𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗘

ACT TWO, CHAPTER SIX
back to hogwarts.

PENELOPE FELT HER feet touch pavement. She looked around, only to see she was on the familiar Hogsmeade High Street. Just like Diagon Alley, the once lively village was utterly depressing. The shop fronts were dark, and Penelope could see the outline of black mountains beyond the village. As always, the only light that was coming from the curve in the road that led off towards Hogwarts was the Three Broomsticks. Penelope's heart slightly ached. She knew Madam Rosmerta hated still working there under all of this.

There was then a high-pitched alarm. Penelope shut her eyes in frustration — it was the alarm that sounded whenever anybody arrived in Hogsmeade past curfew. The door of the Three Broomsticks then opened and a dozen cloaked and hooded Death Eaters dashed into the street with their wands aloft.

Penelope then grabbed Ron's wrist and lowered his hand after he raised his wand. She caught his eyes even in the darkness and shook her head. There were way too many of them to Stun, and even attempting it would give away their position. One of the Death Eaters then waved his wand and the scream stopped, yet it still echoed around the distant mountains.

"Accio Cloak!" one of the Death Eaters roared.

Harry grabbed at his Cloak, but it made no attempt to escape. Penelope resisted the urge to let out a breath of relief. The Summoning Charm had not worked on it.

"Not under your wrapper, then, Potter?" The Death Eater turned to his friends. "Spread out. He's here."

Six of the Death Eaters ran straight at them. Penelope, Ron, Harry, Venus, and Hermione backed up as quickly as possible down the nearest side street, the Death Eaters missing them by inches. They all waited in the darkness, listening to the footsteps running up and down and watching the beams of light fly along the street from the Death Eater's searching wands.

"Let's just leave!" Hermione whispered. "Disapparate now!"

"Great idea," Ron replied.

"We know you're here, Potter, and there's no getting away!" a Death Eater shouted. "We'll find you!"

"They were ready for us," Harry stated. "They set up that spell to tell them we'd come. I reckon they've done something to keep us here, trap us—"

"What about Dementors?" another Death Eater suggested. "Let 'em have free rein, they'd find him quick enough!"

"The Dark Lord wants Potter dead by no hand but his—"

"—an' Dementors won't kill him! The Dark Lord wants Potter's life, not his soul. He'll be easier to kill if he's been Kissed first!"

"Shit," Penelope cursed, because if they had to repel Dementors that meant casting a Patronus, which would definitely give them away.

"We're going to have to try to Disapparate, Harry!" Hermione urged.

Even as she said it, Penelope started to feel the unnatural cold sweep over the street. Light was sucked from the environment all the way up to the stars, which vanished. Penelope gripped her wand tight and grabbed onto Ron in the pitch-blackness. They turned on the spot, but the air that they needed to move became solid — they could not Disapparate. Apparently, the Death Eaters had casted their charms well. Penelope, Ron, Harry, Venus, and Hermione retreated down the side street, their hands sliding against the wall, trying not to make a sound. The cold was biting into Penelope's skin, and she watched as about ten Dementors glided noiselessly around the corner. They were only visible because with their black cloaks and their rotting hands, they were of a denser darkness than their surroundings. The Dementors seemed to be coming more quickly now, taking in dragging, rattling despair.

Harry then raised his wand. "Expecto Patronum!"

The familiar silver stag burst from his wand and charged straight at the Dementors. They scattered, and there was a triumphant yell from somewhere out of sight.

"It's him, down there, down there, I saw his Patronus, it was a stag!"

The Dementors had retreated, the stars were coming out again, and the footsteps of the Death Eaters were becoming louder. Before any of them decided on what they could do, there was a grinding of bolts nearby, and the door to the place Penelope had originally wanted to go opened.

"Potter, in here, quick!" a familiar rough voice ordered.

Penelope couldn't help the smile on her face. The five of them hurtled through the open doorway.

"Upstairs, keep the Cloak on, keep quiet!"

They entered the familiar setting of the Hog's Head Inn, the grubby and sawdust-strewn bar only lit by a single stuttering candle. The group of five ran behind the counter and through the second doorway, which led to a rickety wooden staircase. They climbed as fast as they could to the sitting room with a threadbare carpet and a small fireplace, above which hung a single large oil painting of a blonde girl who gazed out at the room with a sort of vacant sweetness.

Shouts were heard from the street below. Still wearing the Invisibility Cloak, they all crept towards the grimy window and looked down. The barman of the Hog's Head was in the midst of an argument with the Death Eaters.

"So what?" he bellowed to one of the hooded faces. "So what? You send Dementors down my street, I'll send a Patronus back at 'em! I'm not having 'em near me, I've told you that, I'm not having it!"

"That wasn't your Patronus!" a Death Eater protested. "That was a stag, it was Potter's!"

