Chapter 20 - The Lost Diadem

As soon as Luna read Neville's message she got into action, gathering Bill, Fleur and Dean to her. 

"Harry, Ron and Hermione are at Hogsmeade and going to Hogwarts. Neville believes this is the moment we've been waiting for to liberate the school." Thankfully everyone trusted both her and Neville enough to not question it and got themselves ready. 

Fleur sent out her patronus to send messages to her family and the Order to alert them. Luna stared in awe at the unicorn that pranced through the sky. Bill meanwhile apparated to the Burrow to gather and prepare the rest of his family. Luna and Dean put on their old clothes that had been washed and mended as best as possible. Dean, Luna noticed had never seemed as determined as he was now to cause damage to those that had hurt him. He had carefully locked all of those feelings inside but now, with a battle on the horizon, excitement was rolling off him. 

"If only I had my wand." He had mumbled several times as they gathered their gear.

Luna took hold of his hand.

"Don't worry, it's the first thing we'll make sure to get."

He gave a nod, but she wasn't sure he really believed it. But nevertheless, wand or no, he would not be stopped to go back to Hogwarts. A true Gryffindor. 

Once ready they hugged Fleur extra tightly. Who knew what would happen? And apparated themselves to the Hogshead in Hogsmeade. Aberforth Dumbledore, the pubs inkeeper had a permanent disgruntled look in his face, but was helpful nonetheless. 

"Potter and his friends have gone through not long ago. You're quick. Any more coming?"

"The whole Order should get here soon, probably in groups." Dean told him and the older man gave a huff but guided them to a portrait of a young girl.

"I'll send you through alone. It's a passage to the room of requirement. I'm sure you know it."

"We do!" Luna said, giving him a beaming smile, her own excitement setting foot back in the castle and that special room of all places.

"Well good luck. Mind yerselfs."

And with that Luna and Dean climbed through the portrait and navigated through the dark tunnel, Luna's wand guiding the way. She held Dean's hand firmly as they walked on the uneven ground that twisted and turned. Once they reached the end and arrived at a door, a simple push was needed before the room they both knew well materialised in front of them, filling with hangmats, colourful banners and filled with students. Her eye immediately fell on the batter looking Neville as well as Harry, Ron and Hermione, who also looked rather worn in merely a day.

"We got your message Neville! Hello there your three, I thought you would be here."

Seamus Finnegan, who was hardly recognisable with his bruised face, gave a roar of delight seeing Dean, and immediately ran up to him to hug him. Dean released her hand and hugged him back and Luna felt elated for him. She walked over to her friends, meanwhile seeing the faces of so many of her classmates, feelings of pride at their obvious deviance and bravery warming her heart.

"Hi everyone! Oh, it's great to be back!"

"Luna? What are you doing here? How did you…?" Harry spluttered in confusion.

"I sent for her!" Neville said, beaming down at her and she hugged him tightly. "I promised her and Ginny that if you turned up I'd let them know. We all thought if you came back it would mean revolution. That we were going to overthrow Snape and the Carrow's."

"Of course that's what it means. Isn't it Harry? We're going to fight them out of Hogwarts?" Luna said brightly but saw Harry's face crumple.

"Listen! I am sorry, but that's not what we came back for. There's something we've got to do, and then…" Harry said, panic clear in his voice. People had fallen silent to listen to the exchange.

"You're going to leave us in this mess?" Michael demanded angrily. He lay a comforting hand on Luna's shoulder, obviously glad to see her.

"No! What we're doing will benefit everyone in the end, it's all about trying to get rid of You-Know-Who…"

"Then let us help!" Neville meanwhile shouted at Harry. "We want to be a part of it!"

Before any of her friends could reply, the door opened again and to Luna's utter delight, Ginny climbed out, followed closely by Fred, George and Lee Jordan. She gave Harry a radiant smile before dancing over to Luna and engulfing her friend in a hug. Luna had never been happier to see her. 

Meanwhile Cho entered to room too and went over to Michael.

"I got the message." She said holding up her own Galleon."

"So what's the plan Harry?" George asked him and Luna could now clearly see the panic and pain in her friend's eyes. He had no idea what he was doing.

"There isn't one…" he muttered.

"Just going to make it up as we go along are we! My favourite kind." Fred quipped.

"You've got to stop this! What did you call them back for! This is insane?" Harry turned to Neville angrily.

"We're fighting aren't we? The message said Harry was back, and we were going to fight! I'll have to get a wand though…" Dean said and Seamus gave him an incredulous look.

"You haven't got a wand…?"

Ron meanwhile turned to Harry.

"Why can't they help?" And Luna was glad he was there to talk some sense into his best friend. She could always count on Ron for that. Both he and Hermione started to talk to Harry In fervent whispers. Finally with a resigned look on his face, Harry turned back to the group.

"There's something we need to find. Something… something that will help us overthrow You-Know-Who. It's here at Hogwarts, but we don't know where. It might have belonged to Ravenclaw. Had anyone heard of an object like that? Has anyone ever come across something with her eagle on it, for instance?" He looked blindly towards the Ravenclaws present. Luna instantly brightened, having perched on a chair with Ginny. 

"Well, there's her lost diadem. I told you about it, remember Harry? The lost diadem of Ravenclaw. Daddy's trying to duplicate it."

"Yeah, but the lost diadem, is lost Luna. That's sort of the point." Michael said.

"When was it lost?" Harry asked.

"Centuries ago they say. Professor Flitwick says the diadem vanished with Ravenclaw herself. People have looked but… nobody's ever found a trace of it, have they?"

Luna felt a pang in her chest… she was quite sure she would know about someone who would have seen it.

"Sorry, but what is a diadem?" Ron asked.

"It's a kind of crown. Ravenclaw's was supposed to have magical properties, enhance the wisdom of the wearer." Terry Boot explained.

"Yes, Daddy's Wrackspurt siphons…" Luna tried to say but Harry cut through, desperation in his voice.

"And none of you have ever seen anything that looks like that?" 

Everyone fell silent and shook their heads before Cho broke it again.

"If you'd like to see what the diadem's supposed to look like, I could take you up to our common room and show you Harry. Ravenclaw's wearing it on her statue."

Harry seemed to debate before stating to Ron and Hermione.

"Listen, I know it's not much of a lead, but I am going to go and look at this statue, at least find out what it looks like. Wait for me here and keep, you know, the other one safe."

Cho had gotten to her feet but Ginny bristled beside Luna and said fiercely:

"No, Luna will take Harry, won't you Luna?"

"Oooh yes, I'd like to." Luna chirped and skipped along with Harry and Neville to the exit, where there was a cupboard opening up to a steep staircase.

"It comes out somewhere different every day, so they've never been able to find it." Neville said, gesturing towards the exit. "Only trouble is we never know exactly where we're going to end up when we go out. Be careful Harry. They're always patrolling the corridors at night."

"No problem. See you in a bit." Harry replied and they both hurried up the staircase. 

It was long and winding like the tunnel from the Hogshead. Finally they reached a wall. 

"Get under here." Harry told her as he pulled his Invisibility Cloak from his pocket and threw it over them. Then he pushed at the door. They slipped out into a dark corridor. Fascinated Luna watched as Harry pulled out the Marauder's Map and started to search their location.

"We're up on the fifth floor." He told her finally and she nodded and started to guide them to Ravenclaw tower through the darkness.

It was a small trek. Harry, Luna could tell was extremely anxious and so she kept as quiet as she could, stepping silently along the corridors. They kept checking the map on intervals and letting several ghosts pass. They climbed up in tight circles until they reached the familiar door with the Bronze Eagle knocker.

She reached out her hand and knocked once. The eagle responded with a question.

"What came first, the Phoenix or the flame?"

"Hmmm…" Luna mused and turned to Harry who looked at her in his amusing confused look. "What do you think?"

"What? Isn't there just a password?"

"Oh, no. You've got to answer a question."

"What is you get it wrong?"

"Well, you have to wait for somebody who gets it right. That way you learn, you see?"

"Yeah…" Harry said hesitantly, "trouble is, we can't really afford to wait for anyone else Luna."

"No, I see what you mean. Well then, I think the answer is that a circle has no beginning." She responded seriously and was instantly rewarded by the knocker.

"Well reasoned." It said and the door swung open.

They entered the wide and circular common room with its gracefully arched windows. The gold stars on the ceiling twinkled down on them and Luna instantly felt home again. The airy space was completely deserted and so they had no trouble making their way over to the white marble statue of her house Founder, Rowena Ravenclaw, wearing her diadem. 

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." Harry read aloud.

"Which makes you pretty skint witless." The eerily familiar cackling voice of Alecto Carrow said behind them. They both whirled around, Harry falling to the floor and were unable to stop the Death Eater from touching her Dark Mark.

Luna didn't think but fired. With a loud bang, Carrow hit the floor with such force, glass tinkled. Harry looked up to her in shock.

"I've never Stunned anyone expect in our DA lessons. That was noisier than I thought it would be." She told him brightly. And surely, they could immediately hear rummaging above as students came to investigate.

