"Dioleh!" Hermione cried.
"I promise I'll survive!" Dioleh shouted back. "Now go!"