Every night, Orli would slip out of the tower and head straight for the eighth-floor corridor, targeting that stretch of blank wall opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy attempting to teach trolls ballet. She'd pace back and forth three times, murmuring, "I need a place to hide things." Then she'd enter the Room of Requirement, searching for Ravenclaw's diadem.
But this was no simple task. When the Room of Requirement entered its "hiding place" mode, it became extraordinarily vast—even larger than a great cathedral. Shafts of light from tall windows illuminated chaotic clutter that rose like the towering walls of a city, all piled up from items hidden by generations of Hogwarts students and staff.
The "streets" were formed by precariously stacked broken furniture—perhaps hidden to conceal evidence of misfired spells, or tucked away by house-elves maintaining the castle's dignity. There were thousands upon thousands of books, undoubtedly forbidden volumes, defaced texts, or stolen copies; several Winged Catapults and Fanged Frisbees still circling feebly above mountains of contraband; cracked bottles containing congealed potions; hats, jewellery, cloaks, and what appeared to be dragon eggshells; corked bottles glowing with malevolent light; several rusted swords and a blood-stained battle-axe.
For Orli, this task was like searching a rubbish tip for a tiny purse. Though she knew the Summoning Charm wouldn't work on the diadem, she tried it several times anyway. Naturally, there was no response whatsoever.
Over several days, she'd uncovered all manner of rotting oddities, specimens, dead cats—even holey old undergarments. Apart from thoroughly disgusting herself, she'd achieved nothing. During the day, she had to rely on Pepperup Potion to keep from falling asleep in lessons.
The more pressed for time people feel, the faster it seems to slip away. The days before the first task vanished in a blink, as if someone had wound all the clocks forward at double speed.
The final Saturday before the first task was the term's first Hogsmeade weekend. The three of them could finally get out and relax, and Harry had arranged to meet Sirius. Of course, Orli needed to borrow Harry'sInvisibility Cloak to slip out through Honeydukes and join them—she was determined to remain invisible throughout and avoid meeting Sirius face-to-face.
Perhaps because the competition was about to begin, the village seemed particularly crowded. Many people wore badges supporting Cedric Diggory and gave Harry cold looks. Rita Skeeter and her photographer mate were lurking outside Zonko's Joke Shop, forcing them to take a detour. Various witches and wizards who clearly weren't students were also wandering through the village.
Moving through crowds under the Invisibility Cloak was tremendously difficult—it was all too easy to accidentally tread on someone's foot and cause an embarrassing scene. They finally reached the Three Broomsticks, where Orli had to edge sideways, slowly working her way toward an empty table in the corner. Moments later, Hermione arrived and discreetly slipped a glass of juice under the cloak to her. Harry kept staring at one corner, and following his gaze, Orli spotted Cho Chang sitting by the door with her Ravenclaw friends.
So Harry really did fancy Cho? Orli took a large gulp of juice, feeling that she and Hermione had been utterly innocent victims in this whole mess.
Sirius soon came over from behind the bar. His hair had been trimmed and his cheeks had filled out, making him look considerably younger.
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Author's Note: The Summoning Charm cannot summon Horcruxes. Hermione once attempted to use it to summon Ravenclaw's diadem, but it failed.
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