Finding the Lost Diadem - 8

Yet again, they'd come up with nothing. When Harry moved to put the Pensieve back in his backpack, Ginny assisted him by moving several items out of the way. As he lowered the heavy basin into the magically-enlarged backpack, he heard Ginny gasp.

"What is it?" he asked, turning to face her.

She was staring at the small portrait of the Founders that he'd found in the attic at Grimmauld Place.

"I don't believe it," Ginny said, her eyes widening.

"What?" Hermione asked, peering over her shoulder to look at the portrait.

"We've been searching through book after book to see if Rowena Ravenclaw was pictured more than once with a particular item, and it's been right under our noses the whole time," Ginny said, her face reddening.

"What has?" Ron asked, perplexed.

"Look! On her head — it's Auntie Muriel's tiara — or rather, the original," Ginny said, pointing.

"You think the Horcrux is in Auntie Muriel's tiara?" Ron asked. "But it's not even real. It's worthless, really."

"Not Auntie Muriel's, you dolt," Ginny replied, smacking him on the back of the head. "The original. Why couldn't it be the tiara that he used if it was significant enough that a copy was made of it?"

"Oww," Ron said, rubbing the back of his head. "Mental, you are. So what if it is the tiara, we still don't know where to find it, do we? Have you seen a tiara lying loose around the castle anywhere?"

"Yes!" Harry said, sitting bolt upright, his heart hammering in his chest as his excitement mounted.

"What?" Ron asked, dumbfounded.

"You have?" Hermione asked.

"Where?" asked Ginny.

"In the Room of Requirement, when I hid the Half-Blood Prince's Potions book from Snape. I hid it in there and put the tiara on top of a statue so I could find it again," Harry said, recalling the panic he'd felt that day so long ago.

"You touched it?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, pushing back his chair so quickly it toppled over. He began taking long strides toward the library door.

"Wait, Harry. How do you know it was one if you touched it and nothing happened?" Hermione asked, running after him.

"I don't," Harry replied. "But I'm going to find out."

"Maybe that's why you picked it in the first place," Ron said, the only one not panting in order to keep pace with his stride. "Maybe you were doing that sensing thing you do even then without realizing it."

"Maybe," Harry said curtly. "I wasn't thinking much about it at the time. I was more worried about what I'd just done to Malfoy, and what Snape was going to do to me for doing it."

"Or maybe it's like the wardrobe in the Hufflepuff museum," Ginny said. "Maybe it only reacts negatively if the magic senses you intend it harm."

By the time they'd reached the entrance to the Room of Requirement, they were all panting slightly — excitement and adrenaline reflected in their expressions. This might be it.

Harry paced back and forth in front of the tapestry three times.

I need to go where my Potions book is hidden.

Harry recited the phrase three times but nothing happened — the door did not appear.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Harry said, his frustration building.

"Do you remember what you asked for when you hid it?" Hermione asked, frowning. "Try using the same phrase."

Harry searched his mind to remember what he might have said. He'd wanted to get rid of his Potion book.

I need a place to hide my book.