Chapter 15
When Bill returned to McGonagall Castle, he was too exhausted to do much more than head up to the room he and Fleur were sharing, and drop onto the bed, fully clothed, asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
When he awoke, it was to the comforting feeling of a hand running through his hair, and a soft but melodious voice humming something he thought he recognized as an old lullaby.
He shifted slightly, and Fleur fell silent, smiling down at her husband. "You took longer than you thought last night, mon chéri?" she queried.
Bill nodded and sat up. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I couldn't leave early."
Fleur shook her head. "It was important, non? I understand. You do not need to explain what you were doing. Master Sharptooth came into the office this morning to tell Master Goldbreath that you had been excused from your duties for the day. I had not realized that goblins from the different departments could outrank each other."
Bill shrugged. "I think it depends on the rank and the department. Sharptooth is a senior Manager, and I think he might have some sort of position on the Goblin Council. He's Harry's Family Manager."
Fleur inhaled sharply. "You have seen Harry?"
Bill nodded ruefully. "Harry and the others needed my help with something last night, that's where I was. I can't give you any more than that, but I should probably tell Mum and Minerva, so that they can be assured that the kids are all right."
Fleur inclined her head. "Everyone is gathering for dinner, so we should head down there, yes?"
Bill smiled and brushed the part-Veela's hair behind her ear. He gave her a soft kiss. "You're amazing," he said, pulling back.
Fleur beamed, and stood up, stepping back to wait, while Bill changed into a clean set of clothes.
He stopped Fleur as she made to leave the room, grabbing her around the waist, spinning her so that he could kiss her properly. "I love you," he murmured against her lips.
Fleur giggled and threw her arms around his neck. "I know," she replied. "As I love you."
Bill pulled back and smiled into her warm gaze. "Thank you." Fleur raised an eyebrow in silent question, and Bill shrugged. "Harry told me about the secret you've been keeping for him."
Fleur gasped. "He and Ginny told you about the bond?"
Bill nodded. "I wasn't exactly thrilled to hear that my little sister has been married since she was thirteen, but Harry's exactly the kind of guy I would want for her. I'm grateful that you kept such a secret for them. Thank you for looking after my sister and… brother-in-law… they really appreciate it as well."
Fleur nodded determinedly. "It is not my secret to share," she said firmly. "A soul bond is a sacred thing, the manifestation of true love. Such an occurrence happens once every other lifetime, if you are lucky. It is an honor, just to see their love."
Bill smiled, and kissed her again, before the two headed down to the dining room, hand in hand.
XXX
When they arrived, pretty much everyone was gathered, preparing to sit down for dinner as Fleur had said. They all greeted Bill warmly, having been worried at his absence all night, despite Fleur's assurances that he was fine and just had to work. The lanky redhead bit his lip, unsure if he should give everyone the update on the teenagers.
Minerva frowned. "Bill? Has something happened? Fleur was very vague when she told us you had been called away last night."
Bill smiled slightly. "Everything's fine. I was out all night, helping a few… friends."
Minerva narrowed her gaze, and Molly gasped. "Bill? Have you – "
Bill nodded quickly. "They're fine," he assured them. "They just needed my help with something. But I've seen all of them, and they're well."
The entire table let out a sigh of relief, particularly those whose children were a part of the group of teenagers.
"They're really all right?" Cyrus asked urgently, staring intently at the redhead.
Bill nodded again. "They are; they said to say hello, and to tell you all that they miss you, but they're doing fine."
Everyone relaxed, as Bill focused on Minerva. Jerking his head slightly, he made a silent request to speak with his former professor in private.
Looking concerned, Minerva excused herself from the table, and followed Bill to a nearby empty room.
Once they were alone, Bill had to smile at the nervous expression on the Transfiguration Mistress' face. "Relax, Minerva, they're really all right. I just wanted to tell you that that… task, Harry and the others are undertaking, is progressing well."
Minerva inhaled sharply. "That's what they needed your assistance for?"
Bill nodded. "It was a success, and they're one step closer."
Minerva exhaled, and almost slumped in relief. "I can't believe they managed to find it. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack."
Bill shrugged. "Harry said it took them nearly a week of searching every night, and once they found it, another three nights before they called for me. It took us the entire night and part of the morning to bring down the wards and get the… object."
Minerva sighed. "I am relieved that it was a success. Thank you for telling me, Bill, and I am glad Harry and the others are well. Harry didn't tell me of their progress the last time we spoke."
Bill furrowed his brow. "You've been in contact?"
Minerva nodded. "He sends a letter once a week, to let me know everything is all right. He hasn't told me much of their search though. Likely it is because he doesn't feel comfortable putting anything on paper, even if the letters come directly to me via house elf, and I burn them after I have read them."
Bill lifted one shoulder. "They're being cautious. Harry doesn't want anything to get out, and that means not sharing too much with anyone, no matter how much you trust them. There's always a chance."
Minerva nodded in understanding. "As much as I hate to say it, he's learning from his parents mistakes. They thought they could trust Peter, and look how that turned out." She sighed. "I do get it, I just wish it wasn't necessary."
Bill smiled slightly. "Some day, it won't be." He glanced at his watch. "We should get back, or my wife will come in here and drag me back to stuff me full of food, while giving me quite a lecture at how bad it is to go an entire day without eating."
Minerva chuckled as she inclined her head. "I will not argue with that. I myself am famished." The pair headed back towards the dining room. After a few moments of silence, Minerva sighed. "I am glad that you were safe, Bill. I don't like the idea of anyone venturing out in public at the moment."
Bill shook his head. "I work for the goblins. Business doesn't stop just because wizards are at war. They've been good about setting up a special room for their witch and wizard employees to apparate directly into, so that we don't have to go through the Alley."
Minerva nodded slightly. "That is comforting. Still, please, you and Fleur be safe and on your guard."
Bill smiled his agreement, as the two reached the dining room and sat down, integrating themselves into the conversation with ease.
XXX
When Harry woke up, it was nearly suppertime. Ginny was still asleep, so he quietly extracted himself from the bed, and headed over to his dresser. Sitting on top was a folded up piece of old parchment.
He brought his wand to the parchment and murmured, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
Before his eyes, lines of ink began to form. He opened the parchment and waited for the map to fully form.
What are you doing? Ginny asked, her mental voice filled with sleep.
Harry glanced back at her. I just thought it might be a good idea to see what we're dealing with at Hogwarts. Aunt Minerva said that Voldemort was holding it, and Bill said the place was being used as a Death Eater base.
Ginny nodded, sitting up and folding her knees to her chest. What does it say?
Harry looked at the map for a few minutes, and grimaced. They were right. There are probably around fifty Death Eaters in the castle right now. I recognize a lot of the names – Avery, Yaxley, Macnair, Carrow, Greyback, both Malfoys… he sighed, and folded up the map, whispering, "Mischief managed," as he did so. When it was clear, he turned back to Ginny. "Yaxley's the new 'Minister'," he reminded her. "I guess that's just more proof that he's Voldemort's plant."
Ginny shook her head. "No use worrying about it now," she said logically. "But we've got a way to know when the Death Eaters are there, and where they are in the castle. That could come in handy."
Harry nodded slightly. "We're going to need to worry about it pretty soon," he commented.
Ginny glanced at him and then sighed. "The sword."
"The sword," Harry agreed. "I don't want to try Fiendfyre, ever."
"Do you think our phoenix abilities could destroy them?" Ginny wondered.
Harry thought about it for a minute, and then shook his head. "I don't think so," he said regrettably. "The phoenix abilities help against wards, but these aren't wards. It's dark magic, but I don't think we could physically destroy them with our phoenix powers. We need basilisk venom."
"So we need to get into the castle."
Harry nodded. "We'll start coming up with a plan. We also need to search for a hiding place for a horcrux in there as well."
Ginny sighed. "Yeah, Hogwarts told you that something was 'wrong' in the castle. But you realize how impossible it will be to just get in and search the place from top to bottom, right?"
Harry shrugged. "I know, but it's the only real lead we've got. There's only two more horcruxes left, and we're going off the idea that one of them is Nagini."
Ginny groaned. "So much guesswork. I wish we could have certainties."
Harry nodded his agreement. "Let's see if the others are up. Maybe they'll have some ideas."
XXX
Everyone began to trickle into the dining room a few minutes later, as Harry was helping the house elves put the last few dishes on the table.
He looked up at his friends and smiled. "Dinner's ready."
Everyone fell on the meal quickly, famished after sleeping all day.
Over supper, they discussed their next steps. Harry told them what he had seen on the Map, which didn't exactly thrill anyone.
"How are we supposed to get passed all those Death Eaters to get the sword?" Ron asked, spooning potatoes into his mouth eagerly.
