wildflowers // dramione

Chapter 31

Hermione slid the invisibility cloak off her shoulders, the action was mimicked by Harry and Ron, and took a seat in a wooden chair in the corner of the unfamiliar room. The trio had just escaped from suspicious Death Eaters guarding Hosmeade. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had apparated to Hogsmeade to find a way to get to Hogwarts, where Harry was certain another horcrux was located. They had been called to and directed inside of a small building along the street. They now sat in a small room in the unknown building's second floor which contained only a table, a chair, a mirror, and on the wall hung a large portrait of a blonde girl. Hermione studied the painting, unable to recognize its subject.

The man who had helped them get away from the Death Eaters returned from downstairs, where he had lied to Voldemort's followers to protect the three young Gryffindor wizards.  As the man reentered the room, Harry's attention was caught by a broken mirror on the wall. He registered that the man who had saved them tonight was the eye he had been seeing in his cracked piece of the two way mirror, which was once Sirius Black's. Harry now understood that the man had sent Dobby to aid them at Malfoy Manor. A small knot grew in his stomach as he thought about how Hermione had been taken, but he redirected his attention to their savior behind him. The resemblance between the man and Albus Dumbledore was very noticeable and Harry realized the man's identity.

"You're Aberforth Dumbledore," Harry said, turning around the face his friends and the man.

"Yes, and you should go," Aberforth said.

Aberforth went on to explain to the group of friends that they should go home and abandon their plans to go to Hogwarts, that it was hopeless. Hermione, Harry, and Ron did not listen, of course. Harry ignored Aberforth's attempts to get them to give up and instead defended Albus Dumbledore, who Aberforth had said was a natural at lying and keeping secrets.

"Professor Dumbledore cared about Harry very much," Hermione stated.

"That's not something to be proud of. It seems the people my brother genuinely cared for have ended up in a much worse state than him," Aberfoth replied.

"Are you talking about Arianna?" Hermione asked. "Is that her in the painting?"

Aberforth then told the story of his sister, Arianna Dumbledore, and his family. Hermione stared at the painting of the young, beautiful blonde girl as she listened to the story. As Aberforth finished, he brought the conversation back to Harry.

"You, boy, should hide."

"No. I'm not surrendering now. Not when I know how to kill You-Know-Who. Dumbledore told me how and I'm not giving up until I succeed, or die." Harry's voice was serious and he held contact with Aberforth's eyes. "Dumbledore's past doesn't change anything. I don't care about it. The man I knew was a great one who I loved. You are the one who should be hiding. You should be ashamed of yourself for losing hope."

Aberforth was impressed by Harry's courage and determination. Despite his past with his brother, Aberforth agreed to help them. He walked over to Arianna's portrait.

"You know what to do," he whispered. Arianna smiled and walked down what looked to be a tunnel behind her. Aberforth turned back to the trio to explain. "There's only one safe way into Hogwarts left. The rest are impossible to get through without the Death Eaters knowing."

Arianna began to come back towards them but now was accompanied by Neville Longbottom, who was ecstatic to see Harry. The painting moved away from the wall, opening like a door, and revealed a real tunnel. Neville led his former classmates down the dark corridor and explained how much Hogwarts has changed since the last time Harry, Ron, and Hermione were there. The four wizards entered a large and crowded room once at the end of the tunnel. The large group of Hogwarts students were just as excited as Neville to see the Golden Trio, if not more. After hugs and embraces, Neville quieted down everyone and explained further that members of Dumbledore's Army had been hiding away in here, the Room of Requirement, due to the bad condition of Hogwarts. Neville then said that other members of the Order of the Phoenix would be arriving soon. Harry accepted their help and told them about how he was looking for an artefact related to the Ravenclaw house and that Voldemort was on his way. Ravenclaw students helped Harry figure out what he was looking for, Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem, and he left with Luna to retrieve it.