Wedding. There were tiny words etched into it. Harry stepped out from under the Cloak

and climbed up onto Ravenclaw’s plinth to read them.

“’Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure.’”

“Which makes you pretty skint, witless,” said a cackling voice.

Harry whirled around, slipped off the plinth, and landed on the floor. The slopingshouldered

Figure of Alecto Carrow was standing before him, and even as Harry raised

His wand, she pressed a stubby forefinger to the skull and snake branded on her forearm.

The Sacking of Severus Snape

The moment her finger touched the Mark, Harry's scar burned savagely, the starry

Room vanished from sight, and he was standing upon an outcrop of rock beneath a cliff,

and the sea was washing around him and there was a triumph in his heart – They have the

Boy.

A loud bang brought Harry back to where he stood. Disoriented, he raised his

Wand, but the witch before him was already falling forward; she hit the ground so hard

That the glass in the bookcases tinkled.

“I've never Stunned anyone except in our D.A. lessons,” said Luna, sounding

mildly interested. “That was noisier than I though it would be.”

And sure enough, the ceiling had begun to tremble Scurrying, echoing footsteps

were growing louder from behind the door leading to the dormitories. Luna's spell had

Woken Ravenclaws sleeping above.

“Luna, where are you? I need to get under the Cloak!”

Luna's feet appeared out of nowhere,; he hurried to her side and she let the Cloak

Fall back over them as the door opened and a stream of Ravenclaws, all in their

Nightclothes, flooded into the common room. there were gasps and cries of surprise as

They saw Alecto lying there unconscious. Slowly they shuffled in around her, a savage

Beast that might wake at any moment and attack them. Then one brave little first-year

Darted up to her and prodded her backside with his big toe.

“I think she might be dead!” he shouted with delight.

“Oh look,” whispered Luna happily, as the Ravenclaws crowded in around Alecto.

“They're pleased!”

“Yeah... great... “

Harry closed his eyes, and as his scar throbbed he chose to sink again into

Voldemort's mind.... He was moving along the tunnel into the first cave.... He had

Chosen to make sure of the locker before coming...but that would not take him long....

There was a rap on the common room door and every Ravenclaw froze. From the

other side, Harry heard the soft, musical voice that issued from the eagle door knocker:

“Where do Vanished objects go?”

“I dunno, do I? Shut it!” snarled an uncouth voice that Harry knew was that of

the Carrow brother , Amycus, “Alecto? Alecto? Are you there? Have you got him?

Open the door!”

The Ravenclaws were whispering amongst themselves, terrified. Then without

Warning, there came a series of loud bangs, as though somebody was firing a gun into the

Door.

“ALECTO! If he comes, and we haven't got Potter --d'you want to go the same

way as the Malfoys? ANSWER ME!” Amycus bellowed, shaking the door for all he

Was worth, but still it did not open. The Ravenclaws were all backing away, and some of

The most frightened began scampering back up the stair case to their beds. Then, just as

Harry was wondering whether he ought not to blast open the door and Stun Amycus

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 577