Harry shrugged. "Just another obstacle. If there was another way to destroy the horcruxes, I'd be all for it, but other than Fiendfyre, I can't think of one."
Blaise furrowed his brow. "Is it possible to buy basilisk venom?"
Harry bit his lip. "I don't think so," he admitted. "It's pretty rare. If there was a way, Sharptooth would have mentioned it when we told him about the horcruxes this summer, and how we needed the sword to destroy them."
They all looked disappointed.
Hermione leaned forward. "Harry, I know you think there's still a horcrux at Hogwarts, but I think we should try looking other places first. It'll be easier to check out other possibilities, and what if we do manage to get in, and risk our lives and possibly the war, only to find out there's nothing there?"
Harry didn't like it, but he had to agree. "All right. Let's try to think of other places he might have used. But we're still going to have to try and figure out a way in. Gryffindor's Sword is our best shot at destroying these things. And it's more than just a guess, Hermione. Hogwarts knows that something is 'wrong' in the castle."
They stared at him. "What do you mean?" Blaise asked curiously.
Harry sighed. "Hogwarts knows that something is wrong. She doesn't know what or where, but she does know that there is something wrong inside the walls."
They paused to consider that, before Ron asked, "Can you get in as Gryffindor's heir?"
Harry considered for a moment. "I could probably get passed the wards, because the castle would let me in, but Hogwarts isn't really all powerful. I would still be visible to the Death Eaters and Voldemort, and if he had anything that let him know when someone unauthorized, or maybe someone without a Dark Mark, entered the castle, he would know I was there."
Ron nodded, understanding.
Ginny sighed. "It's really too bad; we were going to switch the swords after the holiday. I guess we don't need that fake sword anymore."
Hermione pursed her lips. "We should continue searching the library."
"Tomorrow," Harry corrected. "Let's just relax tonight, and get back to work tomorrow. We've had a big success today, so let's enjoy it."
They all agreed, and left the dining room, separating to various rooms in the Castle to wind down before going to sleep.
XXX
As January picked up speed, Harry and his friends spent most of their time searching for new possibilities on locations, or trying to come up with ways to get into Hogwarts undetected.
They set up a schedule so that several of them would go out each day in disguise, to collect information on what was going on in the wizarding world. They made sure to stake out the area by the Ministry employee entrance to the building, Diagon Alley, and Hogsmeade.
A few weeks after they found the ring, Harry and Daphne left the confines of the Castle early, after first making sure that no one would recognize them. They appeared in the alley next to the Leaky Cauldron, and after checking themselves once more, they headed into the pub.
Tom the barman was at the counter, but he didn't even look up as Harry and Daphne passed through. Instead, he ducked his head as if hoping his potential customers wouldn't notice him.
The two teenagers threw their hoods up as they exited out the back, and after tapping the correct brick, stepped into the Alley.
No one looked at them for more than a few seconds, as they wound their way down the overrun cobbled brick; with the situation as it was, the Alley just wasn't being maintained the way it used to be. The Death Eaters didn't really care about everything looking beautiful, and everyday witches and wizards knew to avoid the Alley as much as possible. Some shops were still open, but not that many on the main drag.
Harry and Daphne's destination, however, was not on the main drag. They turned off pretty quickly, heading down a dark path that Harry remembered quite vividly from the summer before his second year.
"Are we sure about this?" Daphne murmured, glancing at her friend briefly.
Harry shrugged with one shoulder. "We need to get more information. If he can help us, this may be the only way. He won't tell us willingly."
Daphne nodded, knowing that he was right. She was just worried that someone would find them, or that they would call attention to themselves.
Harry gestured for her to turn towards the familiar shop entrance. Though it had been years since he had hidden in that cupboard in Borgin and Burkes, he still remembered where the store was.
Once inside, they took a look around to make sure that it was empty, before Daphne warded the door to keep anyone else from entering.
Borgin walked through a back door, and stopped short at seeing the two cloaked figures in his shop. "Can I –"
Harry raised a hand and shot off a silent, wandless Stupefy, and Borgin dropped to the floor.
Harry and Daphne levitated the unconscious man to the back room, putting up a few more wards as they locked themselves in.
They sat Borgin down on a chair and tied him to the armrests, before Daphne pulled out a small bottle filled with a clear liquid. She took a deep breath as she uncorked it.
"Are you sure this will work?" she asked, looking at Harry.
