Ft. Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem
Lily's POV
"Harry." Riddles voice descended over the room, it's snake-like hissing rattling every nerve in my body. "Lily."
The cheering died in an instant, scared faces glancing around in the room. Harry collapsed to the stairs, Minnie kneeling beside him, a concerned expression on her face. A scream tore through the air and everyone turned a Hufflepuff girl huddled in the corner, covering her ears. There was something wrong with her eyes, they were slits, snake-like. Across the room, a boy started screaming, crouching into the fetal position and covering his ears too. When he stopped, his head snapped up and his slitted eyes met mine. They were possessed.
"I know that many of you will want to fight but your efforts will be futile, I do not wish to spill magical blood." Students were clutching each other as his voice hissed throughout the room. "Give me Harry and Lily Potter, do this and none shall be harmed, and I'll leave Hogwarts untouched. The person who gives me the Potter twins shall be rewarded generously, you have one hour."
The torches flicked back on and everyone moved aside to look at Harry and me, now standing together in the centre of the room. One girl from Slytherin pointed to us. "What are you waiting for? Someone grab them."
Ginny came out of the group of Gryffindors and took a hold of Harry's hand, as Draco wrapped his arms around me, resting his chin on top of my head. From the Slytherins, a small group walked towards us, turning around before they reached us as a sort of barricade. Blaise kinked his head to look over his shoulder and sent Draco and me a wink.
There was a hurrying of footsteps and Filch ran into the hall. "Students out of bed! Students in the corridors!"
"They're supposed to be, you blithering idiot!" Minnie snapped in reply, sending the poor caretaker quiet. She then turned to the Slytherins. "Mr Filch, you will please escort this group of Slytherins to the Room of Requirement where they will exit the castle through a tunnel leading to the Hogs Head, every student underage will follow them. Anyone wishing to fight must be over age and is permitted to stay, as for the rest of you, please join the Slytherins.
The room went up in cheers and McGonagall made her way towards us. "What is it you need, twins?"
"Time, as much as you can get us."
"Do what you have to do, I'll secure the castle and Potters, it's good to see you."
We nodded and I turned back to the remaining group of people, our friends, our family. They had come, rushed here even upon hearing Harry and I were back. They'd come to fight for us. I clasped Draco's hand giving it a little squeeze before walking up to the twins and hugging them both. "I love you both, come back to me."
They nodded, both kissing a cheek each and followed their father and Kingsley, after they'd shook hands with Harry, upstairs to defend the castle. I turned to Remus and hugged him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Lily, don't you ever forget that." He smiled, hugging me once more.
Harry took my hand and we ran out of the Great Hall, up the castle stairs where students were bustling about, preparing themselves and the castle's defences. There was a tension growing in the air, for this would be it, the final battle, there was no way both sides could come out of this alive. Fear also laced the air but there was also the prickle of determination, Hogwarts wouldn't go down without a fight.
"Harry! Lily!" Ron's voice shouted above the sound of running footsteps. We paused, both Ron and Hermione catching up to us. "We've been thinking, it doesn't matter if we find a Horcrux unless we can destroy it."
"We were thinking, actually it was Ron's idea, it's completely brilliant–"
"Hermione!" I snapped.
"Anyway, Harry destroyed Tom Riddle's diary with a Basilisk fang, right? We think we might know where we can find one and we can use to destroy the other Horcruxes."
I nodded with a grin. "Good thinking, you have the Marauders Map? Use it to find us when you get back."
"Where are you going!" Hermione shouted after us as we continued running up the stairs.
"Ravenclaw Common room, we've got to start somewhere," Harry called over his shoulder, the both of us taking two steps at a time.
We reached the switching staircases when I paused, Harry skidding to a stop as well. "Lily? What is it?"
"Cho said, 'There isn't a person alive today who's seen it.' It's obvious, isn't it? We need to talk to someone who's dead, a ghost, here in the castle."
"Okay but who?"
"I know someone." We jumped around in shock at Luna's determined voice, a tone I've never heard her use before. "Follow me."
She lead us up the stairs, to the top floor of the castle, past the common room, to deserted hallways that looked like they hadn't been used in centuries. "You'll find her in there, be careful, she doesn't really like visitors."
We both nodded to her and stepped through the door, walking down a dark corridor, the battlefield of the castle's surrounding open for viewing. The people fighting all had their wands raised, using their magic to collectively create a shield around the school to try and keep out Riddle for as long as they could.
A ghostly woman floated in the air before us as we entered a courtyard, turning to us with a cold expression. "You're the Grey Lady, the ghost of Ravenclaw Tour."
"I do not answer to that name." She disappeared for a moment, scaring me slightly before reappearing across the small courtyard.
"No, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's Helena, isn't it? Helena Ravenclaw, Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter."
I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Ignore my brother, his manners seemed to have slipped his mind. We're friends of Luna's, she thought you might be able to help us."