"Stag!" The barman pulled out a wand. "Stag! You idiot — Expecto Patronum!"

A large and horned animal erupted from his wand. Head down, it charged towards the High Street and completely went out of sight.

"That's not what I saw—" the Death Eater insisted, though with less certainty.

"Curfew's been broken, you heard the noise," another Death Eater stated. "Someone was out in the street against regulations—"

"If I want to put my cat out, I will, and be damned to your curfew!" the barman responded.

"You set off the Caterwauling Charm?"

"What if I did? Going to cart me off to Azkaban? Kill me for sticking my nose out my own front door? Do it, then, if you want to! But I hope for your sakes you haven't pressed your little Dark Marks and summoned him. He's not going to like being called herefor me and my old cat, is he, now?"

"Don't you worry about us, worry about yourself, breaking curfew!"

"And where will you lot traffick potions and poisons when my pub's closed down? What'll happen to your little sidelines then?"

"Are you threatening—?"

"I keep my mouth shut, it's why you come here, isn't it?"

"I still say I saw a stag Patronus!" the first Death Eater yelled.

"Stag?" the barman repeated. "It's a goat, idiot!"

"All right, we made a mistake," the second Death Eater cut in. "Break curfew again and we won't be so lenient!"

With that, the Death Eaters strode back towards the High Street. Hermione let out a noise of relief and got out from under the Cloak, sitting herself down on a wobble-legged chair. Harry pulled the curtains shut tight and pulled the Cloak off of the rest of them. Penelope sighed, crossing her arms across her chest. Ron put his arm around her, and she nestled comfortably in his side. The barman rebolted the door of the bar down below and then climbed the stairs.

"You bloody fools," Aberforth Dumbledore mumbled once he entered the room, looking at all of them. "What were you thinking, coming here?"

"I told them to come," Penelope answered. "This is the only relatively safe place in Hogsmeade, you know that."

Aberforth nodded to her. "Heard from them that you'd run off with Potter."

"I did."

"Thank you," Harry interrupted. "We can't thank you enough. You saved our lives." Harry then let go of Venus, approaching Aberforth. "It's your eye I've been seeing in the mirror." There was silence, and Harry and the barman looked at each other. "You sent Dobby."

Aberforth nodded and looked around for the Elf. "Thought he'd be with you. Where've you left him?"

"My mother killed him," Penelope revealed bitterly.

He looked at her with an impassive expression. "I'm sorry to hear it. I liked that Elf."

Aberforth then turned away, lighting lamps with prods of his wand. He didn't look at any of them.

"You're Aberforth," Harry voiced. Aberforth didn't confirm or deny it, but he bent to light the fire. Harry then walked over to the mirror that was underneath the portrait of the girl. "How did you get this?"

"Bought it from Dung 'bout a year ago," Aberforth replied. "Albus told me what it was. Been trying to keep an eye out for you."

Ron gasped excitedly. "The silver doe! Was that you too?"

Penelope looked up at him. "Ron, I love you lots, but has to be the most fucking idiotic thing you've ever said. He literally just proved that his Patronus is a goat — where have you been?"

"Oh. Yeah . . . well, I'm hungry!"

"I got food," Aberforth revealed.

He left the room, only to reappear moments later with a large loaf of bread, some cheese, and a pewter jug of mead, which he set on a small table in front of the fire. They all ate and drank, and for a while the only sounds were the fire crackling, the clinking of goblets, and chewing.

"Right then," Aberforth began when they had eaten their fill. "We need to think of the best way to get you out of here. Can't be done by night, you heard what happens if anyone moves outdoors during darkness: Caterwauling Charm's set off, they'll be onto you like Bowtruckles on Doxy eggs. I don't reckon I'll be able to pass off a stag as a goat a second time. Wait for daybreak when curfew lifts, then you can put your Cloak back on and set out on foot. Get right out of Hogsmeade, up into the mountains, and you'll be able to Disapparate there. Might see Hagrid. He's been hiding in a cave up therewith Grawp ever since they tried to arrest him."

"We're not leaving," Harry refused. "We need to get into Hogwarts."

"Don't be stupid, boy."

"We've got to."

Aberforth leaned forwards. "What you've got to do is to get as far from here as you can."

"You don't understand," Harry said. "There isn't much time. We've got to get into the castle. Dumbledore — I mean, your brother — wanted us—"

"My brother Albus wanted a lot of things, and people had a habit of getting hurt while he was carrying out his grand plans. You get away from this school, Potter, and out of the country if you can. Forget my brother and his clever schemes. He's gone where none of this can hurt him, and you don't owe him anything."

"You don't understand."

"Oh, don't I?" Aberforth countered. "You don't think I understood my own brother? Think you knew Albus better than I did?"

"I didn't mean that," Harry stated. "It's . . . he left me a job."

