A True Gryffindor

"Coast's clear!" remarked Nick, gliding through the closed door of the Room of Requirement. The group of students gathered on the floor immediately scrambled to their feet and exchanged excited giggles.

Neville took a deep breath and checked his watch for the hundredth time since they had gathered. It was just after three o'clock and the Quidditch match would now be well underway. He thanked Nick, who swelled with pride and swooped the way he came to continue his lookout on the corridors of Hogwarts.

"Come on then, you lot!" yelled Seamus from the doorway. "Who's up first?"

The two sixth-year Ravenclaws stepped forward. "Right," Seamus nodded. "You know the drill, distract anyone who comes along, stun them if necessary. If you need to get a message to the others, you've got your coin, right?" The girls nodded their agreement and Seamus pushed the door open slightly, before waving them out. A few minutes later they were followed by Terry Boot. Each time a student or two left the room, Seamus waited for a while before letting the next out.

After some time Terry and the Ravenclaws were followed by the Patils, Lavender and finally Seamus himself, who turned to face the remaining three students on his way out. "Good luck guys, remember the password!" With a thud from the door, he was gone.

Ginny looked first at Neville, then Luna.

"Well, here we go," she murmured.

-o0o-

The journey to the stone gargoyle was mercifully uneventful. Luna, Neville and Ginny all kept their wands at the ready in case they were accosted, but no such threat appeared and the three relaxed slightly when they reached the entrance to Snape's office.

"Bezoar," Ginny muttered to the gargoyle and it sprang aside to reveal the staircase beyond. She paused to glance at her companions before she stepped forward. "You sure you don't want to come up with me?"

"You go, Neville," insisted Luna. "I can keep watch down here on my own."

The two Gryffindors ran up the stone steps as quickly as they could, causing Ginny to trip on the top step. Neville grasped her arm to stop her fall. He then sank to his knees and pulled a length of flesh-coloured string from his pocket and slipped one end under the door, the other in his ear. Once he was satisfied the room beyond was silent and empty he nodded to Ginny and ravelled up the Extendable Ear. The younger student then pushed open the door to the headmaster's office and they both entered cautiously, wands raised.

"There it is," Ginny pointed to the glass cabinet with the magnificent sword within. Neville rushed over o lift the glass cover but Ginny called, "wait!"

She pointed her wand at the sheet of glass. "Wingardium Leviosa." The cabinet's cover rose into the air, a little ungracefully as Ginny tried to control its weight with her wand.

"Hermione told me once that Muggles use people's fingerprints to catch criminals," she answered Neville's questioning frown, "and I figured that we may as well cover all our tracks."

Neville nodded, marvelling at the girl's thoughtfulness and pulled off his cloak, which he then wrapped around the sword. Once he had removed it from the case Ginny lowered the glass sheet back into place. The two grinned at each other.

"Come on, then, let's go," said Neville, and he and Ginny each picked up one end of the cloth-wrapped sword. They crossed the room and closed the door behind them, preparing to descend the staircase.

"Hello, Longbottom, Weasley. Might I ask what you were doing in my office?"

Neville felt his stomach plummet to the floor as he slowly turned. There, standing a few steps below him, stood Luna, red in the face from trying to shout, and next to her a triumphant Severus Snape, wearing the expression of the cat that got the cream.