Marina, Luna, and Ollivander decided to stay in the Room of Requirement for the rest of the holiday break.
The Death Eaters could no longer capture prisoners, for they had nowhere to put them (their cellar was barely ashes). Marina assumed that they would, therefore, as cruel as they were, torture and kill those they wanted to punish instead.
She had asked Luna and Ollivander what had happened to them while imprisoned, to which Ollivander responded with a great shiver, "Torture! They tortured me! The Cruciatus Curse! You have no idea..."
"I do, Sir. Unfortunately, I really do," she had answered.
Ollivander had been imprisoned for a long time. Luna, however, had only been in the cellar for a few days; the Death Eaters had taken her while on the train home to celebrate Christmas because her father had been noisy in The Quibbler. Regardless, the criminals had found plenty of time to beat her skin blue and yellow.
Nagini was, not long after Marina's visit to St Jerome's graveyard, moved to the Chamber of Secrets. Marina was scared that Tom could see through her eyes as she was a Horcrux. If he could, he would be able to see that she was alive. She was afraid that Snape would tell Tom that she was, but she had told Kreacher to seek revenge if he did so (maybe Nagini would help with the revenge, as well). As long as the snake was alright, so was Marina. She would do anything in her power to keep her alive.
Kreacher had begun to work in the kitchens again, blending in with the other house-elves. He helped them get food, but he could not take too much from the kitchen in case the others noticed. As a result, Marina's stomach was constantly aching and growling.
Evil had taken over the castle. Dementors were all around the boundary walls, and Snape ruled the school with the Carrows as his Deputies. All students were forced to practice Unforgivable Curses, and the Carrows were trying to convince them that Muggles were stupid and dirty animals. Luna told Marina that the Death Eaters did not mind hurting students; numerous had been sent home to celebrate Christmas with bruises and scars all over their bodies.
Together, Marina and Luna agreed that every student that had been harmed by Death Eaters deserved a place to heal. And the perfect place to lie low was in the Room of Requirement.
They started by lighting an eternal flame in the fireplace which would keep the room warm forever. Neither Luna nor Ollivander owned a wand, for their wands had been taken away from them when they had been imprisoned. But with the help of both their knowledge for magic and spells, Marina was able to transform fabrics she had found on a shelf into hammocks which the harmed students could rest on.
December soon ended, and a new year began. Ollivander decided to leave the castle, and Kreacher helped him get safely to Aberforth's inn so he could get enough food before he continued his journey. He thanked Marina for saving him and Luna for keeping him company in Malfoy Manor's cell. He then promised he would make them new wands when they met him again.
Luna returned to her classes when the castle began to fill with students again. Marina had tried to convince her not to; she was afraid that the Death Eaters would get angry when they realized she had escaped the manor. Luna only shook her head. She wasn't afraid of them.
Already on the second day of classes, she brought hurt students to the Room of Requirement so they could rest.
Marina had spent the day snuggled up underneath blankets, a book in her hand, not expecting anyone to visit the room in a long time. The restful feeling reversed when Luna and Ginny stumbled into the room, both supporting a whimpering Dean who could not stand on his own. When she clasped her book shut, she understood that Luna had not told the Gryffindors about her return; they both looked at her with their jaws dropped and eyes wide.
Feeling more awkward for every second that passed with them gawking at her, she tried to ease the tension, "Suprise! I'm back from the dead. Isn't that exciting?"
Ginny walked up to her, no emotion in her face. "Prove that you're Marina."
"What?" Marina's eyebrows knit together. She soon realized that Ginny was not sure if she was talking to her, or a Death Eater dressed like her. "Er- two years ago, I spent Christmas break at your house. Fred and George tried to poison me with some candy they had made, but Ron ate it before I could take off the wrapping around it. Plants grew in his ears, and he couldn't hear anything. Later, your mum gave me a jumper as a present."
"What color?"
"Dark green so I could show my Slytherin pride. It also had an M on it."
Ginny lunged forward and threw herself into Marina's arms.
"I don't understand. Didn't you die?"
Luna helped Dean get to the fireplace, and he sat down in front of it. When Marina and Ginny pulled apart, Marina could see that his pants were torn-up and bloody. She reached for her bag and her wand, asking what had happened.
"They wanted him to practice the Cruciatus Curse on a third-year who had gotten herself detention. He refused to do it."
Dean pulled his pants up to his knees to show a deep slash in his leg. Marina sat down beside him, "I can try a healing spell to ease the pain?"
He nodded slowly, looking shocked at the sight of his own blood. She used Aguamenti to pour water on a piece of cloth and clean around the wound; he winced when the water got too close to it. Gently, she tapped the cloth against his skin until the liquid turned cold.
"Where have you been?" asked Ginny, sitting down with them.
"In the afterlife, I think, if you could call it that." Marina decided that she couldn't tell anyone about her mother. The rest of the world thought the Swan bloodline had perished.
Dean gulped. "Is it true what Skeeter wrote about you? That you battled You-Know-Who on a hill, and then you fell to your death?"
Marina pressed out a chuckle, "Rita's got a wild imagination, I'll give her that." She brushed her wand over his leg, muttering a spell Darya had taught her. It made the wound heal faster, which was noticeable. "I think you're going to be left with a scar."
"That's fine," the dreamy voice of, not Dean, but Luna echoed. They both turned to her. "A scar means 'I survived', doesn't it? Beautiful."
They could hear steps and chattering coming from outside the room. Curious, Luna opened the door and stuck her head out in the hallway. An instant later, she was shoved back in again by a sweating Seamus. He scanned the room, his eyes eventually landing upon Dean; he rushed to him, and Marina got up from her knees and took a step back. Seamus was so stressed-out that he didn't notice her or anyone else.
"Are you alright?" he asked Dean. Marina concluded that he had run to the room, for he was completely out of breath. "I told you to keep quiet! No, wait, nevermind. Are you hurt? Did they harm you?"
When he saw Dean's leg and all the blood, he let out a sharp gasp. Dean, however, only smiled softly, "I'm alright."
"Dean, you're bleeding," Seamus whimpered. All the color was now drenched from his face.
"I'm alright, I promise." Dean took a small pause before he slowly said, "You're cute when you're worried."
He leaned in to kiss Seamus' cheek, and Seamus turned pink again.
"Just a little wound." He pointed a finger at Marina. "She helped me get rid of the pain. I'm fine now."
Seamus instantly turned his head to find out who had helped Dean heal. Marina gave him a small wave. The last time they had spoken, he had declared that he did not want her to be a member of Dumbledore's Army because she was a Slytherin. Because of that, she felt anxious around him.
Walking back to Ginny, who now stood by the door, she decided that it was time to leave Seamus and Dean alone. Ginny had crossed her arms in front of her chest, and her mouth was slightly open.
"You have no idea how bizarre it is to see you," she began. "I don't understand anything. You were dead. Yet, here you are."
Marina shrugged, "I don't know what you have heard about me."
"You were dead," Ginny repeated, this time a little louder. "The Order said that Death Eaters had killed you; they had come to Grimmauld Place and killed you. So how are you alive?"
Marina took a deep breath and looked down at the floor. "It's true that they came to Grimmauld Place. Ron, Hermione, and Harry were with me when they came." She proceeded to tell her everything that led up to her death: the fight, the hunger, and the cold. "Someone used the Killing Curse on me, but I can't die. Tom has made me a Horcrux; a part of my soul is hidden inside another creature. I can't die before it is killed. Neither can he. He has split his soul into seven pieces, and one of them is here in the castle. I need to find it before he realizes that I'm alive. I know Harry is searching for the other pieces."
Ginny took a moment to think before she asked, "How is it possible to split your soul?"
"It's very Dark Magic... a way to keep yourself immortal... You have to murder someone, then you can turn an object into a Horcrux." Marina paused, then lowered her voice, "that's what Tom did to me. He killed my family and made me a Horcrux. That's why he kept me close all these years. If I died, he would be closer to his death. So he made me my own Horcrux so that I couldn't die, either."
"But you did die?"
"I don't think I was dead. I think I was somewhere between life and death."