"Did he now? Nice job, I hope? Pleasant? Easy? Sort of thing you'd expect an unqualified wizard kid to be able to do without overstretching themselves?"

Ron let out a rather grim laugh. Penelope glanced up at him for a moment.

"I-It's not easy, no," Harry stuttered. "But I've got to—"

"Got to?" Aberforth echoed roughly. "Why got to? He's dead, isn't he? Let it go, boy, before you follow him! Save yourself!"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I—" Harry started to say. "But you're fighting too, you're in the Orderof the Phoenix—"

"I was," Aberforth corrected. "The Order of the Phoenix is finished. You-Know-Who's won, it's over, and anyone who's pretending different's kidding themselves. It'll never be safe for you here, Potter, he wants you too badly. So go abroad, go into hiding, save yourself. Best take these four with with you." He jerked a thumb at Penelope, Ron, Venus, and Hermione. "They'll be in danger long as they live now everyone knows they've been working with you."

"I can't leave," Harry continued. "I've got a job—"

"Give it to someone else!"

"I can't. It's got to be me, Dumbledore explained it all—"

"Oh, did he now? And did he tell you everything, was he honest with you?" Harry went quiet at that. "I knew my brother, Potter. He learned secrecy at our mother's knee. Secrets and lies, that's how we grew up, and Albus . . . he was a natural."

Aberforth's eyes traveled to the painting of the girl over the mantelpiece. Penelope looked up at the painting as well.

"Mr. Dumbledore?" Hermione stated rather timidly. "Is that your sister? Ariana?"

"Yes," Aberforth responded. "Been reading Rita Skeeter, have you, missy?"

Hermione turned red — it was visible even though the rosy light of the fire.

"Elphias Doge mentioned her to us," Harry explained.

"That old berk," Aberforth muttered, taking another swig of mead. "Thought the sun shone out of my brother's every orifice, he did. Well, so did plenty of people, you five included, by the looks of it."

"Professor Dumbledore cared about Harry, very much," Hermione said in a low voice.

"Did he now?" Aberforth argued. "Funny thing, how many of the people my brother cared about very much ended up in a worse state than if he'd left 'em well alone."

"What do you mean?"

"Never you mind."

"But that's a really serious thing to say!" Hermione exclaimed. "Are you — are you talking about your sister?"

Aberforth glared at her for a moment. "When my sister was six years old, she was attacked, set upon, by three Muggle boys. They'd seen her doing magic, spying through the back garden hedge: She was a kid, she couldn't control it, no witch or wizard can at that age. What they saw scared them, I expect. They forced their way through the hedge, and when she couldn't show them the trick, they got a bit carried away trying to stop the little freak doing it."

Penelope kept her arms crossed, her gaze on the table in front of her. She started to feel sick to her stomach. Penelope was only aware of who the girl was in the painting, not what happened to her.

Aberforth stood up. "It destroyed her, what they did: She was never right again. She wouldn't use magic, but she couldn't get rid of it; it turned inward and drove her mad, it exploded out of her when she couldn't control it, and at times she was strange and dangerous. But mostly she was sweet and scared and harmless. And my father went after the bastards that did it and attacked them. And they locked him up in Azkaban for it. He never said why he'd done it, because if the Ministry had known what Ariana had become, she'd have been locked up in St. Mungo's for good. They'd have seen her as a serious threat to the International Statute of Secrecy, unbalanced like she was, with magic exploding out of her at moments when she couldn't keep it in any longer. We had to keep her safe and quiet. We moved house, put it about she was ill, and my mother looked after her, and tried to keep her calm and happy. I was her favorite. Not Albus, he was always up in his bedroom when he was home, reading his books and counting his prizes, keeping up with his correspondence with the most notable magical names of the day. He didn't want to be bothered with her. She liked me best. I could get her to eat when she wouldn't do it for my mother, I could get her to calm down when she was in one of her rages, and when she was quiet, she used to help me feed the goats. Then, when she was fourteen . . . see, I wasn't there. If I'd been there, I could have calmed her down. She had one of her rages, and my mother wasn't as young as she was, and . . . it was an accident. Ariana couldn't control it. But my mother was killed."

Penelope tugged at a loose string on her shirt. This was all a bit too much to be taken at once, but she guessed that Aberforth had to let it all out. Besides, they needed to know the truth.

"So that put paid to Albus' trip round the world with little Doge. The pair of 'em came home for my mother's funeral and then Doge went off on his own, and Albus settled down as head of the family. Ha!" Aberforth spat into the fire. "I'd have looked after her, I told him so, I didn't care about school, I'd have stayed home and done it. He told me I had to finish my education and he'd take over from my mother. Bit of a comedown for Mr. Brilliant, there's no prizes for looking after your half-mad sister, stopping her blowing up the house every other day. But he did all right for a few weeks . . . till he came."