"You seek my mother's diadem?"
I nodded carefully. "That's right."
There was a pause before she replied. "Luna is kind, but she was wrong, I cannot help you."
There she goes, disappearing again, this time reappearing in one of the arched windows looking out over the moment the Death Eaters attacked, their spells flying towards the shield. "Wait!" I called in desperation. "We want to destroy it."
She went rigid, her back facing us. "That's what you want too, isn't it, Helena?" Harry slowly walked forward.
"A strange boy with a strange name swore to destroy it many years ago, but I was naive and he was so charming."
"Tom Riddle," Harry answered. "What did he do with it?"
"He defiled it with dark magic."
"We can destroy it, once-and-for-all, only if you tell us where he hid it, Helena."
She bowed her head, looking fearfully at the floor. "It's here in the castle, in the place where everything is hidden. If you have to ask, you will never know. If you know, you need only ask."
After reciting her riddle she disappeared but this time there was no sign of her returning. I turned to Harry. "Any ideas?" He just shrugged.
Luna had disappeared but we didn't stop as we ran down corridors and staircases. "Lil, what do we do now? What did she mean–?"
Both of us collapsed to the ground, clutching our chests as a great pain shot through us. Out one of the windows, a bright light hit the protective dome and it started crumbling away. Harry groaned as he got to his feet, offering a hand to help me up. From a far-off window, the Potter twins watched the chaos they'd created unfold below them. Spells hit the castle, making it shake and rumble, students were screaming, explosions, running footsteps down hallways.
We turned around when we realised these footsteps were closer and coming towards us. Ginny sailed into Harry's arms and he easily wrapped her up in his embrace. "Ginny." He breathed into her hair, kissing the top of her head.
No tears trailed down her rosy cheeks, she just wore a brave look and her soft brown eyes met mine. "I love you." She whispered.
Harry tensed, pulling away and holding her at arm's length away from him. "Ginny, I need you to get away from here, please. I can't have you in the middle of a battle without being worried about you. Go to the Room of Requirement and get out–"
"I'm not going to do that, Harry," She said firmly. "I'm not running while you, Lily, my family are all here, you can't ask that of me."
He nodded, pressing a kiss to her crown and whispered quietly, "I love you too, Ginny Weasley.
She took off and that's when it dawned on me. "Harry!" He jumped in surprise at my outburst. "The Room of Requirement, the place where everything is hidden!"
The two of us raced down the hall, wishing for the door to appear as we ran into the corridor and there it was, waiting for us. It was in a horrid state. Piles of junk stood in towers over everything, cluttered with all the things the Death Eaters had disposed of this past year. There were dark objects, storage items, cabinets, the Vanishing Cabinet stood down a familiar route and the Muggle artifacts that had been displayed in the showroom were smashed and broken in a pile by the door. Pixies flew around in the room, creeping into dark crevices in the rubble.
Harry started walking rapidly through the aisles, making me job behind him to keep up, he was on a mission. I almost ran into him when he stopped suddenly, his head turning towards a barrel, a thick coiled rope draped over it. He flung it off to reveal the red velvet box, the Ravenclaw crest burnt into it. He carefully lifted the lid and the tiara gleamed . in the flashing lights of spells from outside. In the centre, at the breast of the silver raven was a magnificent sapphire jewel, the sides intricately carved to resemble wings; Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem.
It was strange, looking at Harry I knew the Horcrux affected him but I did not feel a connection to them at all. Like how in the vault, he'd been able to tell the goblet was a Horcrux, a part of Voldemort.
Something flew past my head and smashed into the junk tower beside us. Three Death Eaters stood at the end of the aisle we were in, wands raised. How did they get in here? Out of nowhere Draco, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle, Amelia and Pansy rounded the corner and started firing spells back at them. Oh, this is just King's Cross Central.
"Studefy!"
"Expelliamus!" The first one was knocked off his feet but the second dodged and fired back with Fiend Fyre. The blaze formed into a giant mountain lion, charging towards us, setting everything on fire as it past.
"Run!" Harry grabbed me and we raced towards the others who were already heading to the door.
We turned a corner to find a firey bear running towards us and we took the next right. The door was in sight, Crabbe and Goyle surprisingly reached it first and held it open as we raced for it.
"Get out!" I screamed as the blaze was almost upon us.
We all dived out the door and onto the floor. "Harry!"
Hermione and Ron ran towards us, a handful of Basilisk fangs in their hands. In one excellent toss, she threw it through the air, a little high and I reached up and grabbed it, bringing it down on the diadem. The darkness exploded out of the Horcrux, the black billowing smoke rose into the air and started forming Riddles face until Blaise kicked the tiara into the just open doors of the RoR and they closed just as the fire exploded with the power of the Horcrux.
