When two worlds collide.

Hogwarts Castle.

"Nice job? Easy?" Aberforth questions as he sips on his alcohol.

An awkward silence, follows by heavy tension.

Exactly what Alex needed.

"We've been hunting Horcruxes. We think the last one's in the school. But we'll need your help getting in. If we can findy it and kill it, then we kill him, and then we can end this war once and for all. We need to get into Hogwarts tonight.." Alex explains.

Aberforth stares at her for a moment, until the silence grows."It's not a job my brother's given you, it's a suicide mission. Do yourself a favor boy. Go home. Live a little longer." He scoffs.

"Dumbledore trusted me, to see this through." Alex folds her arms, cooly.

"What makes you think you can trust him! What makes you think you can believe anything my brother told you! In all the time you knew him, did he ever mention my name? Did he ever mention hers?" Aberforth gestures to the painting of the girl.

"Why should he keep secrets?" Alex mutters.

"You tell me." Aberforth leans back in his seat.

"I only care about the Dumbledore I knew. I trusted him." Alex scoffs.

"Did you now?" Aberforth chuckles. "And why is that?"

"I had no reason not to-" Alex shrugs.

"That's a girl's answer. A girl who goes chasing Horcruxes on the word of a man who won't even tell him where to start. You're lying. Not just to me, which doesn't matter, but to yourself as well. That's what a fool does."

"You're drunk." Alex snaps.

"And you're a junkie."

"I beg your pardon!" Fred snaps. "Don't talk about her that way!" George growls.

"I'm not a fan of my past, sir...but you have absolutely no right bringing it up!" Alex growls.

"Heat of the moment...I apologise.." Aberforth sighs. "You don't strike me as a fool, Miss. Barnes. So I'll ask you again. There must be a reason. Why do you trust anything my brother ever said to you? Why?"

Alex stands mute, her face at war with itself. For a moment, it's unclear which competing emotion will win out, then, finally, she speaks, her voice steady. "Because I need to. Because if I don't, I don't know who I am anymore. I've lost too many people to lie down now. I'm not interested in what happened between you and your brother, I don't even care that you've given up. I trust the man I knew. I'm going to see this through, I need to get into the castle tonight."

Silence. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George all exchange glances. Aberforth regards Alex darkly, but Alex merely stands, waiting. After several seconds, Aberforth's gaze shifts...to the painting.

"You know what to do..." The girl in the painting smiles and turns to walks away, growing slowly smaller in the painting with each step she takes.

"Where've you sent her?" Alex questions out of curiosity.

"You'll see soon enough." Aberforth mumbles.

. . .

"That's Ariana, isn't it? Your sister. She's beautiful." Hermione smiles warmly.

"She'll always be beautiful." A small smile finds it way upon Aberforth's face.

The boys glance at each other, confused.

"She died very young, didn't she." Alex sighs.

This hangs for a few moments.

"My brother sacrificed many things Miss Barnes, in his journey to find power, including her. She was devoted to him..he gave her everything, but time." Aberforth looks to the empty frame.

"Mr. Dumbledore... thank you.." Aberforth stares hard at Hermione, nods curtly, exits.

As she disappears Ron looks to Hermione to explain her "Thank you."

"Hermione did save our lives twice. Kept an eye on us in that mirror. That doesn't seem like someone who's given up, does it?" Fred smiles. Ron and Harry exchange a glance, eye the empty doorway.

"We need a name!" George sighs.

"A name?" Hermione questions.

"What about...the magic bunch!" He grins.

"Yeah! That's so cool!" Fred, Ron, Harry and Hermione nod.

"Absolutely not!" Alex scoffs.

"Oh, come on!" Fred snickers.

"Yeah! Doesn't your dad and his friends have a name? The 'Avengers?'..pretty cool if you ask me!" Ron grins.

"The Magic bunch? What an- no.." Alex shakes her head. "I refuse to be named, that!"

"She's coming back! And she's got someone with her!" Hermione exclaims.

Just then, the painting blooms faintly and Ariana emerges from deep within the dark canvas.

"Who's that with her? Bloody hell.." Ron mutters.

As Ariana draws closer, the limping figure beside her comes clear: Neville.

"I knew you'd come! I told them all! Alexandra Rosalyn Barnes would never abandon Hogwarts!"he smiles warmly.

"Neville..." Hermione whispers softly.

The gilded frame swings open, revealing, in actuality what the painting had replicated.

Alex pelts forward into the passageway as Neville comes into the light drifting from the sitting room. Long hair. Gashed face. Swollen eye. Clothes ripped and torn.

"Neville!" Alex gasps. "You look.."

"Like hell? I reckon. This is nothing. Seamus is worse. You'll see. Hermione! Ron! Fred! George!" Neville embraces them, then turns to Aberforth. "Hey, Ab. There might be a couple more people on the way. The six of them turn and see Aberforth standing in the doorway, watching Ariana drift back into the canvas. Neville turns to Fred, George, Harry, Ron and Hermione smile again.

"Well..Ready?" Neville questions.

. . .