𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 | l. lovegood

xliv

𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 when they landed in a body of water. As they were changing into dry clothes, he said that You-Know-Who knew they were hunting Horcruxes and that the last one was inside Hogwarts.

The only way they'd be able to get into the castle would be through the secret passageway in Honeydukes. Without taking any time to plan – since all hell broke loose every time they did – they Apparated away to Hogsmeade. Upon arriving, an alarm instantly went off, alerting a couple Death Eaters on patrol.

Dorothea shifted into her rabbit animagus form as they found a place to hide. Luna scooped her up and held her close, her chest heaving as she panted quietly. She could hear the Death Eaters searching for them in the gazebo where they were hiding. It was only a matter of time before they were caught...

The alarm went off again, and the Death Eaters left.

When the coast was clear, Hermione led them down an alleyway. They reached a gate, but it was locked.

The door to one of the houses opened, and a man who looked scarily like Dumbledore poked his head out. "In here, Potter," he whispered. Once they were inside, Dorothea shifted back to her human form. She stared at the man curiously for a moment before following her friends down a narrow staircase and into the living room.

There was a portrait of a young girl on the wall. She smiled softly at them, and Luna gave her a small wave. Hermione noticed a mirror that had a shard missing from it. Inside was a reflection of Harry's face, though Harry wasn't anywhere near the mirror.

"Harry," Hermione said, her brows furrowing as she approached the mirror. "I can see you in this."

Harry walked over to her and held the mirror shard up as the man came into the room.

"Bloody fools," he said. "What were you thinking, coming here?"

"We weren't," Dorothea replied before she could stop herself. "We act on impulse now because none of our plans ever work in our favour."

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is in times like these?"

"You're Aberforth," Harry said. "Dumbledore's brother."

"That would explain the resemblance," Luna whispered to Dorothea. "Like how you look a lot like your mum and sister."

"It's you I've been seeing in here...You're the one who sent Dobby."

"Where have you left him?" Aberforth asked.

Harry hesitated before responding that he was dead. Dorothea choked up and hid her face in Luna's shoulder. The blonde wrapped an arm around her waist and put a gentle hand on the back of her head.

"Sorry to hear it. I liked that elf."

"Who gave that to you?" Harry pointed to the shattered mirror. "The mirror?"

Aberforth said that he got it from Mundungus Fletcher about a year ago. This angered Harry. He stated that Mundungus had no right selling that to him since it belonged to Sirius. Aberforth told him that his brother had told him that he would be hacked off if he ever found out that he had it, but to ask himself where he would be if he didn't.

Dorothea saw his point. If Aberforth didn't have the mirror, he wouldn't have known to send Dobby to Malfoy Manor. She and her friends would most likely be dead by now, and the Dark Lord would be all powerful.

Aberforth brought them food and glasses of butterbeer. After being on the run for several months without enough to eat, this was like a feast.

"Do you hear from the others much?" Hermione asked. "From the Order?"