Ginny stood still for a few moments. Marina looked up at her again. She was clenching her jaw, almost as if she was angry.
"Harry is broken. He has been ever since you died."
Feeling like Ginny had just ripped her chest open and crushed her heart, Marina turned her back to her, emptying her lunges for air. "Have you seen him?" she asked, her voice so thin that it could barely be heard.
"He came to us in the summer to celebrate Bill and Fleur's wedding. He didn't talk. He didn't eat. Mom told me that on your birthday, he disappeared and didn't come back until midnight."
Marina had to squeeze her eyes shut to not cry. She remembered that June 1 was not only her birthday, but also the day Sirius had died.
"Don't tell anyone that I'm alive, Ginny, especially not him," she said. "As soon as I have destroyed the Horcrux that Tom has hidden here in the castle, I'll be dead again. Harry is the Chosen One: he needs to fight Tom, and I'll simply be a distraction."
Ginny put her hand on Marina's shoulder, and made her turn around.
"You know what they called you two after you had died? The Chosen One and the Fallen One." They locked eyes, and Ginny stroked her hand over Marina's cheek and scar. "I think you're going to find each other again no matter what happens."
Marina's whole body ached now. "Thank you, Ginny," she whispered, gently resting her head on her hand. "I have missed you and your family a lot. I hope I didn't miss anything important?"
Ginny scoffed. "Well, not much happened to us, but Tonks is expecting."
Tears and despair were quickly forgotten. "She's pregnant? Tonks and Remus are going to be parents?"
Ginny nodded. "She's huge now."
"I only missed a baby?" Marina grinned. She knew they were going to be great parents, and a new addition to her family tree would be beyond exciting. "How's Bill doing after the bite?"
"Good, I suppose, but he likes his meat bloody and red now. He's happy with Fleur, I guess."
Something told Marina that the Weasleys still weren't pleased with Fleur's presence. "Anything else?"
"Well... A little... When the Order helped Harry get from his house to ours, Death Eaters found them. They killed Mad-Eye, and George lost an ear. Ron has been on the run with Harry and Hermione since the wedding. The Ministry and this castle are both filled with Dark Magic. You-Know-Who's name has been jinxed, so don't say it. Snape is running the school. Some people are rebelling, but we get punished if we disturb anyone... Yeah, I think that's all..."
Marina bit down on her lip as familiar grief entered her body again, eating her up from the inside. "I'm sorry about Mad-Eye. I was never close to him, but I know he meant a lot to the Order."
"It's okay. At some point, it felt like everyone was dropping like flies. We were all scared of what would happen next."
They both turned to look at the others. Luna and Seamus were sitting by Dean's side, mumbling quietly. "How was Christmas, then?"
"Hell," Ginny admitted. "They took Luna on the train home. I couldn't sleep knowing that they were hurting her." She glanced at Luna; something sparkled in her eyes. "Did you hear that Harry was the one who freed the prisoners? He burned down Malfoy Manor."
Marina snickered, "Yeah, think it went something like that..."
Ginny turned to her at once. "It was you, wasn't it? I didn't think it was Harry; then Ron and Hermione would have been with him!"
Marina nodded, "Polyjuice Potion." Her mind wandered from the riot of fire to the riot they together had led during her fifth year. "What happened with Dumbledore's Army while I was gone?"
"Not sure. We haven't gathered in a long time. Some members have been taunting Death Eaters by putting up posters with Dumbledore's name, but nobody's been doing more than that."
"Why don't we gather them in here?" Marina put her thoughts out. "The Army was made to fight evil, right? To fight darkness? Well, I need all the help I can get to find Tom's Horcrux, and we got plenty of space in here to keep the Army secured."
Ginny studied her as if she was a portrait. "But I thought you didn't want anyone else to know that you're alive?"
"I think... I think I want to keep fighting."
The Room of Requirement filled quicker than Marina imagined it would. Within the end of January, the whole Army had huddled inside it. The anniversary of her death passed, but she didn't mind it; she was busy helping harmed students heal. She spent the day talking to Luna and the Patil twins about the afterlife. She explained that the darkness she had caught a glimpse of was much like deep sleep. Death wasn't scary. Only the moment she had fallen asleep had been frightening.