A positively dangerous look crept over Aberforth's face. Penelope didn't dare look at him — she just kept her gaze on the table. Ron could evidently tell something was wrong and kept his hand on her knee, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb back and forth on the fabric of her jeans.

"Grindelwald," Aberforth announced. "And at last, my brother had an equal to talk to, someone just as bright and talented as he was. And looking after Ariana took a backseat then, while they were hatching all their plans for a new Wizarding order, and looking for Hallows, and whatever else it was they were so interested in. Grand plans for the benefit of all Wizardkind, and if one young girl got neglected, what did that matter, when Albus was working for the greater good? But after a few weeks of it, I'd had enough, I had. It was nearly time for me to go back to Hogwarts, so I told 'em, both of 'em, face-to-face, like I am to you, now. I told him, you'd better give it up now. You can't move her, she's in no fit state, you can't take her with you, wherever it is you're planning to go, when you're making your clever speeches, trying to whip yourselves up a following. He didn't like that. Grindelwald didn't like that at all. He got angry. He told me what a stupid little boy I was, trying to stand in the way of him and my brilliant brother . . . didn't I understand, my poor sister wouldn't have to be hidden once they'd changed the world, and led the wizards out of hiding, and taught the Muggles their place? And there was an argument . . . and I pulled out my wand, and he pulled out his, and I had the Cruciatus Curse used on me by my brother's best friend — and Albus was trying to stop him, and then all three of us were dueling, and the flashing lights and the bangs set her off, she couldn't stand it—" the color started to drain from Aberforth's face "—and I think she wanted to help, but she didn't really know what she was doing, and I don't know which of us did it, it could have been any of us — and she was dead."

His voice broke on the last word and he dropped down into the nearest chair. Penelope's heart sunk all the way to her stomach, and she finally gained enough courage to look up. All of this, every single part of it was disgusting.

"I'm so . . . I'm so sorry," Hermione whispered, her face wet with tears.

"Gone," Aberforth croaked. "Gone forever." He wiped his nose on his sleeve and cleared his throat. "'Course, Grindelwald scarpered. He had a bit of a track record already, back in his own country, and he didn't want Ariana set to his account too. And Albus was free, wasn't he? Free of the burden of his sister, free to become the greatest wizard of the—"

"He was never free," Harry interjected.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Never. The night that your brother died, he drank a potion that drove him out of his mind. He started screaming, pleading with someone who wasn't there. Don't hurt them, please . . . hurt me instead." They all stared at him — Harry had never gone into details about what happened that night when him and Dumbledore went hunting for that Horcrux. "He thought he was back there with you and Grindelwald, I know he did. He thought he was watching Grindelwald hurting you and Ariana . . . it was torture to him, if you'd seen him then, you wouldn't say he was free."

Aberforth contemplated that for a moment. "How can you be sure, Potter, that my brother wasn't more interested in the greater good than in you? How can you be sure you aren't dispensable, just like my little sister?"

"I don't believe it," Hermione admitted. "Dumbledore loved Harry."

"Why didn't he tell him to hide, then? Why didn't he say to him, Take care of yourself, here's how to survive?"

Harry then spoke up. "Because sometimes you've got to think about more than your own safety! Sometimes you've got to think about the greater good! This is war!"

"You're seventeen, boy!" Aberforth argued.

"I'm of age, and I'm going to keep fighting even if you've given up!" Harry shouted.

"Who says I've given up?"

"The Order of the Phoenix is finished. You-Know-Who's won, it's over, and anyone who's pretending different's kidding themselves."

"I don't say I like it, but it's the truth!" Aberforth insisted

"No, it isn't," Harry replied. "Your brother knew how to finish You-Know-Who and he passed the knowledge on to me. I'm going to keep going until I succeed — or I die. Don't think I don't know how this might end. I've known it for years."

Aberforth said nothing. He only scowled.

"We need to get into Hogwarts," Harry echoed. "If you can't help us, we'll wait till daybreak, leave you in peace, and try to find a way in ourselves. If you can help us — well, now would be a great time to mention it. Penelope told us to come here, so why?"

"Aberforth, please," Penelope pleaded, speaking up for the first time in a while. "The link — it's the only way in and out of the castle without being seen."

He stared at her for a moment longer before clearing his throat, getting to his feet, and approaching the portrait of Ariana. "You know what to do."

Ariana smiled, turned, and walked away. However, it wasn't like normal paintings where they walked out of the sides of their frames. Ariana walked along what seemed to be a long tunnel painted behind her. They all watched her slight figure retreat until she was finally swallowed by the darkness.

"Er — what—?" Ron asked.