"Luna, where are you? I need to get under the Cloak." Harry said and she quickly let the Cloak fall back over them right before there was a stream of students, all in their nightclothes flooding the room. Luna recognised them all and saw Magdalena among them. Most were young, first and second years. Which made sense as most of the older students had to start hiding in the Room of Requirement.

As their surprised subsided, they shuffled around the prone body, before one brave young boy decided to prod her with his toe.

"I think she might be dead!" He shouted in delight. 

"Oh, look, they're pleased." Luna whispered excitedly to Harry who mumbled a reply.

Suddenly there was a rap on the common room door and everyone fell silent. They could hear the knocker ask a riddle.

"Where do vanished objects go?"

"I dunno, do I? Shut it! Alecto? Alecto? Are you there? Have you got him? Open the door!" Amycus' familiar snarling voice grew ever more panicked. It would have given Luna a feeling of satisfaction had her housemates not been afraid and obviously in trouble if he did find his sister in her current state with them all around. Should she warn them to leave?

Then several loads bangs sounded as Amycus was trying to force his way in.

"ALECTO! If he comes and we haven't got Potter - d'you want to go the same way as the Malfoy's? ANSWER ME!" The Death Eater bellowed and several Ravenclaw's flew back up the stairs, which Luna was glad for. Magdalena unfortunately wasn't one of them.

Then an other voice joined Amycus, and made Luna feel relief all over.

"May I ask what you are doing, Professor Carrow?" Professor McGonagall's clipped tone could be heard.

"Trying to get through this damned door!" Amycus shouted. "Go and get Flitwick! Get him to open it now!"

"But isn't your sister in there? Didn't Professor Flitwick let her in, earlier this evening, at your urgent request? Perhaps she could open the door for you? Then you needn't wake up half the castle."

"She ain't answering, you old besom. You open it! Garn! Do it now!"

"Certainly, if you wish it." Professor McGonagall answered coolly before turning to the door knocker. Once again the door asked the riddle and this time was given an answer.

"Into non-being, which is to say, everything." 

"Nicely phrased." The bronze eagle complimented before swinging the door open. The remaining Ravenclaw's sprinted up the stairs.

Amycus stormed in, wand raised, shouting and yelling in fury as he saw his sister. Luna felt utterly repulsed at him, and gripped her own wand tighter. If he so much as looked towards the dormitories, she would strike him the same as his sister.

"What've they done, the little whelps! I'll Cruciate the lot of them till they tell who did it! And what's the Dark Lord going to say?" Amycus shrieked and started to hit himself on the forehead. Luna couldn't help a smirk. "We haven't got him, and they've gone and killed her."

"She's only Stunned. She'll be perfectly all right." Professor McGonagall told him impatiently, distain dripping from her face.

"No she bludgering well won't! Not after the Dark Lord gets a hold of her! She's gone and sent for him! I felt me Dark Mark burn and he thinks we've got Potter!"

"Got Potter? What do you mean 'got Potter?'" Professor McGonagall asked sharply and Luna glanced quickly at Harry, who too was watching to exchange closely, ready to jump in if necessary.

"He told us Potter might try and get inside Ravenclaw Tower and to send for him if we caught him."

"Why would Harry Potter try to get inside Ravenclaw Tower? Potter belongs in my house." There was obvious pride in her voice and as Amycus explained he didn't know why Harry would be her, Professor McGonagall looked through the room, and Luna was sure she made the briefest of eye contact, which ought to be impossible under the cloak.

"We can push it off on the kids. Yeah, that's what we'll do. We'll say Alecto was ambushed by the kids, them kids up there." Amycus rambled maniacally, pointing towards the star domed ceiling. "We'll say they forced her to press her Mark and that's why he got the false alarm. He can punish them. Couple of kids more or less, what's the difference…?"

"Only the difference between truth and lies, courage and cowardice." Professor McGonagall said in a soft but warning tone. "A difference in short, which you and your sister seem unable to appreciate. But let me make one thing very clear. You are not going to pass off your many ineptitudes on the students of Hogwarts. I shall not permit it." 

"Excuse me?" Amycus stepped closer to her, trying to appear threatening, while Professor McGonagall openly showed her loathing to him.

"It's not a case of what you'll permit Minerva McGonagall. Your time's over. It's us what's in charge here now, and you'll back me up or you'll pay the price." 

And then, he spat in her face.

Harry's reaction was immediate. He ducked beneath the cloak and bellowed. "CRUCIO!"

Amycus was lifted off his feet, writhing through the air, trashing and howling in pain. And Luna wondered briefly whether she had looked the same during her torture sessions. The Death Eater meanwhile crashed to the floor, and lay crumpled in a heap.