Those words were constantly repeated through the cold February. As the school year went on, the ones running the school became more violent. The members of Dumbledore's Army began to bring in their harmed friends. Marina tried to help everyone that was hurt, and she had to retell the story of her death to every shocked student that let her heal their wounds. Most were amazed to see her scar and now white hair. She had to calm them and explain how important it was that they did not speak her name outside of the room. If the Carrows heard them speak her name, she would have to flee again.
People had begun to decorate the crowded room. One day, Dean had come in carrying a scarlet banner with the Gryffindor name on it. Following him came Neville with a Ravenclaw one, Ginny with a Hufflepuff one, and finally, to Marina's surprise, came Seamus, carrying a green and silver one. The banners were hung on the sides of bookshelves, and Seamus was smiling wide as he hung Slytherin's beside Gryffindor's.
Luna's birthday passed, and the Army gathered to celebrate it. It was a break from all the darkness that surrounded them, and it was certainly needed. Neville arrived at the celebration with a broken nose and bruised cheeks. Before Marina could even say Episkey, he began asking about her return - more specifically, why she had come to Hogwarts. She explained to him what she had seen when Snape had entered her mind.
"Every Horcrux was bound to a person, but the diadem was not: I only saw Hogwarts. I think Tom has hidden a Horcrux in here someplace, but I don't know where," she finished.
"A diadem?" he echoed. "Like a tiara?"
Marina nodded. She pointed her wand at him while he was still distracted by her words, and then, "Episkey!" His nose snapped back to normal. "But it's not so easy, I've got a whole castle, and I don't know where to begin the search."
She twisted her head at the sudden silence in the room. Every member of the Army was looking at her. Luna, who was sitting on the floor with a flower crown made with magic balanced on her head, opened her mouth to speak, "You're looking for a diadem?"
Another nod. Marina tucked her wand away. "Yes. I think it's old, considering how You-Know-Who was able to hide it while he still attended Hogwarts."
"We'll help you find it, then," Seamus said. "Have you looked anywhere yet?"
"No," Marina answered quickly. "I don't know who's diadem it is or where it could be. He has a Horcrux for Slytherin - the locket of Salazar - so I was thinking that the diadem related to our house, as well."
"There's a diadem that belongs to the Ravenclaw house," Luna acknowledged.
"Yeah, but it's been lost for centuries, Luna. No one alive has seen it," Padma Patil said. "Besides, you heard what she said: You-Know-Who made Horcruxes for his own house. Why would he make one for Ravenclaw?"
Marina thought back to her childhood. Tom had always valued the traits of the Ravenclaw house. If she had not been put in Slytherin, he would probably have been satisfied with seeing her in Ravenclaw. Same for him; he was intelligent and sharp, just like the Ravenclaws she knew.
"Nobody knows where the diadem is? We can't ask anyone?"
"Professor Flitwick said it vanished with Ravenclaw herself," Parvati declared. "She's wearing a copy of it on her statue in our Common Room."
"Well, what does it look like?" Marina asked, walking closer to her.
"It's formed like an eagle," she began, "it's silver, but it has a blue sapphire shaped like an oval..."
"Okay..." Marina looked at the others. "I'm not sure what to do, but I need to find it before You-Know-Who discovers that I'm alive. I'll stay in here until I find a clue where it could be. If any of you want to help me, you can start by not mentioning me outside of this room. And, if you want to, you can try to look around the castle for the diadem. Those in Ravenclaw can look in their Common Room. But you must all promise me to not get hurt because of me... I've understood that the Carrows are not afraid to injure..."
The members of Dumbledore's Army listened. Weeks and months passed without anyone speaking her name. They came up with phrases and code-names to use whenever they needed to speak about her. She lived safely within the four walls of the Room of Requirement, and the Ravenclaws of the Army found books about their house's history for her to read. Still, she did not gain knowledge about the little diadem that haunted her dreams.
Rebellion became the most spoken word in the castle. Students began to revolt more against the Carrows and Snape. Few classes went by without anyone protesting and therefore getting hurt. Marina continued to help students with easing their pain and healing their wounds. The message was, no matter the damage, clear: Keep fighting.
