Ink and Parchment ~ blood and bone

17

Eliza doesn't sleep much that night, none of the Slytherins do actually. It's hard to fall asleep in the great hall, especially for those of her snakes who suffer from nightmares. When dawn arrived Eliza blinked blearily at the soft sunlight and told herself to try and beg some pepper up potions off of Snape later.

The professor's hadn't found Sirius Black, he had apparently escaped after failing to get into Gryffindor tower which was odd in and of itself. Afterall if Black truly was after her why would he go up to Gryffindor tower of all places?

Everyone knew Eliza was a Slytherin, her sorting had been in the papers and the parselmouth scandal had had her make front page news yet again. Many simply said it was because Black was insane but Eliza doubted it. If he were so insane then he wouldn't have made it out of Azkaban at all. But no one else seemed bothered by the break in all that much and so Eliza tried her best to push it out of her mind.

Instead she carried on with her work, supported her Slytherins and spent nights in the common room with her court letting the conversation wash over her. She met up with Lupin weekly, they chat over cups of tea and a plate of biscuits. She discussed in depth defence theory with him, explained Slytherin politics and how she took over as he listened clearly impressed. He shared stories about her father that make her uncomfortable but she grew to appreciate Lily Evans. People like her were born once in a blue moon. They talk about politics too, and slowly, ever so slowly she thinks Lupin starts to agree with her views on things.

She knew he was a member of the esteemed order, she doesn't wish to fight this professor on any form of a battlefield.

And when things settle down Eliza instantly knew what she has to do.

It's a Sunday afternoon and the castle is empty, students either relaxing in the common rooms or rushing to finish off last minute homework, when Eliza made her way to the seventh floor. It took her quite a while to track down the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy and dubiously trusting Tom she paced back and forth three times thinking of the room of lost things.

She wasn't that surprised when a door materialised on the wall opposite her but she was very surprised at the sight that met her when she stumbled into the room.

The room was cavernous, piled high with mismatched objects, junk and rarities all jumbled together in heaps and mountains. Eliza struggled to make out anything distinctly. There were quills and parchment and textbooks, old leather tombs in forgotten languages, trunks and cabinets and glimmering shiny things, daggers and jewels that drew her attention. Eliza wandered through the meandering paths, the trails that lead to nowhere and everywhere as she took in the sight of everything around her.

It's funny how a collection of lost things almost makes her feel at home.

She walked a bit further and near stumbled back in surprise when she's once again met with the sight of the Mirror of Erised.

It still showed her her older self, smiling happily with a glint in her eyes that's almost familiar now. Theo and Blaise are still stood by her side but now they are joined by Daphne and Draco, Tom stands by her side and his reflection winks at her when their eyes meet. Eliza smiled softly and carried on walking.

It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live Dumbledore had told her. She didn't need to dream when she could live it.

She rounded another corner and that's when she feels it, a soft calling on her magic that felt almost exactly like Tom's. Scanning shelves upon shelves and stacks upon stacks of things Eliza finally finds the cupboard that the familiar magic is calling from.

And there, sat on a plush cushion and sandwiched between a candle stick and a stack of books, lay Ravenclaw's Lost Diadem.

Lost no longer so it seemed.