We arrived in Hogsmeade, the trio under the Cloak, myself invisible to all, when a horrific din sounded. A Caterwauling Charm!
A group of Death Eaters appeared, knowing Harry was here, and tried Summoning the Cloak, which, of course, failed miserably.They then summoned the Dementors, and Harry had no choice but to conjure his Patronus. Of course, they dived on that and started getting excited. Just then a nearby door opened, showering light onto the dark streets of Hogsmeade.
"Potter, in here, quickly! Keep under that Cloak."
Obeying the man's voice, the trio dashed inside. I followed, stopping to watch as the man yelled att he Death Eaters, conjuring his goat Patronus to fool them into thinking it was Harry's. They took it, hook, line and sinker. Gentlemen, I do believe you just got hung out to dry.
I went downstairs to join the trio and Aberforth. I smiled at the picture of Ariana that hung above the fireplace.
"Hello, Ariana. It's good to see you again."
She smiled and waved a little at me.
"How do you know my sister?" Aberforth asked, as he came back into the room with food and drink.
"I know her better than you think, Aberforth Dumbledore." I replied, turning to smile at her once again. "Sad that she died the way she did. Your brother never did forgive himself for having such foolish ideas."
"Just who are you?" he demanded gruffly.
I dropped my disguise and spread my wings.
"I am Death."
Despite himself, Aberforth took a step or two back, eyes widening for a moment, then he seemed to compose himself.
"Yes, well, I expect you're here for me, then, eh? Well I'm not g -"
"Shut up," I replied calmly. "I'm not here for you, not yet anyway. You've got a good few years left to go."
He said nothing to my statement, simply watched as I shifted seamlessly back to being Dean once more.
Harry spoke up about Albus' mission, and Aberforth gave a derisive laugh, saying that he and Albus had been raised on keeping secrets - and there was much Harry did not know. Attention soon turned to Ariana again, and Aberforth told the tale of how she had died, how Albus, Gellert and himself had fought in their home, and, wanting to help, but having no knowledge of her magic, Ariana had died, hit by a Killing Curse.
"An' I suppose you know what really happened that day." he said, staring at me.
I stared right back at him and simply nodded.
"Tell me, then. I must know." he said hoarsely.
"Later, Aberforth. For now, Harry and his friends require your help getting into the castle."
"Haven't I just said -"
"You will help them, Aberforth."
Harry also argued. He knew how the whole thing might play out, had known for years. Oddly enough, this seemed to be one of the things that decided it for Aberforth, as when Harry told him that if he did know a way to get them in the castle, now would be the time, Aberforth simply sat there for a few moments, before getting up and walking over to Ariana's portrait.
"You know what to do." he said. In reply, she said nothing. I assumed it was because in life, she had been a quiet soul, so, in death, her painting was too. She turned and walked away towards the horizon of her painting, finally vanishing from view. Moments later, she reappeared, and the portrait swung open, revealing a very battered and bruised Neville Longbottom.
"I knew you'd come! I knew it, Harry!" he roared, leaping down and hugging us all, including me. I stiffened for a moment, before returning his hug with a smile. After all, Hogwarts was hardly a 'safe' place any more. Even for Pure Bloods.
We followed Neville back up the tunnel, and he filled us in on the horrors of Hogwarts, how Defence Against the Dark Arts had simply become the Dark Arts, how Muggle Studies was simply poking fun at Muggles and saying how dirty their blood was, and finally, how he, Luna and Ginny had taken to re-organising Dumbledore's Army. I'd heard much about it on my travels with the trio, and was sorry I had not arrived in their 5th year. Then again, I reminded myself, if I had come in their 5th year for the Hallows, things would have been that much more difficult for me, particularly with Dolores Jane Umbridge running the school. I smiled to myself as I imagined all the things I could have done to her to scare her. I did love scaring people like her. It was fun.
We continued along, listening to Neville's horrific tales, until finally, we came out into the Room of Requirement, which was packed full of people, all of whom roared in delight at seeing Harry, thinking he was here to lead them once again.
Luna and Dean Thomas soon arrived, followed swiftly by Ginny, Fred, George and Lee Jordan. Harry was busy protesting that he was not here to start Dumbledore's Army again. I pulled him aside.
"Listen here, Harry Potter, these people are your friends. Remember those? You know, people you trust and care about, all that mortal stuff?" I said. "Well, they want to help. So let them help already! You don't have to tell them exactly what you're looking for."
He stared at me for a while, then sighed.
"Ok." he said. Immediately, the room fell silent faster than if Severus had coughed during one of his classes.