Harry nodded. "We followed all the instructions correctly, and it looks the way it's supposed to. Just put three drops on his tongue."
Daphne complied, opening the unconscious man's mouth with little difficulty.
Harry tried not to feel too guilty about what they were doing. The research Harry and his friends had done over the last year had told them that Voldemort had worked for Borgin and Burkes after graduation. It was possible that the remaining owner of the store might know something, even if he didn't know that he knew. And the sad truth was that this was war. Harry knew it was a slippery slope, and if he and his friends weren't careful, they could end up falling further than was acceptable. After all, the excuse of war had been what had caused his godfather to spend twelve years in Azkaban without a trial.
So even though Harry knew it was necessary, he still couldn't get rid of the sick feeling in his gut. Ginny told him it was a good thing that he felt guilty, and reassured him that he wasn't evil for doing what was necessary.
Once the potion was administered, a quick Enervate had Borgin awake. His eyes were glazed over, an indication that the potion was working.
Knowing that they only had so long, and not wanting to risk what might happen if someone were to discover their presence, Harry got right to the questions.
He asked a few to get a baseline, and make sure the Veritaserum was working the way it should. After getting responses for his name, his business, and his former partner, they got down to the more important questions.
"Mr. Borgin, do you remember an employee of yours called Tom Riddle?"
Borgin continued to stare straight ahead. "Yes."
"Tell us about him."
"He started working here right after graduation. Great employee. Great at getting people to part with their valuables for only a fraction of what they'd be worth in resale," Borgin almost smirked, but the potion kept him from showing any real emotion.
Harry grimaced at the greedy shopkeeper. "Did he ever seem particularly interested in anything?"
Borgin nodded. "Old Hepzibah Smith had lots of items I'd have loved to get my hands on. Tom went over there many times to try and convince her to sell. More than was really necessary, but he was good at the job. Hepzibah was always a hard egg. Liked to hoard her treasures, she did. But Tom could convince her to part with lots of pricey items. I sold her an old locket way back when. Would have loved to have gotten it back when she died."
Harry frowned slightly. "Tell us about the locket."
"Big and solid. An 'S' on the front, in emeralds." Borgin was nearly drooling. "Bought it off a ragamuffin more'n seventy years ago. Got a great deal, I did. Woman was covered in rags, near 'bout to pop, she was so pregnant. Didn't know what she had, I reckon. Bought it for ten galleons."
Harry grit his teeth. Trust Borgin to cheat a pregnant woman in need. "What happened to the woman?" He had a sneaking suspicion the woman was Voldemort's mother, and he was curious about what had happened to her. He knew Tom had grown up in an orphanage, so he assumed his mother – Merope Gaunt, if he remembered correctly – had died, or abandoned him.
"Don't know, do I?" Borgin replied. "Sold me the locket, and left. Never saw her again."
Harry glanced at Daphne, and when she shook her head, he knew she didn't have anything to add, so he knocked Borgin out again, Obliviating him from so that he wouldn't remember the interrogation, before they took down the wards and left.
They hadn't really learned anything new, but they did reaffirm some things they had already known.
XXX
Minerva and Sirius shared an exasperated look as they took in the yelling mass in front of them. Ever since Dumbledore's death, the Order had been in limbo. No one knew who was in charge, and the few meetings they had had since the Dark Lord had taken over, had been little more than people screaming over one another, some trying to take control, others fighting those who tried.
Minerva tried to stay out of it; she knew that she could make a claim for leadership, but she didn't really want to lead the Order. In her opinion, they hadn't been of much use in this war, and were far too reactive, something Albus had made no move to change. She didn't think she could turn them into a fighting body, which was really what was needed. What else could they do? The ball, as the muggles would say, was in Harry's court. He and his friends had to find the horcruxes and destroy them, before You-Know-Who could be defeated.
"Enough!"
Everyone quieted as Moody's grizzled voice made itself known over the din.
The ex-Auror was glaring at the entire crowd. "Stop your inane babbling, before I lose all my patience and hex you to oblivion." Several people looked offended, but wisely, no one chose to fight Moody. The man's electric blue eye spun in its socket as he continued to glare. After a moment, he nodded. "All right. Here's how it's going to go."
Minerva listened as Moody talked, agreeing with most of what he was saying; telling people not to go out in public more than necessary, especially since most of them could be recognized as fighters for the light. People like the Weasleys, and Sirius, Remus, Tonks and Kingsley, they would most likely be killed on sight. Some could continue to work, those who weren't well known as members of the Order of the Phoenix, but most would rather keep out of view, just to be safe. It was fortunate that Sirius had offered Grimmauld Place for people to stay, if they needed somewhere safer than their own homes.
