𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝕱𝖆𝖙𝖊

Teatime

"I heard my name?"

Everyone looks around to hear where the voice came from. Remus's eyes pause at the doorway, where Regulus's head was peaking out. He sighed loudly before sinking into his seat. Sirius repeated the actions as well, huffing as he sat down.

"We thought you and Peter disappeared!" Sirius cried out.

"Well we technically did, but it was only to grab some tea. Abeforth told us to bring it here."

Sirius whipped his head around to Abeforth who merely shrugged and turned around, continuing his conversation with Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"I've made tea, childrennnnn." Peter sang as he entered the room whilst balancing a tray of items in his hands. With a grin on his face and mouth half stuffed with a biscuit, he scans the room. His grin drops immediately at the sight of the pale stricken faces he was welcomed with. Most of them were like that at least.

James, standing closest to Peter, took it upon himself to fulfill the responsibility of hitting Peter on the back of his head.

"Ow!" Peter winces, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand.

Regulus quickly walks over and grabs the wobbling tray out of Peter's hands. He brings it and sets it on the high tabletop by the corner of the room. The small are was immediately crowded the moment Regulus put down the tray. Surrounded by several famished witches and wizards. Ron grabs a biscuit and shoves one into his mouth, groaning at the taste of real food for the first time in days.

"Blimey! Harry, mate, you've got to try these." He says, sticking his hand out with the biscuit for Harry. Harry simply shook his head and said, "I'm not hungry."

Ron raised one eyebrow at Harry's words, sending him a questioning look. Harry's eyes trailed from the biscuit in Ron's hand to a stern Hermione giving the boy a glare.

"Actually, on second thought-" Harry quickly stuttered out, snatching the treat from Ron's hand and shoving the entire thing in his mouth. Only when Hermione turned away to talk to Abeforth did Harry sigh from relief.

"-that's your sister Ariana isn't it? She died very young, didn't she?" Hermione said as she walked towards the painting of the exact girl, which was hung right above the fireplace. Abeforth stopped his pacing as he turns to look at Hermione. His fingers tapped onto the rim of the goblet in his hands in an unidentifiable tune.

"My brother sacrificed many things. On his journey to find power. Including Ariana. And she was devoted to him. He gave her everything-but time."

Everyone's attention was on him now.

"Thank you, Mr. Dumbledore." Hermione simply finished. With that, Abeforth turned around and shut the door behind him as he left the room.

Everyone turn around, moving closer in a huddle, to where they could look at each other easily.

"That man saved us twice." James said. Sirius hummed absentmindedly in agreement.

"And he planted us that mirror." Hermione added. She shifted her weight form heel to heel as she looked up.

"That doesn't seem like someone who's given up." Regulus whispered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear him as well.

"I suppose he did what he could, right? It's not as if anyone really wants his side to win." Ron continued, peering at Regulus once.

Harry nodded in agreement to both statements, his eyes inattentively looked at the painting until he paused. He leaned closer slightly, the movement catching Hermione's attention, causing her to also look.

"She's coming back." Lily voiced. She took a single step closer.

"Who's that with her."

Everyone was silent. All of them tentatively watching the girl walk back towards them. Her straight marine blue dress swashing every time she moved. An out-worldly scenery of lush trees and cool lakes stood behind her, all of them in a direction that was placed to make her the center of the attention. Ariana Dumbledore, stopped as she reached the closed point from the inside of the painting, her expression was blank of anything but a small smile and kind eyes.

She stood there for a moment, the others staring right back, waiting for something to happen.

All of a sudden the painting began to open up. From one side of the frame, the painting opened like a door.

Harry leaned closer to the side to see the opening that the painting had just revealed.

"Neville."
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HIHIHIHIHI

It's almost the end guys, this is so bittersweet. I always forget how this book has gone such a long way.

Thank you all so so much who consistently read these chapters and interact, I really do appreciate all the support.

School has literally been so time consuming lately, so that explains why I haven't updated in a minute.

I also have been in the worst writing slump of my life, but the thing is that once I actually do write, I love it. So i js have to convince myself to write more often. Bc it works.

I'll be back w another chapter soon xx