"Just like Penelope said, there's only one way in now," Aberforth announced. "You must know they've got all the old secret passageways covered at both ends, Dementors all around the boundary walls, regular patrols inside the school from what my sources tell me. The place has never been so heavily guarded. How you expect to do anything once you get inside it, with Snape in charge and the Carrows as his deputies . . . well, that's your lookout, isn't it? You say you're prepared to die."

"But what . . . ?" Hermione trailed off, frowning at Ariana's picture.

A tiny white dot had reappeared at the end of the painted tunnel. Ariana was now walking back towards them, growing bigger and bigger as she did so. However, there was somebody else with her now. It was a taller figure who was limping along, looking excited. Penelope slightly smiled at him. His hair was long, there was several gashes on his face, and his clothes were ripped and torn. The two figures grew larger and larger until only their heads and shoulders filled the portrait. Then the whole thing swung forward on the wall like a little door, and the entrance to a real tunnel was revealed. And out of it, the familiar figure of Neville Longbottom clambered out, his hair overgrown, his face cut, and his robes ripped.

Neville leaped down from the mantlepiece and tackled Harry in a hug. "I knew you'd come! I knew it, Harry!"

Harry was evidenly shocked. "Neville — what the — how—?"

But Neville had spotted Penelope, Ron, Venus, and Hermione, and he hugged them too. Penelope hugged Neville back tightly, as she was the last one Neville hugged, but she pulled away. She placed her hands on either sides of his face and inspected it, immediately frowning. One of his eyes was swollen yellow and purple and there were multiple gouge marks on his face. However, he was mostly happy.

"I knew you'd come!" Neville exclaimed. "Kept telling Seamus it was a matter of time!"

"Nevs, I admire your bravery, you know I do, but you're getting beat up by them," Penelope told him worryingly.

He shook his head, dismissing his injuries. "What? This? This is nothing. Seamus is worse. You'll see."

"Seamus is worse?" Penelope repeated firmly. "Merlin, now it's going to be me punching him in the face." She then paused for a moment. "And Charlie?"

Neville got a little less excited. "She's . . . she's doing a lot better, but she's still pretty beat up. But you know my girlfriend, she's strong."

"Woah, woah, woah, wait a second," Venus immediately interrupted, her eyes wide with shock. "Girlfriend?"

Penelope dropped her hands and looked over at her. "Oh, I didn't tell you? Our brave Gryffindor here finally mustered up enough courage to tell Charlie he liked her. They're cute."

"Shut up," Neville mumbled, his face red. "Shall we get going then?" He then turned to Aberforth. "Oh, Ab, there might be a couple more people on the way."

"Couple more?" Aberforth questioned 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. Just send them down the passage when they get here, will you? Thanks a lot."

Neville held out his hand to Hermione and helped her climb up onto the mantelpiece and into the tunnel. Penelope, Venus, and Ron followed, and finally, Neville.

Harry addressed Aberforth. "I don't know how to thank you. You've saved our lives twice."

"Look after 'em, then," Aberforth responded gruffly. "I might not be able to save 'em a third time."

Harry then clambered up onto the mantelpiece and through the hole behind Ariana's portrait. There were smooth stone steps on the other side. It looked a lot like 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 across the wall.

"How long's this been here?" Ron inquired, his fingers interlocked with Penelope's. "It isn't on the Marauder's Map, is it, Harry? I thought there were only seven passages in and out of school?"

"They sealed off all of those before the start of the year," Neville answered. "There's no chance of getting through any of them now, not with curses over the entrances and Death Eaters and Dementors waiting at the exits." He started walking backwards to take all of them in. "Never mind that stuff . . . is it true? Did you break into Gringotts? Did you escape on a Dragon? It's everywhere, everyone's talking about it, Terry Boot got beaten up by Carrow for yelling about it in the Great Hall at dinner!"

"It's true," Penelope revealed, smiling slightly. "I even acted like Bellatrix to get into the Lestrange vault and everything. Fucking hated it, but it ended up being wicked cool in the end."

Neville laughed gleefully. "What did you do with the Dragon?"

"Released it into the wild," Ron responded. "Hermione was all for keeping it as a pet—"

"Don't exaggerate, Ron—" Hermione protested.

"But what have you been doing?" Neville went on. "People have been saying you've just been on the run, Harry, but I don't think so. I think you've been up to something."

"You're right, but tell us about Hogwarts, Neville, we haven't heard anything," Harry urged. "Penelope's only told us a little bit."

"It's been . . . well, it's not really like Hogwarts anymore." The smile faded off of Neville's face. "Do you know about the Carrows?"

"Those two Death Eaters who teach here?"

"It's a lot more than teaching," Penelope revealed. "Basically, they're in charge of all discipline in Hogwarts. But it's more so punishment."

"Like Umbridge?" Harry asked.

