Harley had planned to go find Professor Dumbledore first thing the next morning.
She had also decided to come clean about how she had learned about the Diary—but only about part of it.
After all, it was a House-elf belonging to Lucius Malfoy, so she could simply say she had overheard the Malfoys talking.
Whether Professor Dumbledore believed her was his problem. Harley couldn't exactly admit that she had stolen someone else's House-elf.
But Professor Dumbledore didn't show up at the staff table for breakfast or lunch. He didn't appear until dinner.
After dinner, Harley made an excuse to slip out of the Great Hall alone and headed for the Headmaster's Office.
She had already learned the password to Professor Dumbledore's office from Nick.
Harley came to a huge, hideously ugly stone monster and said softly, "Cockroach Cluster."
But the stone monster paid her no mind. It remained where it was, completely motionless.
Harley couldn't help knocking herself on the head. This was bad.
When she had asked Nick for the password, he had sworn up and down that Professor McGonagall had used it to enter the Headmaster's Office just three days ago.
She hadn't expected Headmaster Dumbledore to change the password so soon. What terrible luck.
After hesitating for a moment, Harley held out her left hand. She always wore a white glove on it.
"Distortion," Harley whispered, channeling Spirituality into the glove.
But it was useless. For a brief instant, Harley felt as though she were struggling against some kind of immensely powerful force.
But the struggle lasted only a moment before it vanished.
Harley had thought her ability had worked, but then she saw the wall behind the stone monster split in two.
Behind it was a moving spiral staircase, and an old man stood at the