When the meeting was over, most returned to the rooms they had been staying in, or to their own homes if they had decided against moving into Grimmauld Place.
Moody stomped over to where Minerva and Sirius were sitting. "Bunch of young idiots," he grumbled.
Minerva shrugged. "They're scared. Albus was a staple in our world; none of us have ever imagined a life without him there."
Moody growled. "They need to be prepared for anything. Constant vigilance."
Sirius shook his head. "Not everyone is as paranoid as you, Mad-Eye." He stood up. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to Amelia. Minerva, I'll see you soon."
Minerva nodded, and watched as Sirius left the room, catching up with Remus, Tonks, Molly, and Arthur by the door.
Moody harrumphed. "They should be. This isn't a time to be soft."
Minerva stood up. "Alastor, I understand, but Sirius is right. Not everyone is used to being as wary as you. They're trying. I should return to my home now. Good day."
She left the room, heading to the Floo. She was unsure if she should continue meeting with the Order. It didn't seem like they were accomplishing anything, and she had better things to do than sit in a room and listen to people yell at each other.
XXX
Back at the Castle, Harry and Daphne shared what they had learned, which really wasn't that much, but at least they knew how Voldemort had gotten the locket, though it didn't help them now.
After lunch, they all spent the remainder of the afternoon in the library, researching.
Hermione's hesitant cough interrupted them as Harry was starting to think about dinner.
"Harry? Can you take a look at this?"
Harry glanced up, and saw his friend's confused expression, as she stared down at the tattered book in her hands.
"What's up, Hermione?" he asked, concerned.
Hermione looked around at the group, who were all watching her with varying expressions of worry. She bit her lip. "I was looking through a row of books in the very back of the library, and I found this journal. It looks handwritten and very old."
"Who wrote it?" Harry asked, interested. He wondered if it was a memoir from one of his relatives.
Hermione glanced at the front of the book. "Ignotus Peverell. From the dates, he probably lived and died generations before the Founders."
"So what's in his journal that's got you so confused?" Ron asked, leaning forward.
Hermione shrugged slightly. "This recount he has, it's just interesting. It talks about how he and his two brothers acquired these objects. His eldest brother had an unbeatable wand, while his middle brother, a stone that could supposedly bring the dead back to life. And he had an invisibility cloak for himself, one that would never fail."
Neville tilted his head to the side. "That sounds sort of like the Tale of the Three Brothers."
"The what?" Harry asked, interested.
Hermione also seemed confused, so Neville told them the bedtime story he had heard many times, about the three brothers who had encountered Death late one evening. He had been angry because they had cheated him of his prize, by managing to build a bridge to get them across a deep gorge; however, he had hidden his fury, and granted them each a request.
"The eldest brother wanted a wand that would never fail, so Death plucked a branch from a nearby Elder tree, and proclaimed that whomever he fought would surely be defeated," Neville explained.
Susan picked up, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers. "The middle brother had had a fiancée, who had died; he wished to see her again, and so made his request. Death picked up a rock from the ground, and proclaimed that if the brother turned it over three times in his hands, he would see his loved one again."
Ginny took over. "The youngest brother was the wisest, and he did not trust Death. He asked for an object that would allow him to walk away from that road, safe from Death. Furious, Death handed over his own cloak of invisibility, and left the brothers. A short time later, the eldest brother returned to his home village, and challenged a man with whom he had had a disagreement. As promised by Death, the wand did not fail, and he killed the man. Overjoyed, he spent the evening bragging about his unbeatable wand at the village pub. That night, another man snuck into his bedroom while he slept, and took the wand. For safe measure, he slit the brother's throat. And so, Death took the eldest brother."
Blaise shifted in his seat. "The middle brother went back to his own home, and turned the rock three times in his hands. His late fiancée joined him, as promised. However, she was unhappy, and separated from him as if by a veil. After just a few days of living in agony, the middle brother couldn't take it anymore, and he killed himself to join his fiancée. And so, Death took the middle brother."
"However, Death searched and searched for years, but could not find the youngest brother," Neville picked back up. "Finally, once his children and grandchildren were grown, the youngest brother removed his cloak of invisibility, gifted to him by Death itself, and passed it down to his eldest son. And he and Death departed together, as old friends."