"Nah, they make her look tame," Neville admitted. "The other teachers are all supposed to refer us to the Carrows if we do anything wrong. They don't, though, if they can avoid it. You can tell they all hate them as much as we do. Amycus, the bloke, he teaches what used to be Defense Against the Dark Arts, except now it's just the Dark Arts. We're supposed to practice the Cruciatus Curse on people who've earned detentions—"

"What?" Harry, Ron, Venus, and Hermione echoed.

"Yeah." He then pointed to a particularly deep gash in his cheek. "That's how I got this one, I refused to do it. Some people are into it, though; Crabbe and Goyle love it. First time they've ever been top in anything, I expect. But Penelope has a wicked story about that."

Penelope shook her head. "They wanted me to use the Curse on a first year, but I wasn't fucking doing that, so at the last second, I deflected the Curse onto Amycus."

Ron looked down at her in amazement and kissed the top of her head. "You're bloody incredible."

"You can keep going, Neville."

Neville obeyed. "Alecto, Amycus' sister, teaches Muggle Studies, which is compulsory for everyone. We've all got to listen to her explain how Muggles are like animals, stupid and dirty, and how they drove wizards into hiding by being vicious toward them, and how the natural order is being reestablished." He then pointed to another slash on his face. "I got this one for asking her how much Muggle blood she and her brother have got."

"Blimey, Neville, there's a time and a place for getting a smart mouth," Ron stated.

"You didn't hear her. You wouldn't have stood it either. The thing is, it helps when people stand up to them, it gives everyone hope. I used to notice that when you did it, Harry."

"But they've used you as a knife sharpener."

Neville shrugged. "Doesn't matter. They don't want to spill too much pure blood, so they'll torture us a bit if we're mouthy but they won't actually kill us."

Penelope nodded. "I fight against them too, but they always let it slide with me because I'm Bellatrix's daughter. And now, I'm the resident Healer."

"The only people in real danger are the ones whose friends and relatives on the outside are giving trouble. They get taken hostage. Old Xeno Lovegood was getting a bit too outspoken in The Quibbler, so they dragged Luna off the train on the way back for Christmas."

"Neville, she's all right, we've seen her—" Harry began.

"Yeah, I know, she managed to get a message to me," Neville said. He pulled out the fake Galleon that they had used for Dumbledore's Army to send messages secretly, and he beamed at Hermione. "These have been great. The Carrows never rumbled how we were communicating, it drove them mad. We used to sneak out at night and put graffiti on the walls: Dumbledore's Army, Still Recruiting, stuff like that. Snape hated it."

"You used to?" Harry questioned.

"Well, it got more difficult as time went on. We lost Luna at Christmas, Ginny never came back after Easter, Charlie's healing, and Elijah's been taking care of her since Penelope left, and the five of us were sort of the leaders. The Carrows seemed to know Charlie, Eli, and I were behind a lot of it, so they started coming down on us hard, and then Michael Corner went and got caught releasing a first-year they'd chained up, and they tortured him pretty badly. That scared people off."

"No kidding," Ron muttered as the passage began to slope upwards.

"Yeah, well, we couldn't ask people to go through what Michael did, so we dropped those kinds of stunts. But we were still fighting, doing underground stuff, right up until a couple of weeks ago. That's when they decided there was only one way to stop me, Charlie, and Eli, I suppose, and they went for Gran."

"They what?" Penelope, Ron, Harry, Venus, and Hermione said together.

Neville was now panting a little since the passage was climbing so steeply. "Yeah, well, you can see their thinking. It had worked really well, kidnapping kids to force their relatives to behave, I s'pose it was only a matter of time before they did it the other wayaround. Thing was they bit off a bit more than they could chew with Gran. Little old witch living alone, they probably thought they didn't need to send anyone particularly powerful. Anyway, Dawlish is still in St. Mungo's and Gran's on the run. She sent me a letter telling me she was proud of me, that I'm my parents' son, and to keep it up."

"Cool," Ron commented.

"Yeah," Neville agreed happily. "Only thing was, once they realized they had no hold over me, they decided Hogwarts could do without me after all, and Charlie and Eli, for that matter. I don't know whether they were planning to kill us or send us to Azkaban; either way, I knew it was time to disappear."

"But aren't — aren't we heading straight back into Hogwarts?"

Penelope grinned. "You'll see."

They turned a corner and ahead was the end of the passage. There was another short flight of steps that led to a door just like the one hidden behind Ariana's portrait. Neville pushed it open and climbed through.

"Look who it is!" Neville called. "Didn't I tell you?"

They all emerged in the room, greeting several screams and yells of their names. Penelope let out a small laugh, allowing Seamus Finnigan to pick her up and spin her around. She then allowed hugs from everyone else, accepting their welcome back. Penelope hugged Charlotte gently, who did look a lot better, although she seemed to be a little weak.

