𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝐶𝑉𝐼𝐼.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙣𝙚-𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙙-𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

THEY LANDED IN Hogsmede. The village was different, darker. It was frightening, to be standing under a starless sky knowing the dangers that loomed near. Running quickly from Death Eaters, the four hid behind a table. They were found. There was a screeching in the distance, people calling Harry's name. Caroline gripped his hand as they ran, coming to a steel gate. This couldn't be the end.

        "In here, Potter." someone whispered from the shadows, and they followed the man down a set of stairs, deep into the Hog's Head. Caroline hadn't been there in years.

        Caroline stood in front of a portrait of a young girl, before her eyes shifted to a broken mirror hanging on the wall. Harry's face was in it, and the missing chunk of mirror was identical to the half Harry had. "Harry? I can see you in this." Caroline said, looking behind her to see Harry realising the same thing.

        He stepped to Caroline's side, holding his piece of mirror up to the whole as the man who helped them spoke. "You bloody fools. What were you thinking coming here?" the man asked. He looked like Dumbledore. He was the man Harry had seen in the mirror. "Have you any idea how dangerous it is?"

        "You're Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother. It's you who I've been seeing in here." Harry said, Aberforth crossing behind them.

        "You're the one who sent Dobby." Caroline said, and Aberforth nodded.

        "Where've you left him?" Aberforth asked.

        Caroline looked at Harry. "He's dead." Harry said.

        "Sorry to hear it. I liked that elf." Aberforth said, straightening things up.

        "Who gave that to you? The mirror?" Harry asked quickly as he pointed to the mirror on the wall.

        Aberforth looked up from what he was doing. "Mundungus Fletcher, about a year ago." he revealed, Caroline's eyes darkening at the mention of the coward thief.

        "Dung had no right selling that to you. It belongs to–" Harry began before Caroline could, speaking sharply.

        "Sirius," Aberforth cut Harry off. "Albus told me. He also told me you'd likely be hacked off, if you ever found that I had it. But, ask yourself, where would you be if I didn't?" Aberforth placed down a tray of bread, Hermione and Ron instantly taking some, Hermione tossing a piece to Caroline.

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

        Caroline stepped over to her best friend's side. "Tonks had her baby. They're still safe?" she asked, concerned. She didn't know the details of how Remus managed to tell her the spare bits of information he did, and she was worried.

        Aberforth scoffed. "The Order has finished. You-Know-Who's won. Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves," he said, Caroline's face falling. "But I've heard that the baby is safe, hidden."

        "We need to get into Hogwarts, tonight. Dumbledore gave us a job to do." Harry said firmly, giving Aberforth no room to argue.

        "Did he now? Nice job? Easy?" Aberforth said, Ron, Hermione and Caroline eating the bread quickly.

        "We've been hunting horcruxes. We think the last one's inside the castle. But we'll need your help getting in." Harry spoke, standing close to the roaring fire.

        Aberforth turned to Harry. "That's not a job my brother has given you. It's a suicide mission. Do yourself a favour, boy, go home. Live a little longer." he advised.

        Caroline looked between Harry and Aberforth like it was a match of quidditch. "Dumbledore trusted me to see this through." Harry said.

        "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 held a chalice, pointing behind Harry at the portrait on the wall of the young girl.

        Harry glanced behind him. "Why should he–?"

        "Keep secrets? You tell me." Aberforth continued sharply.

        "I trusted him." Harry said strongly. Caroline continued to eat her bread, quietly.

        "That's a boy's answer," Aberforth stepped towards Harry. "A boy goes chasing horcruxes on the word of a man who wouldn't even tell him where to start. You're lying! Not just on me, that doesn't matter. To yourself as well. That's what a fool does. You don't strike me as a fool, Harry Potter. So, I ask you again, there must be a reason." Aberforth was directly in front of Harry now, Caroline watching them carefully.

        Harry didn't crack. "I'm not interested in what happened between you and your brother. I don't care that you've given up. I trusted the man I knew. We need to get into the castle tonight." he said, desperation in his voice. They were desperate, of course they were.

        Aberforth looked at the portrait of the girl. "You know what to do." he said, the girl nodding before she turned and walked away.

        "Where have you sent her?" Caroline asked curiously, watching the girl grow farther and farther away.

        "You'll see, soon enough." Aberforth answered without looking away from Harry.

        Aberforth then walked away from Harry, the boy retreating to the others. He gripped Caroline's hand at his side and she let him. "That's your sister Ariana, isn't it?" Hermione asked, speaking of the girl in the portrait. "She died very young, didn't she?"

        The man turned away from the cupboard he was rummaging through. "My brother sacrificed many things, Mr. Potter, on his journey to find power. Including Ariana. And she was devoted to him. He gave her everything, but time." Aberforth said darkly.

        "Thank you, Mr. Dumbledore," Hermione said, and Aberforth, surprised, nodded simply. Ron and Harry eyed Hermione curiously. "He did save our lives twice." she reminded the boys.

        "Kept an eye on us in that mirror." Caroline added, brushing off Harry's jacket.

        Hermione leant close to Harry. "That doesn't seem like someone who's given up," she whispered, and Harry rolled his eyes, running his thumb across the back of Caroline's hand. They stared at the portrait. "She's coming back." Hermione noticed first.

        "Who's that with her?" Ron asked, standing on Harry's left. The portrait door swung open, and an ally arrived, thanks to Ariana. Caroline smiled brightly, having missed her dear friend.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —