❝𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲?❞
❝𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦.❞
𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗬 𝗣𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥 had a few, perhaps a little or more than a palm of qualms in his life. First up was the whole "The Boy-Who-Lived" shenanigans, then there was an ungodly am...
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XCVI. BEGINNING OF AN END
━━━━━━
"Most of freedom and of pleasure
Nothing ever last forever"
"NEVILLE!"
A squeal of excitement reverberated from Marjorie's lips as she pushed Harry, Ron, and Hermione out of the way, wasting little-to-no time to launch herself into her cousin's embrace.
"Woah!" Neville barely had a moment to react before Marjorie wrapped her arms tightly around him. Nonetheless, he grinned, "I didn't think anyone would be so excited to see me!"
"Yeah, neither did we," said Harry and Ron. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I'm sorry — I'm just — oh, it's so good to see you after so long!" said Marjorie, finally letting go of Neville, who chuckled as he made to hug Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Marjorie felt a course of glee coursing through her veins, but the longer she looked at Neville, the worse she realised he appeared: One of his eyes was swollen yellow and purple, there were gouge marks on his face, and his general air of unkemptness suggested that he had been living rough. Nevertheless, his battered visage shone with happiness as he let go of Hermione and said again, "I knew you'd come! Kept telling Seamus it was a matter of time!"
"Neville, what's happened to you?"
"What? This?" Neville dismissed his injuries with a shake of the head. "This is nothing."
"Nothing?" croaked Marjorie. Did she heard him right? There were those who had worse?
"Yeah, you haven't seen Seamus yet. But You'll see. Shall we get going then? Oh," he turned to Aberforth, "Ab, there might be a couple more people on the way."
"Couple more?" repeated Aberforth ominously. "What d'you mean, a couple more, Longbottom? There's a curfew and a Caterwauling Charm on the whole village!"
"I know, that's why they'll be Apparating directly into the bar," said Neville. "Just send them down the passage when they get here, will you? Thanks a lot."
Neville held out his hand to Marjorie and Hermione and they climbed up onto the mantelpiece and into the tunnel; Ron followed, then Neville. Harry addressed Aberforth.
"I don't know how to thank you. You've saved our lives twice."
"Look after 'em, then," said Aberforth gruffly. "I might not be able to save 'em a third time."
Harry clambered up onto the mantelpiece and through the hole behind Ariana's portrait. There were smooth stone steps on the other side: It looked as though the passageway had been there for years. Brass lamps hung from the walls and the earthy floor was worn and smooth; as they walked, their shadows rippled, fanlike, across the wall.