"There's something we're looking for," he began. "Something here at Hogwarts that can help us overthrow You-Know-Who. It might have belonged to Ravenclaw. Has anyone come across anything like that? Something with an eagle on it, perhaps?"
He looked round, desperately hoping someone would speak up. To his surprise, Luna was the first to speak.
"Well, there's her Diadem, I told you about it before, Harry, remember? The one Daddy was trying to recreate."
"Yeah, but Luna, it's called the Lost Diadem for a reason." Cho said, shaking her head. "No one in living memory knows where it is."
Luna turned to me.
"Dean. . ."
I sighed.
"Yes. When I knew Rowena all those years ago, she did wear it often, most particularly when she was building Hogwarts."
"What are you banging on about?" Seamus demanded, wincing through one of his many bruises.
I sighed. Once again, I was going to have to reveal myself. This was really getting old. I dropped the disguise and spread my wings and pretty much everyone in the room either gasped, shrieked or screamed.
Luna, all of the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione were the only ones who did none of those things. Instead, they simply waited. Finally, Luna spoke.
"Well, Death?"
"I remember Rowena hiding her Diadem from her daughter, Helena. Helena was terribly jealous of her mother, and so she stole it. When she died in Albania, shortly followed by the man who coveted her, the Baron -"
"Hold on," Ron interrupted. "The Baron? D'you mean the "
"The Bloody Baron, yes."
There was a murmur of interest. Clearly, they though this 'cool.' Mortals.
"So. . does that mean you know where it is?" Harry asked tenatively.
"No. I do not. The last I recall was that Helena had it."
There was a collective sigh of diappointment.
"Okay, then I need to get to the Raveclaw Common Room." Harry said.
"I'll take you, Harry." Cho said.
"No," Ginny said firmly. "Luna will take him, won't you, Luna?"
"Of course." Luna replied.
Cho looked a little disappointed as Luna led Harry to the Raveclaw Common Room. I followed.
We reached the doorway to the Common Room. Luna knocked.
"Which came first, the Phoenix or the Flame?" the door asked.
I saw Harry visibly panic. Clearly, he thought there was no way Luna was going to be able to answer this. How wrong he was.
"Well then," Luna said. "I think the answer is that a circle has no beginning."
"Good answer." the door said, swinging open. I grinned at Harry's shocked face.
We walked inside, and I marveled at how different this Common Room was to the Gryffindor Common Room.
We stopped by a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw, wearing her diadem. Harry read the words engraved on the plinth the statue stood on.
"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."
"Which makes you pretty skint, witless!" a voice screeched.
We all turned to see Alecto Carrow stood there, grinning madly as she pressed her finger to her Mark Harry winced immediately, and I knew Tom had been summoned by the pressing of the Mark. Harry's gaze went dull, and I knew he was seeing Tom fly his way to the school. Luna raised her wand and a loud bang echoed around the room and Alecto dropped, Stunned.
As Harry's gaze swam back into focus, Luna spoke, looking mildly interested.
"I've never Stunned anyone except in lessons. It was louder than I thought it would be."
I laughed.
The ceiling above us began to rumble as feet pounded on the floors above. Luna and Harry ived back under the Cloak as the Ravenclaws came down. A brave first year prodded Alecto with his toe.
"I think she might be dead!" he shouted in delight.
Not yet kid, but soon. Soon.
"Oh, look!" Luna whispered. "They're happy!"
I smiled as I watched the Ravenclaws all grin in delight, grins which soon faded as an awful punding sounded at the door.
"Where do Vanished objects go?" the musical voice of the door asked.
"I dunno, do I? Shut it!" an uncouth voice snarled. It could only be Amycus Carrow. I was looking forward to this.
He began pounding loudly, screaming about 'ending up like the Malfoys.'
"May I ask what you are doing, Professor Carrow?" Minerva's voice sounded from the other side of the door.
He snarled his reply, then told her to open the door.
"Garn! Open it!"
"Very well." she replied icily, and knocked gently upon the door. I walked up to the door and muttered to it.
"Into non-being, though some call it everything."
"Nicely phrased." the door said, opening. Minerva walked inside, looking confused as to why the door had suddenly opened before she had had chance to reply.
I grinned, and, as Amycus ran to his sister with a roar of anger, I tapped Minerva on the shoulder, briefly showed myself to her, put a finger to my lips with a smile, then promptly vanished again. I saw a confused look cross her face, then a smile.
"Alecto!" Amycus roared.
