94 hp Diagon Alley

They all wore earmuffs and carried what looked like large potted plants in their hands.

"Mandrakes!" Neville yelled over his shoulder at Harry, as he ran, "ready to throw 'em over the wall - let 'em taste it!"

"We can use Gwen and Twins' jumping machine." Luna hopped and followed with a bucket of potted plants. "That thing can make the mandrake bounce farther."

Now Harry knew where to go.He ran off, Hagrid and Fang following.They passed portrait after portrait, and the people in the paintings ran with them, wizards and wizards in ruffs, breeches, armor, and cloaks, swarming into other people's frames, shouting the castle. news elsewhere.They ran to the end of this corridor, the whole castle was shaking, and a huge vase burst, shattering from its base, and Harry knew that the castle was controlled by another kind of magic at this moment, than that of the teachers and members of the order Spells are far more evil.

"It's all right, Fang—it's all right!" Hagrid yelled, but the shattered tiles flew through the air like shrapnel, sending the Hound running in panic.Hagrid thumped after it, leaving Harry alone.

Turning a corner quickly, Harry spotted Fred and a small group of students, including Lee Jordan and Hannah Abbott, standing next to another empty pedestal on which a statue turned out to conceal a secret passage.These people, all with wands, gathered in the hidden hole to listen.

"What a night!" exclaimed Fred.The castle trembled again, and Harry rushed across it, both excited and frightened.As he ran down another corridor, there were owls flying everywhere, and Mrs. Norris hissed and slapped her claws, no doubt trying to drive them back to their proper place...

"Potter!"

Aberforth Dumbledore stood in the corridor ahead, wand raised.

"Hundreds of kids are running through my pub, Potter!"

"I know, we're evacuating," said Harry, "Voldemort—"

"—is attacking, because they didn't hand you over, I know," said Aberforth. "I'm not deaf, and the whole of Hogsmeade heard him. Didn't any of you think to leave a few A Slytherin hostage? There were Death Eater children who were safely evacuated just now. Wouldn't it be wiser to keep them here?"

"That wouldn't stop Voldemort," said Harry, "and your brother would never do it."

Aberforth muttered dissatisfiedly, and strode away in the other direction.

Your brother would never do that... yes, exactly, Harry thought, running on.Dumbledore had defended Snape for so long, he would never hold students hostage...

Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw a familiar figure, or two.

"Hogwarts is cooler now," said the handsome dark-haired wizard. "I never thought my first class would be dueling."

"Sirius!" He ran over, momentarily ignoring his suspicions about the Horcrux. "Why are you here? Kreacher, why did you bring him here?"

The old elf tugged at his master's sleeve, shaking with anger, "I want to take Master Sirius to hide, but he is stubborn...disobedient..."

Sirius gave Harry a big hug, and was immediately drawn to the battle downstairs.His eyes narrowed, reflecting the flames lit by the spell.

"Why would I want to punch that guy?" he said, staring at the flailing Death Eater, and cast a jinx at him very gracefully.

"Don't worry about him." An elegant lady quickly pulled Sirius to stand behind her. "I'm watching him, Harry. Go about your business."

The presence of Amelia Bones made Harry barely relieved.He really couldn't delay any longer, or there would only be more people in danger.Harry slid around the last corner, shouting in relief and exasperation at once.He saw them, Ron and Hermione, both cradling big, crooked, yellow, dirty things in their arms, and Ron had a broom under his arm.

"Where the hell have you two been?" Harry yelled.

"The Chamber of Secrets," said Ron.

"M-what?" said Harry, staggering to a halt in front of them.

"It's Ron, it's all Ron's idea!" Hermione was panting with excitement, "It's wonderful, isn't it? After you left, I told Ron, even if I found another Horcrux, how can I destroy it?" Drop it? Then he remembered! Basilisk!"

"what--?"

"Things that get rid of the Horcruxes," said Ron simply.

Harry's eyes fell on what Ron and Hermione were cradling, only to realize that it was a huge curved fang snapped off a dead basilisk.

