Entrance and down the staircase into the Room of Requirement. It was empty except for

three women: Ginny, Tonks and an elderly witch wearing a moth-eaten hat, whom Harry

recognized immediately as Neville’s grandmother.

“Ah, Potter,” she said crisply as if she had been waiting for him. “You can tell us

what’s going on.”

“Is everyone okay?” said Ginny and Tonks together.

“’S far as we know,” said Harry. “Are there still people in the passage to the

Hog’s Head?”

He knew that the room would not be able to transform while there were still users

Inside it.

“I was the last to come through,” said Mrs. Longbottom. “I sealed it, I think it

unwise to leave it open now Aberforth has left his pub. Have you seen my grandson?”

“He’s fighting,” said Harry.

“Naturally,” said the old lady proudly. “Excuse me, I must go and assist him.”

With surprising speed she trotted off toward the stone steps.

Harry looked at Tonks.

“I thought you were supposed to be with Teddy at your mother’s?”

“I couldn’t stand not knowing –“ Tonks looked anguished. “She’ll look after him

– have you seen Remus?”

“He was planning to lead a group of fighters into the grounds –“

Without another word, Tonks sped off.

“Ginny,” said Harry, “I’m sorry, but we need you to leave too. Just for a bit. Then

you can come back in.”

Ginny looked simply delighted to leave her sanctuary.

“And then you can come back in!” he shouted after her as she ran up the steps

after Tonks. “You’ve got to come back in!”

“Hang on a moment!” said Ron sharply. “We’ve forgotten someone!”

“Who?” asked Hermione.

“The house-elves, they’ll all be down in the kitchen, won’t they?”

“You mean we ought to get them fighting?” asked Harry.

“No,” said Ron seriously, “I mean we should tell them to get out. We don’t want

anymore Dobbies, do we? We can’t order them to die for us –“

There was a clatter as the basilisk fangs cascaded out of Hermione’s arms.

Running at Ron, she flung them around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. Ron

Threw away the fangs and broomstick he was holding and responded with such

Enthusiasm that he lifted Hermione off her feet.

“Is this the moment?” Harry asked weakly, and when nothing happened except

That Ron and Hermione gripped each other still more firmly and swayed on the spot, he

raised his voice. “Oi! There’s a war going on here!”

Ron and Hermione broke apart, their arms still around each other.

“I know, mate,” said Ron, who looked as though he had recently been hit on the

back of the head with a Bludger, “so it’s now or never, isn’t it?”

“Never mind that, what about the Horcrux?” Harry shouted. “D’you think you

could just – just hold it in until we’ve got the diadem?”

“Yeah – right – sorry –“ said Ron, and he and Hermione set about gathering up

Fangs, both pink in the face.

It was clear, as the three of them stepped back into the corridor upstairs, that in

The minutes that they had spent in the Room of Requirement the situation within the

castle had deteriorated severely: The walls and ceiling were shaking worse than ever;

Dust filled the air, and through the nearest window, Harry saw bursts of green and red

Light so close to the foot of the castle that he knew the Death Eaters must be very near to

Entering the place. Looking down, Harry saw Grawp the giant meandering past, swinging

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 573