𝑔𝑟𝑦𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑟, 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧

ii.

After the Quartet had dropped into the lake, letting the dragon free, they got dressed into their normal clothes. Harry had told the group that Voldemort knew where they were and what they were up to, also telling them that one of the Horcruxes is at Hogwarts. Apparently it was something to do with Ravenclaw house, Harry wanting to go to Hogwarts right away. Harry had come up with the plan of going through the cellar at Honey Dukes like him and Leo did in third year. This plan caused them to be right there now, hiding from guards that were alerted when the alarm rung. Leo shuffled next to Hermione, the girl holding his hand in comfort. Leo smiled to her, Ron thankfully not noticing. The guards searched almost all of the hiding spots before the alarm rung again, them running off to follow it. "Oh thank God." Leo sighed, letting go of Hermione's hand.

"Potter! Gryffindor!" Leo's eyes widened, the Quartet rushing their way through an alleyway only to be at an locked gate. "In here, Potter." The group turned to see an elderly man, the four rushing through the door. Leo was the last to come in, awkwardly bowing to the man who kind of looked like Dumbledore. "Did you get a look at him?" Ron asked Leo as he walked down, Leo nodding. "For a second, I thought that was-" "Dumbledore." Hermione answered, Leo nodding as Harry stared into his broken mirror piece, Leo not knowing where he got it from. "Harry, I see you in this." Hermione spoke, pointing to a broken mirror on the wall as Leo and Ron stared at a girl in a large portrait. She waved back as Harry and Hermione conversed, the two boys waving simultaneously and awkwardly. "You bloody fools. What were you thinking coming here?" The man asked from next to Leo, the boy jumping as he didn't know he was there.

"You have any idea how dangerous it is?" He continued, Harry stepping forward "You're Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother." Harry spoke, Leo's eyebrows raising. "It's you who I've been seeing in here. You're the one who sent Dobby." Harry held up the mirror piece, Abeforth moving to set his curtains up. "Where have you left him?" Abeforth asked, Leo clearing his throat. "He's dead, sir." Leo answered, Harry nodding sadly as Abeforth turned around. "Sorry to hear it. I liked that Elf." He spoke, Leo nodding awkwardly as he adjusted his white button up over his black turtleneck. He just wore his brown dress pants, not bothering to find anything else along with his white boots. Along with Regulus' jacket, of course. "Who gave that to you? The Mirror?" Harry asked quickly, Abeforth walking to them. "Mundungus Fletcher. About a year ago." Leo's face dropped as he stepped forward. "He had no right giving that to you nor having it. It belonged to-" "Your Father, Sirius. Albus told me. He also told me you'd most likely be back off if you had ever found out I had it."

Leo only glared at the man as he walked towards him. "But where would you be if I hadn't?" Abeforth asked, Leo sighing as he had to agree.

-=-

"Oi!" Leo scolded, grabbing a butterbeer and a slice of cake as he scoffed it down, not eating the whole day. Ron and Hermione didn't scold him as they simply did the same thing, Harry not so eager. "Do you hear from the Order much?" Leo asked, his mouth full of food as Abeforth shook his head. "The Order's finished. You-Know-Who's won. Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves." Abeforth answered, Leo eating more. "We need to get into Hogwarts. Tonight. Dumbledore gave us a job to do." Harry declared, Leo's cheeks stuffed like a hamster as he looked to the boy near the painting. "Did he now? Nice job? Easy?" Abeforth asked sarcastically as he poured a drink. "We've been hunting Horcruxes. We think the last one's inside the castle, but we need your help getting in." Harry shot back, Abeforth turning to him. "That's not a job my brother gave you. It's a suicide mission. Do yourself a favour, boy, go home. Live a little longer."

Leo shrugged as he sat down, taking another slice of cake and putting his feet up. "Dumbledore trusted me to see this through." Harry didn't back down, Leo rolling his eyes. Yes, determination and courage was good but Harry has way too much for anyone's patience. "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?" Everyone looked to the girl in the portrait, Leo looking at her book. "Why should he-" "Keep secrets? You tell me." Aberforth interrupted as Leo wiped his mouth, drinking the rest of his butterbeer. "I trusted him." Harry shot back, Abeforth moving towards him. "That's a boy's answer." He taunted, Leo cringing. "A boy who goes chasing Horcruxes on the word of a man who wouldn't even tell him where to start."