𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄 - 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 (𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟒)

23 - Brothers

CAROLINE'S POV

It was now nightfall.

The second we apparated into Hogsmeade, sirens began to blare.

"This way," I motioned to an empty open bar. We hid behind the chairs.

"Search everywhere,"

"Potter!"

"Where's the witch?"

"We could get tons of coin for the both of them,"

People shouted in the distance. Two of them began to search silently through the bar. My heart was beating out of my damn chest. Hermione and Ron's hand were intertwined.

"Over here!" Someone shouted in the distance, causing them to run in the opposite direction.

We scurried into a nearby alley way, but the end was blocked.

"What do we do?" Ron panted.

"In here, all of you," a voice hissed from a nearby corridor.

Harry immediately began to walk inside.

"What if it's-"

"We have no other option," Harry turned to me, then continued walking.

"Fuck you, Harry, you're so difficult," I muttered, then we all began to follow him. We entered the small house, walking down the stairs to what seemed to be the basement. It was nicely furnished though, with paintings, a table and snacks.

"Snacks," Ron whispered, his hand immediately rushing to grab a piece of tea cake. I swatted it down.

"Don't be a rude house guest," I grumbled at him.

"Bloody fools, what were you thinking coming here? Have you any idea how dangerous it is?" a man spoke from the corner. Holy hell, he looked like Dumbledore. He noticed us eyeing the food on the table. "You can have em', I assume you're all very hungry," he sighed.

We all gathered around the platter, practically breathing down the tea cakes and lemonade that were put out.

"You're Aberforth Dumbledore," Hermione said suddenly.

I walked around the room, studying it. A picture of a young girl on the wall. A mirror with a shard taken out of it. Harry's face was in it.

"Harry, I can see you in this," I said curiously, turning around to see him holding up the missing shard of glass.

"So it's you who I've been seeing in here," Harry exclaimed, looking over at Aberforth.

"Who gave that to you? The mirror?" Harry asked curiously, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Mundungus Fletcher," he answered.

"Dungus had no right sending that to you, it was-"

"Sirius'," Aberforth sighed. "Albus told me. He also told me you'd likely be hacked off if you ever found out I had it, but then again, where would you be if I didn't?" He said.

"Do you hear from the others much? From the order?" Hermione asked, tea cake still in her mouth.

"The order's finished. You know who's won."

"That's enlightening," I smiled at him sarcastically.

"Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves," he answered me.

"If we go back and there's a battle, I'd rather give my life saving everyone else's asses than sit around and do nothing on mine," I bickered.

"If your mother couldn't survive the killing curse than-"

"And I already did, I'm more powerful than her, she said so herself," I crossed my arms.

"What do you mean she said so herself?" he questioned me.

"I see her when I get knocked out sometimes. In this sort of void, I don't know how to explain it, but it doesn't matter," I huffed.

"Look, your powers are quite impeccable, but their numbers are too high for you to fight them alone," he exclaimed.

"And I'm not alone," I answered back.

Harry cut off our conversation.

"We need to get into Hogwarts. Tonight. Dumbledore gave us a job to do," Harry exclaimed.

"Did he now? Nice job. Easy," Aberforth chuckled.

"We've been hunting horcruxes. We think the second to last one is inside the castle, but we need your help getting in," Harry exclaimed.

"It's no job my brother's given you. It's a suicide mission. Do yourself a favor boy, go home. Live a little longer," Aberforth huffed.

"Dumbledore trusted me to see this through," Harry answered through gritted teeth.

"And what makes you think you can trust him? In all the years you knew him, did he ever mention my name? Did he ever mention hers?" he pointed towards the painting of the girl. She was standing in the midst of a sunflower field, her long straight brown hair flowing gently in the wind, her pale skin flushed with pink from the sunlight.

"Why should he?"

"Keep secrets you tell me." Aberforth hissed.

"I trusted him."

"That's a boy's answer. A boy who goes chasing horcruxes on the word of a man who wouldn't even tell you where to start, you're lying, and not just to me, to yourself. That's what a fool does. You don't strike me as a fool, Harry Potter." Aberforth continued to bicker with him. I stood silently, munching on my tea cake, Ron and Hermione next to me.

"Look, 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." Harry said quietly.

Aberforth hesitated, but then looked at the girl in the painting. "You know what to do," he said to her, then she began to walk away.

"Where's she going?" I asked. No answer.

"That's your sister Ariana isn't it?" Hermione asked, studying the painting. "She died very young, didn't she?"

"My brother sacrificed many things on his journey to find power. Ariana was one of them."

That's when the painting door began to open.

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Sorry for the boring-ish chapters!! The battle is coming very soon, I promise. These past few chapters have been a lot of dialogue, so sorry about that. I hope you guys are enjoying it so far <3