𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 | √

⎡95⎦

"Neville!" I exclaimed. "Oh, you look —"

"Like hell, I reckon," he replied as he clambered out of the portrait hole. "But this is nothing. Seamus is worse," he turned to Aberforth. "Hey, Ab! We've got a couple more coming through."

Neville held out a hand to help me and Hermione climb up onto the mantelpiece and into the tunnel. Ron and Harry followed. He lit his wand and led us down the passage.

"Don't remember this on the Marauder's Map," said Ron.

"That's because it never existed till now," Neville explained. "The seven secret passages were sealed off, before the start of the year. This is the only way in or out, now. The grounds are crawled with Death Eaters and Dementors.

"How bad is it with Snape as Headmaster?" I asked.

"Hardly ever see him. It's the Carrows you need to watch out for."

"Carrows?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. Brother and sister. In charge of discipline. They like punishment, the Carrows." Neville pointed to his face.

"They did that to you? Why?" Hermione asked.

"Today's Dark Arts lesson was practicing the Cruciatus Curse. On first years. I refused. Hogwarts has changed."

We kept walking in silence a little further until we made it to a more stony area where I could guess we were in the castle.

"Let's have a bit of fun, shall we?" Neville opened the door to a large room. "Hey! Listen up you lot! I brought you a surprise."

"Not more of Aberforth's cooking I hope," said a thick Irish accent. Seamus. "We'll be surprised if we can digest it."

Neville stepped out of the way, revealing Harry. Everyone stood up and began to clap and cheer. Harry climbed down the ladder and onto the floor; the rest of us following in suit. When I made it to the bottom people rushed up to me, patting my back and cheering to me. I gave out hugs to old friends and classmates. When everything died down Neville asked Harry. "What's the plan, Harry?"

Harry looked around the room at everyone who was waiting intently for his answer.

"Okay. There's something we need to find. Something hidden here, in the castle. And it may help us to defeat You-Know-Who."

"Alright, what is it?" Neville questioned.

"We don't know," Harry replied.

"Where is it?" Dean asked.

"We don't know that either," Harry repeated. I rolled my eyes. Nice work Harry, making us look like freakin fools. "I realize that's not much to go on."

"That's nothing to go on," Seamus agreed.

"I think it has something to do with Ravenclaw. Um, it'll be small, easily concealed. Anyone, any ideas?"

"Well, there's Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem," Luna said in her whispery voice.

"Oh, bloody hell! Here we go," said Ron.

"Lost diadem of Ravenclaw? Hasn't anyone heard of it? It's quite famous," Luna questioned.

"Yes. But, Luna, it's lost," Cho Chang said. My hatred for her was mostly gone, but it still lingered. Especially when she turned her attention directly to Harry. "For centuries. There's isn't a person alive who's seen it."

"Excuse me, can someone tell me what bloody diadem is?" Ron asked.

"It's a sort of crown. You know, like a tiara," Cho explained.