of the pipe. Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting there, humming placidly to himself.

'His memory's gone,' said Ron. 'The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us. Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself.'

Lockhart peered good-naturedly up at them all.

'Hello,' he said. 'Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?'

'A human HogFly, great,' Amelia groaned.

'No,' said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry.

Harry bent down and looked up the long, dark pipe.

'Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?' he said to Ron.

Ron shook his head, but Fawkes the phoenix had swooped past Harry and was now fluttering in front of him, his beady eyes bright in the dark. He was waving his long golden tail feathers. Harry looked uncertainly at him.

'He looks like he wants you to grab hold ...' said Ron, looking perplexed. 'But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there.'

'Fawkes,' said Harry, 'isn't an ordinary bird.' He turned quickly to the others. 'We've got to hold on to each other. Ginny, grab Ron's hand. Professor Lockhart –'

'He means you,' said Ron sharply to Lockhart.

'You hold Ginny's other hand.'

'I'll just fly up. Last one to the top is a dead snake!' Amelia yelled before turning into a crow and flying through the pipe.

Harry rolled his eyes and tucked the sword and the Sorting Hat into his belt, Ron took hold of the back of Harry's robes, and Harry reached out and took hold of Fawkes's strangely hot tail feathers.

An extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through his whole body, and next second, with a whoosh, they were flying upwards through the pipe. Harry could hear Lockhart dangling below him, saying, 'Amazing! Amazing! This is just like magic!' The chill air was whipping through Harry's hair, and before he'd stopped enjoying the ride, it was over – all four of them were hitting the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and as Lockhart straightened his hat, the sink that hid the pipe was sliding back into place. 

Amelia was talking to Myrtle who goggled at them.

'You're alive,' she said blankly to Harry.

'There's no need to sound so disappointed,' he said grimly, wiping flecks of blood and slime off his glasses.

'Oh, well ... I'd just been thinking. If you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet,' said Myrtle, blushing silver. 'Urgh!' said Ron, as they left the bathroom for the dark, deserted corridor outside. 'Harry! I think Myrtle's got fond of you! You've got competition, Ginny!'

But tears were still flooding silently down Ginny's face.

'Ronald! Not the time for jokes!' Amelia elbowed him.

'Where now?' said Ron, with an anxious look at Ginny. Harry pointed.

Fawkes was leading the way, glowing gold along the corridor.

They strode after him, and moments later, found themselves out- side Professor McGonagall's office.

Harry knocked and pushed the door open.