Cool autumn breeze rushed through Fawn's hair. She closed her eyes and welcomed the refreshment.
It had been seven months now since Regulus had been killed. Everyday was a little easier. The boulders weighing in her core had now become pebbles; still there, still noticeable but not as heavy.
And yet, there were still horcruxes to be found, still lives to be saved, and still one singular year to complete it all.
Leaves crunched under foot and gravel worked into the grooves of her sneakers as she traveled the path from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts. Yes, Fawn could've Flooed but it wasn't the same. The journey was important.
The stone walls came into view. Fawn took a deep breath. This was it. Ravenclaw's diadem was hidden among those walls...Supposedly.
A crow cawed in the distance.
"Okay," Fawn breathed, "Let's do this."
Fawn's heart ached with nostalgia as she walked down the halls. Portraits mumbled as she passed. Some younger students gawked at her.
"Is she a seventh year?" one ravenclaw girl wondered aloud.
"Do you think we'll ever look that old?" her friend responded.
Fawn shook her head and chuckled softly. She hadn't realized that twenty years had aged her that much.
Laughter from past lives echoed in her mind. Hermione's reprimand of Harry and Ron's idiocy mirrored the ones from Lily to Sirius and James.
Both times were hers now. She'd been forced out of the nineties indefinitely but still felt a pull to it with every giggle heard and every pumpkin pastie eaten. And yet, she knew if she made it back it would never be the same. Her life was too entangled with the Marauders and Co to enjoy the "golden trio" in the same way ever again.
She was stuck between two worlds with no way to have both.
Destroying the diadem solidified the choice. The seventies—now eighties—weren't meant for her. Here she was, tracking down the Grey Lady, Helena Ravenclaw, for answers to return to a life she neither belonged to nor didn't belong to.
The despondent ghost waited for Fawn.
"Hello Ms. Ravenclaw."
"What do you want, Fawn Briggs?"
"You know my name?"
"I know every student and past student's name that is worth knowing."
A bubble of pride rose in Fawn's stomach. Perhaps being worthy in the eyes of a ghost wasn't much, but for some reason it felt like another sign she was going in the right direction.
"Do you know where Ravenclaw's diadem is?"
Helena wavered for a moment. Fierce loyalty shone in her steely eyes with an underlying anger. Her answer was short. That was not an answer she was willing to give. The last time she had, the result had been disastrous.
"I know he hurt you and your prized possession. It has been cursed with very dark magic to keep him immortal. The only way to destroy him is to destroy the diadem. I will try to keep it as intact as possible and you may keep it for the rest of your existence."
A single translucent tear slid down the young ghost's face. She smiled. "You are a good person, Fawn Briggs."
"Thank you."
Ravenclaw smirked the slightest bit. "Being who I am, giving a straight answer is not possible."
Fawn had been expecting this. "Then give me the best hint you can, Helena."
"It's in the place where all lost things go."
That stumped her. Hogwarts didn't have a lost and found to her knowledge. "Can you clarify?"
"I can not."
Helena floated away leaving Fawn to wonder where exactly she was to go from here. This is where WWHD came into play: What would Hermione do? That girl was the smartest person Fawn had ever met. Surely she'd know what to do.
Fawn wandered through the castle, up and down corridors, followed moving staircases and communicated with every portrait and ghost she crossed paths with. Nothing came.
"Think, Fawn," she muttered as she paced back and forth, close to giving up. Left, right, left, right, left, right, left—
A grinding noise brought her out of her pacing. A door had appeared out of nowhere. A lightbulb dinged. The Room of Requirement! How had she not thought of that?
"I'm such a bloody idiot," she laughed.
The door opened up into a room filled with junk; lost books, jumpers, cages, furniture, socks. Everything imaginable was in there. It was instantly overwhelming.
Blue; she needed to find something shiny, silver and blue. Accio wouldn't work in this room so it wasn't even attempted.
Broken mirrors caught her eye but that wasn't it. Christmas tinsel was further up the pile but alas wasn't what was needed. Jewelry of all sorts was scattered around the room but none looked important.
The sun was beginning to set. If it got too dark the hunt would have to continue another day.
The room was swarmed with energy. She was in the right place, she could feel it. It was so frustrating to be right there but out of sight.
Sun rays shone in through the window panes. A bright pinprick of light hit Fawn's eyes and she instinctively squinted. There, on top of stacked furniture and discarded clothes was the diadem, balancing precariously, looking as though it could at the slightest movement.
Fawn's hands tingled. One foot hooked onto a drawer handle, the other swinging onto a ledge. Her hand reached the top of the first dresser and kept going. The next was a rocking chair that wobbled under her weight.
She didn't care about falling, she only cared that the diadem fell down with her.
On top of the chair was a hat stand and on top of that was the prize. The chair rocked and Fawn balanced herself. She was so close.
One foot was on the chair, one still on the dresser. Her right hand was firmly holding onto the hat stand, her left keeping her balanced. The chair was going to give way with whatever move she made. So, she leaped.
She pushed her foot roughly off the dresser, her left hand grazing over the diadem as the tower began to topple. Her pointer finger hooked around the "comb" part of the diadem. Then she face-planted into a pile of jumpers, pillows and a chair. At least it was softish fall.
"Yes!" Fawn screamed as the blue sapphire glittered in the waning sunlight.
A basilisk fang was pulled from a satchel and, in a moment, the job was done. The diadem smoked and hissed in protest. It was scalding to the touch but Fawn had made a promise and intended to keep it.
As blisters formed on her fingers, Fawn chased down the Grey Lady for a second time that day.
"I've got it!" she panted, shaking the silver crown for all to see.
Helena smiled, her eyes watering. "Thank you so much," she whispered weakly.
"Where do you want it?"
Helena guided Fawn to Ravenclaw tower. There was an empty display case, gathering dust, that was clearly made to hold the precious artifact. Fawn was happy to be rid of the thing—or rather her raw fingers were. Helena was happy to have a piece of her heritage in her grasp. The Marauders would be happy to have Voldemort one step closer to morality.
For a small, fleeting moment, everyone was, or would be, happy.
Fawn muttered a quick healing spell and thanked Helena for her assistance before making her departure.
What an eventful day.
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A/N
So I'm back! I guess I wasn't gone long but it felt like it. Also this story hit 7k WHAT? That's insane, thank you!!
I'm done with school. I graduate on Saturday and am super excited.
Just as a heads up, I will be getting a fairly invasive surgery this summer and will be in a neck brace for six weeks so I may not be in the mood to write for most of June-July. Maybe I will, idk.
Also trying to shift. I was trying about this time last year through like September but then got busy and took a break. Trying again though and super motivated now though! I made another "book" which is basically just my script + aesthetics + inspiration and other stuff. Feel free to check it out.
I think that's it. This story is coming to a close soon idk quite when but probably with in the next 10-20 chapters.
Okay, bye guys!
— Riley <3