| Couple of kids more or less, what's the difference?"
"Only the difference between truth and lied, courage and cowardice," said Professor McGonagall, who had turned pale, "a difference, in short, which you and your sister seem unable to appreciateBut let me make one thing very clearYou are not going to pass off y9our many ineptitudes on the students of HogwartsI shall not permit it
"Excuse me?"
Amycus moved forward until he was offensively close to Professor McGonagall, his face within inches of hersShe refused to back away, but looked down at him as if he were something disgusting she had found stuck to the lavatory seat
"It's not a case of what \iyou'll\i permit, Minerva McGonagallIt's us what's in charge here now, and you'll back me up or you'll pay the price
And he spat in her face
Harry pulled the Cloak off himself, raised his wand, and said, "You shouldn't have done that
As Amycus spun around, Harry shouted, "Crucio!"
The Death Eater was lifted off his feetHe writhed through the air like a drowning man, thrashing and howling in pain, and then, with a crunch and a shattering of glass, he smashed into the front of a bookcase and crumpled, insensible, to the balenciaga designer floor
"I see what Bellatrix meant," said Harry, the blood thundering through his brain, "you need to really mean it
"Potter!" whispered Professor McGonagall, clutching her heart"Potter\a150\a150 you're here! What\a150\a150? How\a150\a150?" She struggled to pull herself together"Potter, that was foolish!"
"He spat at you," said Harry
"Potter, I \a150\a150 that was very \a150\a150 \igallant of you\i \a150\a150 but don't you realize \a150\a150?"
"Yeah, I do," Harry assured herSomehow her panic steadied him"Professor McGonagall, Voldemort's on the way
"Oh, are we allowed to say the name now?" asked Luna with an air of interest, pulling off the Invisibility CloakThe appearance of a second outlaw seemed to overwhelm Professor McGonagall, who staggered backward and fell into a nearby chair, clutching at the neck of her old tartan dressing gown
"I don't think it makes any difference what we call him," Harry told Luna"He already knows where I am
In a distant part of Harry's brain, that part connected to the angry, burning scar, he could see Voldemort sailing fast over the dark lake in the ghostly green boatHe had nearly reached the island where the stone basin stood
"You chanel jewelry must flee," whispered Professor McGonagall, "Now Potter, as quickly as you can!"
"I can't," said Harry, "There's something I need to doProfessor, so you know where the diadem of Ravenclaw is?"
"The d-diadem of Ravenclaw? Of course not \a150\a150 hasn't it been lost for centuries?" She sat up a little straighter "Potter, it was madness, utter madness, for you to enter this castle\a150\a150"
"I had to," said Harry"Professor, there's something hidden here that I'm supposed to find, and it \icould\i be the diadem\a150\a150 if I could just speak to Professor Flitwick\a150\a150"
There was a sound of movement, of clinking glassAmycus was coming roundBefore Harry or Luna could act, Professor McGonagall rose to her feet, pointed her wand at the groggy Death Eater, and said, \i"Imperio\i
Amycus got up, walked over to his sister, picked up her wand, then shuffled obediently to Professor McGonagall and handed it over along with his ownThen he lay down on the floor beside AlectoProfessor McGonagall waved her wand again, and a length of shimmering silver rope appeared out of thin air and snaked around the Carrows, binding them tightly together
"Potter," said Professor McGonagall, bay bag chloe turning to face him again with superb indifference to the Carrows' predicament"if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named does indeed know that you are here\a150\a150"
As she said it, a wrath that was like physical pain blazed through Harry, setting his scar on fire, and for a second he looked down upon a basin whose potion had turned clear, and saw that no golden locket lay safe beneath the surface\a150\a150
"Potter, are you all right said a voice, and Harry came backHe was clutching Luna's shoulder to steady himself
"Time's running out, Voldemort's getting nearer, Professor, I'm acting on Dumbledore's orders, I must find what he wanted me to find! But we've got to get the students out while I'm searching the castle\a150\a150 It's me Voldemort wants, but he won't care
about killing a few more or less, not now\a150\a150" \inot now he knows I'm attacking Horcruxes,\i Harry finished the sentence in his head
"You're acting on Dumbledore's orders?" she repeated with a look of dawning wonderThen she drew herself up to her fullest height
"We shall secure the school against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named while you search for this \a150\a150 this object
"Is that possible?"
"I think so," said gucci backpack Professor McGonagall dryly, "we teachers are rather good at magic, you knowI am sure we will be able to hold him off for a while if we all put our best efforts into itOf course, something will have to be done about Professor Snape\a150\a150"
"Let me \a150\a150"
"\a150\a150and if Hogwarts is about to enter a state of siege, with the Dark Lord at the gates, it would indeed be advisable to take as many innocent people out of the way as possibleWith the Floo Network under observation, and Apparition impossible within the grounds\a150\a150"
"There's a way," said Harry quickly, and he explained about the passageway leading into the Hog's Head
"Potter, we're talking about hundreds of students\a150\a150"
"I know, Professor, but if Voldemort and the Death Eaters are concentrating on the school boundaries they won't be interested in anyone who's Disapparating out of Hog's Head
"There's something in that," she agreedShe pointed her wand at the Carrows, and a silver net fell upon their bound bodies, tied itself around them, and hoisted them into the air, where they dangled beneath the blue-and-gold ceiling like two large, ugly sea creaturesWe must alert the other Heads of chanel jewelry Hous |
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