You turned it absently, watching the firelight catch the small diamond. It was over. Or, it would be, the moment Harry said the words to the families. You could almost hear the fallout already. The sharp intake of breath from your mother. The cold, calculating silence from your father.

A gust of wind rattled the windowpanes, and you realized you were holding your breath. You let it out slowly, letting your shoulders drop. Whatever came next, this was the right choice.

The door creaked open again, and for a moment, you thought it might be Harry, having changed his mind. But it was only the house-elf, a nervous little creature with bat-like ears, peering around the frame.