"I see what Bellatrix meant, you need to really mean it." Harry seethed, and Luna agreed internally that she would probably know best.

"Potter! Potter… you're here! What? How?" Professor McGonagall struggled in disbelief, clutching her chest. "Potter that was foolish!"

"He spat at you." Harry said simply.

"Potter… I… that was very gallant of you… but don't you realise…?"

"Yeah I do, Professor McGonagall, Voldemort's on his way."

Luna decided to use that moment to reveal herself. 

"Oh, are we allowed to say the name now?" She said as she pulled away the Invisibility Cloak. This seemed too much for Professor McGonagall, who staggered back into a chair, looking at them both with wide eyes. Harry meanwhile turned to her.

"I don't think it makes any difference what we call him. He already knows where I am."

"You must flee. Now Potter, as quickly as you can!" Professor McGonagall whispered to him.

"I can't, there is something I had to do. Professor, do you know where the diadem of Ravenclaw is?"

"The d… diadem of Ravenclaw! Of course not… hasn't it been lost for centuries?" Professor McGonagall said with obvious confusion before she straightened. "Potter it was madness, utter madness for you to enter the castle…"

"I had to. Professor there is something hidden here that I'm supposed to find and it could be the diadem. If I could just speak to Professor Flitwick."

There was a sound, Amycus was starting to come too but before Luna could act, Professor McGonagall pointed her wand at the Death Eater.

"Imperio!"

The Death Eater gathered his sisters wand and handed both hers as his own to Professor McGonagall before laying back down. A length of shimmering silver rope bound the pair tightly together. 

"Potter, if He Who Must Not Be Named does indeed know you are here…"

She wasn't able to finish her sentence, as Harry started to sway on his feet, and hand rushing to his scar. Luna immediately leapt up beside him and he reached out to steady himself on her shoulder. He then explained that he was acting on Dumbledore's orders just as Luna had predicated. He managed to convince his head of house to evacuate the students from the school as the teachers would keep Voldemort and the Death Eaters at bay, for as long as they could for Harry to complete his mission.

The three of them left the Ravenclaw Common Room to alert the other houses. Luna and Harry were back under the Invisibility Cloak, running along with Professor McGonagall who produced three cat patronuses to run ahead and deliver news. They descended down into the castle before they came to a sudden halt, obvious that someone was there. As Professor McGonagall called out, Professor Snape appeared.

"Where are the Carrow's?" He asked quietly.

"Where you told them to be, I expect Severus." She answered coolly.

Again, Luna saw Harry stiffen beside her, ready to strike if necessary. They both watched the exchange between the two professors play out until Professor McGonagall and the world seemed to explode. Before Luna knew what was happening, Harry pulled her out of the way of descending flames. She couldn't see much more as Harry shielded her from the spell onslaught. She heard Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout join in the fray until glass broke and Professor McGonagall cried through the air.

"Coward! COWARD!"

"What's happened? What's happened?" Luna asked Harry repeatedly, starting to feel disoriented as he dragged her along with him towards a broken where the teachers were standing.

"He jumped." Professor McGonagall told her, and as she and Harry discussed whether or not Professor Snape had survived, Luna saw his bat-like shape rise from the ground and fly towards the darkness of the forest. The teachers around her started to prepare a battle plan as Harry desperately started to question Professor Flitwick about Ravenclaw's diadem. Luna wasn't sure how to help him. Nobody had seen the diadem for centuries. Nobody alive knew about it… a thought came to her, but she didn't get the chance to voice it 

 as Harry started pulled her along with him through the castle. But not before Professor McGonagall made it clear to Professor Slughorn that is was now time for the Slytherin House to decide where their loyalties lay. 

They ran through the castle, passing many students who were making their way to the Great Hall. They all whispered and murmured in surprise at seeing them. Several then called out their names, but Harry didn't stop. They reached the Room of Requirement and descended down the shallow staircase. There, they were greeted by more members of The Order.

Harry explained to them that the younger students would be evacuated and the ones who wanted to stay, would stay and fight, as Voldemort was fast approaching. 

Luna say Ginny in a heavy argument with her mother, eyes blazing angrily as she wanted to join the others in the fight. Before she could go over, Dean came over.

"Come on Luna!" He called out, taking hold of her hand, and turned back to the entrance. He was holding a wand now.

"Wait, Dean, one moment. Harry!" Luna called out and Harry turned to her, a look of both panic and determination in his green eyes.

"Yes Luna?"

"Harry, it's obvious isn't it? Ravenclaw's diadem?"

"What do you mean?"

"No one who is alive has seen it. You have to talk to someone that's dead!"