Minerva attempted to calm him, and he got up, rage covering his face and took a step towards her, banging on about Harry being here.
As he got closer, I saw him readying to spit in her face and immediately grabbed him by the throat, slamming him into a wall. He gasped for air, and I realised if I continued, I would end up killing him, so I dropped him.
He stood and strode over to Minerva. Oh dear. I'd made things worse.
"You bitch!" he said. And he spat in her face.
Harry dropped the Cloak.
"You shouldn't have done that." he said. "Crucio!"
Amycus flew backwards, writhing like a drowning man, finally smashing into a bookcase with glass doors. The glass shattered all over the floor, and he crumpled to the ground.
"Potter!" Minerva gasped, her hand clutching her chest where her heart lie. "Potter - you - how did - "
She seemed to be struggling to pull herself together, and I appeared by her.
"Calm yourself, Minerva. Everything will be alright."
She finally got a grip on herself, only to lose it as Harry said Tom's chosen name of Voldemort and Luna appeared, sounding interested as she asked if everyone could say his name now.
"Minerva!" I spoke sharply. "You are a teacher at this school and as such are expected to uphold a professional, dignified manner at all times. Or have you forgotten that?"
She pulled herself together at once, her face lighting up in wonder once Harry explained we were here on Albus' orders. She said immediately that she and the other teachers would secure the castle whilst Harry looked for the. . object, as she called it. She cast the Imperius Curse on an awakening Alecto and he lay down by his Stunned sister, then she bound them with rope. I took out their hourglasses and gazed at them, watched by Minerva, Harry and Luna. I stared at their hourglasses, as their time dwindled very quickly, to only having a few short hours left. Something big was going to happen tonight to kill these two, especially consiering that Minerva was just typign them up in a large net, leaving them dangling from the ceiling of the room, both unconscious.
We left the room, Harry and Luna under the Cloak and Minerva and I walking side by side. I made myself invisible to all those who were on Tom's side in this war.
We soon came across Severus, who was prowling the corridors, his wand out, his dark eyes scanning everywhere.
His eyes locked onto me.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Oh, you can see me, then. I knew it.
"I am everywhere, Severus. I was there the night you killed Albus." I replied, dropping my disguise. He immediately took several steps back, horror written all over his face.
"And I was there," I added quietly so only he could hear me, "the night you cradled Lily's body in your arms and wept."
His face went blank.
Throughout all this, Minerva had been looking between the two of us like a spectator at a table tennis match. It would have been comical, if the situation hadn't been so serious. It got more serious as she and Severus began duelling as he mentioned if she had seen Harry. Two of the spells flew right through me.
"Oi!" I roared, causing them both to freeze immediately. "Watch it! Those spells are going right through me!"
They both looked at me, then to one another, then took a few sidesteps and resumed their duel.
"Thank you." I said, watching as Snape took off through a window, breaking the glass.
"Coward!" Minerva yelled as she, Horace, Pomona and Filius ran after him.
We followed to hear Minerva telling the other teachers that Tom waso n his way and that they must defend the school. Molly, Arthur and the Order poured into the classroom and Harry and Luna took off. I stopped behind to follow Minerva and the others as they walked out into the courtyard and began casting a variety of spells. Soon, a shield of light was erected around the entire school and grounds, ending just past the wooden bridge.
"Piertotum Locomotor!" Minerva cried, raising her wand aloft.
Instantly, every single statue and suit of armour in the castle came to life.
"Hogwarts is threatened!" she shouted. "Man the boundaries, protect us! Do your duty to your school"
Yelling and charging, the small army stampeded out of the main doors and into the courtyard, where they spread out, some along the stone bridge, the rest covering the grounds.
"I've always wanted to use that spell." she said proudly. Molly and I both looked at her. She blushed and grinned.
I swept back inside, leaving the two women to continue adding to Hogwart's defenses.
As all the younger students made their way to the Room of Requirement, and the older students ran around the castle taking up their positions, I saw Luna chasing Harry, telling him to wait.
"Can't, Luna, sorry!" he called back. She chased him up a spiral staircase.
"HARRY POTTER YOU LISTEN TO ME RIGHT NOW!" she shouted. Harry stopped and turned to her, surprised.
"Woah, go Luna!" I said, impressed.
"Don't you remember what was said about the diadem?" she asked, calmer now Harry had actually turned to listen.
"Yes, no one in living -"
"Exactly," she interrupted. "no one in living memory. Isn't it obvious?"
Harry stared at her blankly and I facepalmed.
"We have to talk to the ghost of Ravenclaw." she said, leading the way.