The burning of Malfoy Manor continued to make headlines, and fire became a symbol of the rebellion. It didn't matter if it was Harry or Marina who had lit the flame.
As Marina sat in the Room of Requirement, alone with her thoughts, she understood that something big was coming. Maybe it was her intuition, or her head processing the stories about the uprisings. Anyhow, it was confirmed when Luna stormed into the room on a cloudy day in May. "I think I've got an idea about where the diadem could be."
Luna took her hand and headed toward the door again. "Luna, I don't think I should leave this room-"
"We'll be fine," she answered with her dreamy voice. "Everyone is eating, and Ginny is watching the corridor. I need to introduce you to someone."
Marina hesitated, but joined Luna. Walking out of the Room of Requirement for the first time in months felt strange; she had to stop outside of the door, and ready herself before continuing the walk.
"Remember that Padma said no one alive has seen the diadem? Well, I thought about it and spoke to Flitwick. If no one alive has seen it, somebody dead might have."
Marina didn't have to walk any further than around the corner; Luna led her into a room, and let go of her hand.
"What are we doing here?" Everything was dark. She drew her wand. "Lumos!"
They were standing in an old classroom. There were dusty desks and chairs spread around, and big piles of books on the floor. In front of the teacher's desk stood a transparent woman; a ghost. She held her head tall, her waist-length hair flowing down, a grey dress wrapped around her thin body. Her cold eyes were fixed at Marina.
"It's the Grey Lady," Luna whispered. "The Ravenclaw ghost." Then, a little louder, she said, "Helena."
She walked out of the room. Marina and the Grey Lady both took a step closer to each other, the ghost floating inches above the floor.
"You're a friend of Luna?" she asked.
Marina nodded slowly. Without thinking much about what she was doing or saying, she walked even closer, and the words "you're beautiful" escaped her lips.
The ghost could not blush, but her transparent cheeks became more opaque.
"I think you can help me," Marina said. "I'm looking for something that belongs to your house. I've only caught a glimpse of it, but it's a silver diadem."
Helena's eyebrows rose. "You seek my mother's diadem. That's not what Luna told me."
She shot up toward the ceiling, to which Marina cried out. "No! No, please don't go. I need your help. I need to find the diadem before somebody else does. He's got bad intentions, Helena, listen to me. Do you know his name? Maybe you do. He was a student here many years ago. I think he got his hands on your mother's diadem, and then, he used Dark Magic on it. I want to get rid of that Dark Magic so he can see his end."
Gracefully, the ghost plunged down from the ceiling and to Marina. Suddenly, her face was inches away from hers, and a chill spread in her body. "Strange. You look like him."
"Yeah. I look so much like him, he managed to pretend he was my father for fifteen years."
Helena began to circle her. "But he's not your father."
"My father wanted to end Tom. As do I. But I can't do it without your help."
"And how do I know you're not lying to me?"
"You have to trust me. If you tell me where it is, I can destroy it before Tom reaches it again. You can join me if you want." She placed her hands on her hips and turned in circles with Helena. "The world thinks that I am dead; that Tom killed me. While they think so, I have the chance to move around and destroy every item he has used Dark Magic on. I came to Hogwarts only to find and destroy the diadem."
The ghost looked away. "You're a Swan."
"Yes, not a Riddle," Marina confirmed.
"It's your mother's painting in the Prefects' Bathroom. They painted her after she went missing."
Marina remembered when she had been shown the room for the first time. The mermaid, or rather, siren, that was painted on the glass above the bathtub, who had smiled and winked to her and no one else, was, in fact, her mother. She understood that now.
"Darya Swan."
"She was looking for the same thing as you are."
The door to the room opened. Ginny stepped inside. The look on her face made Marina's heart beat much faster. "Lightning has struck."
Marina turned back to Helena. "You have to trust me. I don't have much time."
The ghost smiled. "You don't need my help. You walked past my mother's diadem already on your way here."
And with that, she shot up and through the ceiling. A rush of adrenaline took control of Marina: she knew where the diadem was, and Harry was right beside it.