"Okay, okay, calm down!" Neville demanded as the crowd backed away.

Penelope looked around at the familiar room. It was huge, and looked like the inside of a tree house. Multicolored hammocks were strung from the ceiling and from a balcony that ran around the dark wood-paneled and windowless walls. The walls were covered in a bright tapestry hangings — the gold Gryffindor lion against scarlet, the black badger of Hufflepuff against yellow, the bronze eagle of Ravenclaw against blue, and the silver snake of Slytherin set against green (only for Penelope and Charlotte, obviously.) There were overflowing bookcases, a few broomsticks propped against the walls, and a large wooden-cased wireless in the corner.

Harry glanced around the room. "Where are we?"

"Room of Requirement, of course!" Neville responded. "Surpassed itself, hasn't it? The Carrows were chasing me, and I knew I had just one chance for a hideout: I managed to get through the door and this is what I found! Well, it wasn't exactly like this when I arrived, it was a load smaller, there was only one hammock and just Gryffindor hangings. But it's expanded as more and more of the D.A. have arrived."

"And the Carrows can't get in?"

"No," Seamus answered, his face bruised and puffy. "It's a proper hideout, as long as one of us stays in here, they can't get at us, the door won't open. It's all down to Neville. He really gets this room. You've got to ask it for exactly what you need — like, I don't want any Carrow supporters to be able to get in — and it'll do it for you! You've just got to make sure you close the loopholes! Neville's the man!"

"It's quite straightforward, really," Neville voiced modestly. "I'd been in here about a day and a half, and getting really hungry, and wishing I could get something to eat, and that's when the passage to the Hog's Head opened up. I went through it and met Aberforth. He's been providing us with food, because for some reason, that's the one thing the room doesn't really do."

"Yeah, well, food's one of the five exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration," Ron recited.

Penelope looked up at him. "Woah, you actually learned something from Hermione?"

"I actually hate you."

"Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that, baby."

Seamus cleared his throat. "So we've been hiding out here for nearly two weeks, and it just makes more hammocks every time we need them, and it even sprouted a pretty good bathroom once girls started turning up—"

"—and thought they'd quite like to wash, yes," Lavender Brown finished, Penelope straightening up uncomfortably, remembering everything that had happened last year.

"Tell us what you've been up to, though," Ernie Macmillan urged. "There've been so many rumors, we've been trying to keep up with you on Potterwatch." He pointed at the wireless. "You didn't break into Gringotts?"

"They did!" Neville exclaimed. "And the Dragon's true too!"

There was a round of applause and a few whoops.

"What were you after?" Seamus inquired eagerly.

Suddenly, everything stopped. Harry turned around, clutching his head. Penelope looked at him worryingly. Venus shook his shoulder, and he snapped out of it.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Neville asked. "Want to sit down? I expect you're tired, aren't—?"

"No," Harry responded. He looked at Penelope, Ron, Venus, and Hermione. She immediately understood — Voldemort had found out another Horcrux was gone. "We need to get going."

"What are we going to do, then, Harry?" Seamus questioned. "What's the plan?"

"Plan?" Harry repeated. "Well, there's something we — Venus, Penelope, Ron, Hermione, and I — need to do, and then we'll get out of here."

Neville looked confused. "What d'you mean, get out of here?"

"We haven't come back to stay. There's something important we need to do—"

"What is it?"

"I — I can't tell you," Harry admitted.

Neville's eyebrows knit in confusion. "Why can't you tell us? It's something to do with fighting You-Know-Who, right?"

"Well, yeah—"

"Then we'll help you."

The other members of Dumbledore's Army were nodding — some enthusiastically, others solemnly. A couple even stood up from their chairs to demonstrate that they were ready.

"You don't understand," Harry insisted. "We — we can't tell you. We've got to do it — alone."

"Why?" Neville inquired.

"Because . . . Dumbledore left the four of us a job, and Penelope's now along for the ride, and we weren't supposed to tell — I mean, he wanted us to do it, just originally the four of us, but Penelope's been helping quite a lot."

"We're his army. Dumbledore's Army. We were all in it together, we've been keeping it going while you four have been off on your own, Penelope just recently joining—"

"It hasn't exactly been a picnic, mate," Ron argued.

"I never said it had, but I don't see why you can't trust us," Neville continued. "Everyone in this room's been fighting and they've been driven in here because the Carrows were hunting them down. Everyone in here's proven they're loyal to Dumbledore — loyal to you."

"Look," Harry began.

However, he was cut off by the tunnel door opening behind them. Penelope turned to see that it was Luna and Dean.

"We got your message, Neville!" Luna admitted. "Hello you three, I thought you must be here!"

Penelope slightly smiled as Seamus let out a great roar of delight and ran to hug his best friend.

"Hi, everyone! Oh, it's great to be back!"

