As if overnight, the students' wardrobes had been emptied, their belongings packed into trunks, and notices handed to every student warning them not to use magic during the holidays.
Hagrid was in charge of leading the students onto the boats across the lake. Moriarty stood atop a tower and took in the sight of the students leaving. He did not board the Express back to London with them, but stayed behind.
There were matters he needed to discuss with Dumbledore. Severus Snape had told him that the password to the Headmaster's Office was Cockroach Clusters monster.
With a light tap of his wand against the floor, a staircase leading to the Headmaster's Office on the Seventh Floor appeared automatically. Moriarty walked all the way to the office door, where Paro, the gargoyle, happily saluted him.
"Cockroach Clusters monster!" Moriarty said clearly.
The gleaming oak door opened. Dumbledore sat behind that enormous desk, which held the silver instruments Dumbledore collected—all things Moriarty had seen before.
This time, there was also a pile of sweets on the desk, along with a shallow stone basin whose rim was carved with Runic Script and symbols.
The Pensieve. Moriarty recognized it at once. But why had Dumbledore taken it out?
"Good morning, Moriarty."
Dumbledore noticed Moriarty entering and pointed at the sweets on the desk. "Would you like some Cockroach Clusters? Professor Randy just brought them back. He was always so thoughtful."
Moriarty conjured a down-filled armchair and sat opposite Dumbledore. He reached out, picked up a Cockroach Cluster, and examined it carefully.
"Why would anyone like Cockroach Clusters?"
Moriarty looked at the food in his hand—it was practically indistinguishable from a real cockroach. Its tiny legs scuttled quickly, its two antennae swayed irregularly at a scalp-crawling speed, and its wings gave off a faint