"How did you get in there?" Harry asked, looking from the basilisk to Ron, "Need to speak Parseltongue!"

"He did!" whispered Hermione. "Tell him, Ron!"

Ron let out a nasty, strangled hiss.

"That's what you said in your nightmares at night," he said to Harry a little apologetically, "but you've said so much in your dreams that I'm not sure which word is similar to 'open'. It took a few tries Yes, but," he shrugged modestly, "we're finally in."

"He's amazing!" said Hermione. "Amazing!"

"You're so talented!" Harry exclaimed.

"Nothing," said Ron, though he seemed quite pleased with himself. "How are you?"

Before he could finish his sentence, there was a sudden explosion above their heads.The three of them looked up, dust was falling from the ceiling, and then there was a shout in the distance.

"I know what a diadem looks like now, and where it is," said Harry quickly. "He kept it where I kept my old Potions book, where people kept things hidden for centuries. .He thought he was the only one who could find it. Let's go."

The walls were trembling again, and Harry led the two companions through the hidden entrance and down the stairs to the Room of Requirement.It was empty, save for three women: Ginny, Tonks, and an old witch in a moth-eaten hat that Harry recognized immediately as Neville's grandmother.

"Ah, Potter," she said bluntly, as if she had been waiting for him, "you can tell us about the situation."

"How is everyone?" Ginny and Tonks asked simultaneously.

"Okay as far as we know," said Harry. "Is there anyone else in the passageway to the Hog's Head?" Harry knew that the Room of Requirement couldn't transform if there were people in it.

"I was the last to come in," said Mrs Longbottom, "and I sealed it up. I thought it would be wrong to leave the passage open now that Aberforth had left the pub. Have you seen my grandson?" ?”

"He's fighting," said Harry.

"Of course," the old lady said proudly, "forgive me, I have to help him." Then, she ran towards the stone steps at an alarming speed.

Harry looked at Tonks.

"Aren't you at your mother's house with little Teddy?"

"I can't stand being kept in the dark -" Tonks looked distressed. "My mother will take care of him - have you seen Remus?"

"He's going to lead a team to fight on the playground—"

Tonks was about to run without saying a word.

"Wait a minute!" Harry pulled her back, took off his Voldebat vest without any explanation, and handed it to the bewildered Tonks.

Maybe Harry thought of his mother, maybe he didn't want his godson to lose his parents in his infancy like himself. "Put it on, Tonks."

"Harry..." Hermione couldn't help but discouraged.

"Don't you understand, Hermione," Harry seemed to be convincing himself, "this vest can't stop his magic against Voldemort - he'll just use the Killing Curse. For Teddy's sake, Don." Max, please put it on before you go to fight."

The purple-haired witch refused repeatedly, until Harry made an angry look, and then put it on indiscriminately.Run towards the playground.

"Ginny," said Harry, "I'm sorry, but we need you to leave too. Just a moment, and then you can come back in."

Ginny seemed eager to get out of her sanctuary.

"Then you can come in again!" Harry saw Ginny running up the stone steps with Tonks, and hurriedly shouted at her back, "You must come in again!"

"Wait!" said Ron suddenly, "We forgot who!"

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"House-elves, they're all down in the kitchen, aren't they?"

"You mean they should be allowed to fight?" Harry asked.

"No," said Ron gravely, "I mean tell them to run away. Dobby's downstairs too, right? They can't be asked to die for us—"

Crackling, the basilisk teeth in Hermione's arms fell to the ground one after another.She ran to Ron, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him on the lips.Ron dropped his fangs and broom and responded with fiery passion, lifting Hermione off her feet.

"Is this the right time?" Harry said hesitantly, but Ron and Hermione hugged each other even tighter, swaying slightly in their embrace, Harry raised his voice, "Hey! There's a war going on here!"

Ron and Hermione let go abruptly, but still had their arms around each other.

"I know, mate," said Ron, who looked as if he'd been hit on the back of the head by a Bludger, "it's never too late, isn't it?"

"Let's put this aside for now, what about Horcruxes?" Harry said loudly, "