"Luna, what are you doing here?" Harry asked. "How did you—?"

Neville held up the fake Galleon. "I sent for her. I promised her and Ginny that if you turned up I'd let them know. We all thought that if you came back, it would mean revolution .That we were going to overthrow Snape and the Carrows."

"Of course that's what it means," Luna voiced brightly. "Isn't it, Harry? We're going to fight them out of Hogwarts?"

"Listen, I'm sorry, but that's not what we came back for," Harry stated. "There's something we've got to do, and then—"

"You're going to leave us in this mess?" Michael Corner demanded.

"No!" Ron cut in. "What we're doing will benefit everyone in the end, it's all about trying to get rid of You-Know-Who—"

"Then let us help!" Neville shouted angrily. "We want to be a part of it!"

There was another noise behind them, and Penelope turned. Ginny was now climbing through the hole in the wall, closely followed by Fred, George, and Lee Jordan. Penelope let out a happy laugh as the twins approached her, pulling their favorite Slytherin (don't tell Charlotte) in for a tight hug.

"Aberforth's getting a bit annoyed," Fred announced, raising his hand in answer to several cries of greeting. "He wants a kip, and his bar's turned into a railway station."

Cho Chang then climbed through the opening, holding up her fake Galleon and moving to sit beside Michael Corner. "I got the message."

"So what's the plan, Harry?" George questioned.

"There isn't one," Harry responded.

"Just going to make it up as we go along, are we?" Fred added. "My favorite kind."

"You've got to stop this!" Harry told Neville. "What did you call them all back for? This is insane—"

"We're fighting, aren't we?" Dean interjected, pulling out his own fake Galleon. "The message said Harry was back, and we were going to fight! I'll have to get a wand, though—"

"You haven't got a wand—?" Seamus began.

Penelope raised an eyebrow at Harry. "I brought you guys here for a reason, Harry. I know I wasn't with you on your original mission, but they can help. Like I've been saying, trust me."

Ron nodded in agreement and spoke quietly so that nobody else could hear them. "Wedon't know where it is. We've got to find it fast. We don't have to tell them it's a Horcrux."

"I think Ron and Penelope are right," Hermione murmured. "We don't even know what we're looking for, we need them."

Venus placed her hand on her boyfriend's cheek when he looked unconvinced, telling him softly that he didn't always have to do everything by himself.

"All right," Harry agreed quietly. He then turned to the room at large, making all noise cease. "Okay. There's something we need to find. Something — something that'll help us overthrow You-Know-Who. It's here at Hogwarts, but we don't know where. It might have belonged to Ravenclaw. Has anyone heard of an object like that? Has anyone ever come across something with her eagle on it, for instance?"

He looked hopefully at the little group of Ravenclaws — Elijah, Padma, Michael, Terry, and Cho. However, it was Luna who answered, perched on the arm of Ginny's chair.

"Well, there's her lost diadem," Luna said. "I told you about it, remember, Harry? The lost diadem of Ravenclaw? Daddy's trying to duplicate it."

Michael rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but the lost diadem is lost, Luna. That's sort of the point."

"When was it lost?" Harry inquired.

"Centuries ago, they say," Cho replied. "Professor Flitwick says the diadem vanished with Ravenclaw herself. People have looked, but nobody's ever found a trace of it, have they?"

The Ravenclaws all shook their heads.

"Sorry, but what is a diadem?" Ron asked.

"It's sort of like a crown," Elijah answered. "According to sources, Ravenclaw's was supposed to have magical properties that would enhance the wisdom of the person who wore it."

"Yes, Daddy's Wrackspurt siphons—" Luna started to say.

Harry cut across her. "And none of you have ever seen anything that looks like it?"

They all shook their heads. Harry looked at Penelope, Ron, Venus, and Hermione, disappointment written all across their faces.

Elijah then slightly raised his hand. "But, there is a statue of Ravenclaw in the common room, and she's wearing it there. I can show you what it's supposed to look like if you want?"

"He's on the move," Harry then stated quietly, and Penelope felt her blood turn to ice. He then glanced at the Ravenclaws. "Listen, I know it's not much of a lead, but I'm going to go and look at this statue, at least find out what the diadem looks like. Wait for me here and keep, you know — the other one — safe."

Elijah nodded and stood up a little straighter.

"Wait," Hermione interrupted, her gaze straight on Elijah. "Harry, let Luna take you. Does that sound good with you, Luna?"

"Oooh, yes, I'd like to," Luna said happily.

And as Neville showed Luna and Harry the way out of the room, Penelope glanced up at Ron with a small smirk. They both knew the only reason Hermione wanted Luna to go instead was to spend some time with Elijah — but nobody could blame her. The situation was looming over their heads, and none of them knew if they were going to make it out alive.

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I'm staying a dumbledore hate account literally fuck him