Every one of us was left gasping in the quiet hall, while the castle still shook. Draco helped Blaise up, Ron offering Amelia a hand. "That's it?" I whispered, looking at Harry. "That's the last one?"
"Look inside him, Harry," Hermione kneeled in front of him as he leant against the wall, beside the disappearing door. "Find out where he is and we can end this."
Harry nodded, taking in a few deep breaths before closing his eyes and I placed my hand on his shoulder. We were in the boat shed, the water lapped at the only boat docked there, half submerged with water. Lucius Malfoy, looking impossibly paler and nervous as ever, sweat beading at his forehead stood with his hands clasped before him. "My lord, might it be more prudent to call off the attack and simply seek the boy."
"I do not need to seek the boy, before the night is out, Lucius! He will come to me!" Riddle slapped my future father-in-law. "How can you live with yourself, Lucius?"
"I-I don't know, my lord."
"Go and find Severus." He dismissed.
"I know where he is." Harry gasped and I fell to the side out of energy but Draco caught me, sitting me up so my head wouldn't hit the ground.
The lack of sleep, food and the amount of magic I was using was getting to me. Harry watched me through tired eyes, his chest heaving, it seems as though he was feeling the same as me. Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward helping him up and Draco easily pulled me up where I swayed uneasily.
"Don't worry," He said in my ear. "I got you."
"You guys need to go, Lil and I have something to do."
Hermione and Ron sent him hard looks but only received one in return that had them turning around and heading back to the fight. The Slytherins caught up with them, while Draco pressed his forehead to mine where we stayed for a few seconds.
"Go," I swallowed and he nodded, running after his friends.
The front courtyard was a litter of fire, rubble and enemies. Harry and I tried to weave our way around the sides, dodging spells, hexes, spiders. The loose pieces of stone along the ground didn't help, both of us nearly rolling our ankles a few times in our hurry. We ran down the arched hallway to find Fenrir munching on a deceased Lavender Brown.
"No!" I screamed.
Fenrir looked up and the fear in his eyes was inevitable as I pushed my hand towards him and he went flying back, slamming into a wall that left him unconscious. Turning the corner all we had to do . was cross in front of the school gates where everyone was to get to the boat shed, as we'd chosen the wrong side. Coming out in front of everyone, a swarm of hundreds of Dementors flew towards us along the bridge.
"Expecto Patronum!" I heard people gasp as a dragon soared out of . the tip of my wand and towards the Dementors, deflecting them all easily with its huge wingspan. Harry's stag joined in the charge, as well as a goat, a horse and a lion. We turned to see Aberforth, Ginny and Draco standing there.
Giving them a thankful nod, we ran down to the dock being careful to go quietly as we got closer and stay hidden. "You have performed extraordinary magic with this wand, my lord, in the last few hours alone." Snape's voice came from inside, as we ducked behind the stain-glass wall.
"No," Voldemort hissed. "The wand resists me, I am not its master."
"There is no wand more powerful, Ollivander himself has said it. The wand answers to you and you alone."
"Does it? The wand, does it truly answer to me? You're a clever man, Severus, surely you must know where its true loyalty lies?"
There was silence. "With me," Snape admitted after a moment. "I'm the one who killed Dumbledore."
"Yes, the Elder Wand serves the wizard who killed its last owner and that was you." I shut my eyes, forbidding the tears from spilling over. This man who was horrible to Harry but who protected me in the enemies clutches was about to meet his end. "You've been a good and faithful servant Severus, but only I can live forever."
The slicing sound came and Snape slumped against the wall we were hiding behind, Harry clutching me to him. His throat had been cut. "Nagini, kill."
There were hisses and bangs as Nagini struck Snape, over and over again. Not once did Snape scream or make a sound. I thought it would never end until there was the 'crack; of someone disapparating.
Standing up cautiously, Harry took my hand leading us into the shed, Snape spotting us out of the corner of his eye. He still wasn't dead yet. I ran over and fell to my knees beside him and I placed my hand over his gushing neck. He smiled at me, tears slipping down his cheeks. "Take them."
He shakily took out a small vial from inside his cloak and I took it from his pale hand. Placing it under his eyes, he blinked and the tears went into their glass trap. "Take them to the Pensieve, Lily. I've never told you how much you look like your mother, you both have her beautiful eyes...Always." With that, he breathed his last breathe.
There was another hiss that echoed over the castle. "You have all fought valiantly but in vain. I do not wish this, every drop of magical blood spilt is such a terrible waste. I, therefore, command my forces to retreat to the Forbidden Forest. In their absence, I suggest you dispose of your dead with dignity.
Harry and Lily Potter, on this night, you have allowed your friends to fight and die for you, rather than face me yourself, there is no greater dishonour. Meet me in the forest to confront your fate. If you do not do this, I will kill every last man, woman and child who tries to conceal you from me. You have one hour."
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