"Wh… what?"

"The Grey Lady! Ravenclaw's ghost. She's shy and nice." Dean tugged on her hand, obviously in a hurry as Seamus and Neville also gathered by the entrance. "Check the Astronomy Tower!" She called over her shoulder. 

And with that she turned away from her bewildered friend, counting on him to take her advice and let herself be led back up the stairs with the other D.A. boys. Neville wrapped her in a tight hug when they reached the top and leapt back into the corridor. 

"I am so relieved to see you." 

"Me too Neville!"

"Time to go get them this time. They have a lot to pay from!" Dean said, grinning at Seamus, and held her hand tightly as the four of them ran to the courtyard. They started to help the Order members and teachers apply all kinds of protection spells. 

Luna hoped they could get as many students out of the school as possible. She fervently hoped Magdalena would be one of them. She hoped Blaise was alright. What would he do? How were the Slytherin students going to make their choices? 

They didn't have to wait long before the Death Eaters and Voldemort arrived. They had gathered together along with dark magical creatures, giants, spiders and dementors among them. Their attack was swift, combining their powers into attacking the protective barriers first. The onslaught was too strong to resist for long. As the barrier exploded so too did the battle. Neville, Seamus, Dean and Luna all looked at each other, all with the same determination. 

"It's time. Let's get them." Neville stated bravely. There were many more sentiments in his voice, but it was clear to them all. They were together in this, dead or alive. And if fate would strike, it would be defending everything they held dear. Dean squeezed her hand.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Ready!" She answered and he grinned. 

The Battle of Hogwarts had begun!

Within no time, the battle was raging around her. Dean desperately tried to stay close to her but soon enough their little group was split apart as they were attacked. Luna flew around the castle, attacking and defending wherever necessary. She had passed Professor Trelawney, who was hurling crystal balls on to Death Eater trying to enter the castle. Giants and Dementors had joined in the fight. Particularly the last ones were causing trouble all around. They had been bred even stronger in all the misery of the past year. And not everyone could produce a powerful enough patronus. 

Luna decided to follow them around, blasting them away from her fellow Order Members. It was that way that she had passed Kingsley and Lupin fighting Dolohov. Tonks had given her a huge fright as she passed her, running towards her husband. Luna had called out to her, but Tonks had only responded with a strained smile. And then time seemed to stop as the green killing curse from Dolohov hit Remus in his chest. Even from a distance, Luna could see the final look in his eyes as he looked at Tonks, love and fear emanating from him, before he fell back. Tonks scream rang out and Luna couldn't stop the tears that started to stream down her cheeks. A cackling laugh broke through Tonks' despair as she reached Remus' body. Luna only had a second to turn her head towards the hauntingly familiar sound and saw Bellatrix's own killing curse shoot out of her wand and hit Tonks' back. 

No! No! No! No!

Luna wanted to scream, but no sound came out as she fell back too, a wall now blocking her from the other Death Eaters. But she could see Tonks now slumped over her husband, as if asleep. Gone. Within seconds they were both gone…

Tears blurred her vision so terribly, she couldn't see anything anymore.

"Run! Luna! Run!"

She didn't know who shouted it at her. Somehow her body responded and she stumbled further away, back towards another corridor. Another shout came behind her, but she felt disoriented, and barely noticed the wall exploding nearby. Rumble started to block her path. She managed to run through until dark shapes began to line her vision. Dementors were following her. Zigzagging through the hallway, she threw cursed over her shoulder to hinder any pursuers. Even hurling a broken cabinet backwards. But of course that wouldn't stop the hoards of Dementors following. She could feel icy cold around her. Finally she turned around to face them.

There was no way she would be able to hold them all off. She was cornered in the hallway, trapped by debris and other Death Eaters around the corner, with an elated and trigger happy Bellatrix cackling in celebration after just killing her niece…

Poor Tonks… poor Remus… poor Teddy, who just lost both his parents in mere seconds. The last looks on their faces haunting her mind . Death… so much death… 

There was no way she could cast her patronus now to protect her from all these Dementors. Their decaying hands stretched out towards her and she felt every ounce of happiness, usually so abundant inside her, getting sucked out. Darkness starting to edge her mind.

She raised her wand with a trembling hand and cast the spell but mere silver mist came out. She tried again but her mind couldn't focus. Blood was pounding in her ears and she could only hear the faint cries and roars of battle nearby. The Dementor hand was now close enough to touch her, slowly curling around her cheek. A soft and intimate touch, the caress of Death…

Suddenly there was a loud roar and blinding light that made the Dementors pull away before a silver Thestral flew straight towards her.