Even more eye-catching was the glittering object in Carmichael's hand. On closer inspection, it was an ancient gold coin. He spread his fingers slightly, and the coin floated above his palm, slowly turning.
On one side was a youthful profile of Queen Victoria, the edge of her crown gleaming softly gold in the firelight. He lightly flicked it with the pad of his thumb, and the coin turned over. The design on the reverse emerged—
The young girl Yuna stood beside a lion, her skirt lifted by the wind. The lion's mane was so sharply detailed that it looked as though a sculptor had just pressed each strand into place with a fingernail, every lock distinct from the next.
Carmichael's fingers moved again, and the coin turned back to its front. The queen's profile covered the lion, and the gold of the crown concealed the texture of its mane. He released his fingers, and the coin fell back into his palm, its edge pressing coldly against the lines of his hand.
He slipped the coin into his inner pocket and zipped it shut.
Slytherin was still there, standing beneath Dumbledore's gaze, standing under that golden crown. But the lion's eyes shone in the darkness. It was waiting. Waiting for the day the crown would be turned over.
Dumbledore pressed his hands down slightly, signaling for everyone to quiet down. His gaze fell upon the Slytherin table again, and this time, he looked directly at Carmichael and Greengrass.
"Mr. Avery, Miss Greengrass," Dumbledore said in the same steady voice, carrying a note of inquiry, "where are the Slytherin students? It seems rather regrettable for them all to be absent at such an important moment."
The entire Great Hall fell silent in an instant, every gaze focusing on the two Slytherin representatives.