Multicolored hammocks were strung from the ceiling and from the balcony that ran

Around the dark wood-paneled and windowless walls, which were covered in bright

Tapestry hangings. Harry saw the gold Gryffindor lion, emblazoned on scarlet; the black

Badger of Hufflepuff, set against yellow; and the bronze eagle of Ravenclaw, on blue.

The silver and green of Slytherin alone were absent. There were bulging bookcases, a few

Broomsticks propped against the walls, and in the corner, a large wood-cased wireless.

“Where are we?”

“Room of Requirement, of course!” said Neville. “Surpassed itself, hasn’t it? The

Carrows were chasing me, and I knew I had just one chance for a hideout: I managed to

get through the door and this is what I found! Well, it wasn’t exactly like this when I

Arrived, it was a load smaller, there was only one hammock and just Gryffindor hangings.

But it’s expanded as more and more of the D.A. have arrived.”

“And the Carrows can’t get in?” asked Harry, looking around for the door.

“No,” said Seamus Finnigan, whom Harry had not recognized until he spoke:

Seamus’s face was bruised and puffy. “It’s a proper hideout, as long as one of us stays in

here, they can’t get at us, the door won’t open. It’s all down to Neville. He really gets this

room. You’ve got to ask for exactly what you need – like, “I don’t want any Carrow

supporters to be able to get in’ – and it’ll do it for you! You’ve just got to make sure you

close the loopholes. Neville’s the man!”

“It’s quite straightforward, really,” said Neville modestly. “I’d been in here about

A day and a half, and getting really hungry, and wishing I could get something to eat, and

that’s when the passage to Hog’s Head opened up. I went through it and met Aberforth.

He’s been providing us with food, because for some reason, that’s the one thing the room

doesn’t really do.

“Yeah, well, food’s one of the five exceptions to Gamp’s Law of Elemental

Transfiguration,” said Ron to general astonishment.

“So we’ve been hiding out here for nearly two weeks,” said Seamus, “and it just

Makes more hammocks every time we need room, and it even sprouted a pretty good

bathroom once girls started turning up – “

“—and thought they’d quite like to wash, yes,” supplied Lavender Brown, whom

Harry had not noticed until that point. Now that he looked around properly, he recognized

Many familiar faces. Both Patil twins were there, as were Terry Boot, Ernie Macmillan,

Anthony Goldstein, and Michael Corner.

“Tell us what you’ve been up to, though,” said Ernie. “There’ve been so many

rumors, we’ve been trying to keep up with you on Potterwatch.” He pointed at the

wireless. “You didn’t break into Gringotts?”

“They did!” said Neville. “And the dragon’s true too!”

There was a smattering of applause and a few whoops; Ron took a bow.

“What were you after?” asked Seamus eagerly.

Before any of them could parry the question with one of their own, Harry felt a

Terrible, scorching pain in the lightning scar. As he turned his back hastily on the curious

And delighted faces, the Room of Requirement vanished, and he was standing inside a

Ruined stone shack, and the rotting floorboards were ripped apart at his feet, a disinterred

golden box lay open and empty beside the hole, and Voldemort’s scream of fury vibrated

Inside his head.

With an enormous effort he pulled out of Voldemort’s mind again, back to where

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 600