Hermione furrowed her brow. "That does have some similarities to this," she commented.
Luna's keen gaze sought out her bushy-haired friend. "Of course it does," she said breezily. "True searchers understand that the Peverell brothers were the brothers of the tale."
"Searchers of what?" Hermione asked, interested.
Luna's wide eyes lightened slightly. "The Deathly Hallows, of course!" She reached for a spare piece of parchment, and drew a triangle on it, angling the parchment so that they could all see it. "The Cloak of Invisibility." She drew a circle inside the triangle. "The Resurrection Stone." Finally, she added a single vertical line straight down the middle. "The Elder Wand." She looked back up. "Together they make the three Deathly Hallows. Legend has it that the person who unites all three will become the true Master of Death."
Hermione had to let out a snort at that. "I'm sorry, but what? Master of Death? A stone that can bring back the dead? An unbeatable wand? I'll admit that there are invisibility cloaks, but one that's supposed to shield the wearer from Death?"
Susan shrugged. "It does seem like a fairytale, but the wand is pretty easily traceable. It pops up from time to time, under different names, of course, but the signs are there. The Deathstick, the Wand of Destiny, all claim to be unbeatable wands."
Hermione frowned. "Ok, so that might be true, but – "
"And Harry's got an invisibility cloak," Ron cut in.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "They're rare, Ron, but not unheard of."
"But a cloak that holds up for years without losing any power?" Neville asked, looking at Harry with interest. "Most invisibility cloaks tend to wear out after fifteen or twenty years. But you've had yours for a while, right?"
Harry nodded absentmindedly. "Dumbledore gave it back to me in first year, and it was my dad's before that. Sirius said it's a family heirloom. It's definitely held up for way more than twenty years, without losing any power."
Ron's eyes widened. "This journal is by the youngest brother. What if your cloak is the same one he got from Death!" They all looked at him, and he sighed exasperatedly. "Ok, so maybe he didn't get it from Death, but what if it's the same one from the story?"
Hermione shook her head. "I just don't believe in something like objects that make someone the Master of Death. And nothing can bring back the dead. Such a stone just can't exist."
"Why not?" Blaise asked reasonably.
Hermione spluttered for a moment. "Come on, you can't seriously believe in something like that!" she finally managed to get out. "It's impossible."
"How can you be so certain?" Luna asked. "Didn't we have this conversation last year?"
Hermione grimaced slightly at the reminder of the discussion they had had on the train the previous June, but shook her head. "I've never seen anything to support the claim."
"You've never seen anything that doesn't support it, either," Luna countered.
"They're right, Hermione," Harry put in, softly. "Remember, once upon a time, magic wasn't real to you, either."
Hermione lowered her head, but agreed not to rule out the possibility. Just because she had never seen anything that suggested the existence of such an object, didn't mean it couldn't be out there. After all, she couldn't very well go out and test all of the stones in the world, could she?
"So you're descended from the Peverells, then?" Neville asked, interested, looking at Harry. He remembered the name from his studies when he was younger. They used to be a well-known family, but they had died out or changed their name more than five hundred years ago.
Harry nodded. "It would seem so." He frowned and pulled the drawing Luna had made towards him.
"Harry?" Ginny asked, concerned.
Harry bit his lip and stood up. "I'll be right back," he said quickly, almost running as he left the library.
Everyone turned to look at Ginny. The redhead shrugged. "He's had a thought. He's definitely concerned by it, though."
They all looked a little worried, and waited in silence until Harry returned, a few minutes later.
He looked around at them, and held out the ring they had collected from the Gaunt Shack. "I thought that drawing looked familiar," he informed them. "Look at this."
They all crowded around and looked at the stone embedded in the gold setting of the ring. On the flat side, they could each make out a crudely scratched image. If they squinted, it took the shape of a triangle encased around a circle, with a vertical line down the middle.
Susan gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Could this be…?"
They all understood the implications, and Harry quickly lowered his hand, hiding the ring from view. "I don't want that much power. Besides, it's still a horcrux. I'm going to go put it away."
They all looked unsettled by the idea of the Resurrection Stone being within their very grasp, though Hermione gave her friend an approving smile as he left the library once more.
After another minute of silence, Ginny sighed, standing up wearily. "Come on, let's get to bed. I think we've done enough studying for the night."
Agreeing wholeheartedly, the group left the library, in search of their comfortable beds several floors above them.