𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 ; 𝒹.𝒽

fifty-three

"Something like that."

Everyone sat down at a table in the kitchen. Everyone but Aurora was scarfing down food. Aberforth set a glass of mead in front of her carefully, giving her a soft nod. She picked up the glass and took a sip, sitting back in her chair.

"Do you hear much from the others? From the Order?" Hermione asked. 

"The Order is finished. You-KnowWho's won. Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves."

The six exchanged glances and Harry picked at the food. 

"It's not finished," Aurora said, "Voldemort hasn't won just yet."

Aberforth huffed, "what makes you think that?"

She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the Scythe and Basilisk dagger. 

"Celestina and I are human sacrifices," Augustus said lightheartedly. 

"Don't talk like that," Aurora snapped.

He looked to his best friend, "like what?"

"Like it's a bloody joke, Augustus. It's not."

Augustus sighed, "just trying to keep spirits high, Aurora."

"No use in that, Augustus. Stop laughing about the fact that I'll probably have to kill you with my bare hands," Aurora said as she fought back tears.

Celestina looked at her sadly, "we understand–"

"I fucking know that," Aurora said to her, "the fact that he's treating it like some joke makes me feel sick."

"I'm sorry," Augustus quietly said. 

Aurora avoided his gaze, staring down at the Horcrux and dagger. Silence overtook the home for a few moments before Harry spoke up, "we need to get into Hogwarts. Dumbledore gave us a job to do."

"Did he now? Nice job? Easy? Black, how'd you get that Horcrux?" Aberforth asked, "did those scars on your wrist and that black in your chest cost you to get it?"

She gave no answer and Harry carried on, "we've been hunting Horcruxes. We think the last one's in the  school. But we'll need your help getting in. If we can find it and kill it, then we kill him, and then we can end this war once and for all. We need to get into Hogwarts tonight."

Aberforth stayed silent for over a minute, contemplating what Harry had said. 

"It's not a job my brother's given you, it's a suicide mission. Do yourself a favor boy. Go home. Live a little longer. And you, Black, give yourself a rest. Whatever you've seen... it will haunt you for the rest of your days. Take a step back before you do more damage to yourself than you already have because right now you look like you're about one of Augustus' jokes away from killing yourself."

Her eyes flickered up to him, "I think it would shock you at how much damage I've had and how sane I've stayed."

"You're not sane, Black. No one in your family is."

She looked away from him and downed the rest of her mead. 

"Dumbledore trusted Aurora and I, to see this through," Harry said. 

Aberforth turned to Harry, "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?"

He gestured to the painting of a girl hung on the wall. 

"Why should he..."

"Keep secrets? You tell me."

"I only care about the Dumbledore I knew. I trusted him," Harry said. 

Aurora looked at him, "Why?"

"I had no reason not to– Aurora, did you not trust him?"

"Not blindly. Not like you."

Aberforth nodded, "Ah, seems as if Black still has half a mind to think clearly."

"I'm always thinking clearly, thank you."

"You're drunk," Harry said to Aberforth.

"You don't strike me as a fool, Mr. Potter. Miss. Black, well, you certainly don't strike me as a fool. So I'll ask you again, Potter. There must be a reason. Why do you trust anything my brother ever said to you? Why?"

Harry sat mute, his emotions at war with themselves. He eventually said steadily, "Because I need to. Because if I don't, I don't know who I am anymore. I've lost too many people to lie down now. I'm not interested in what happened between you and your brother, I don't even care that you've given up. I trust the man I knew. I'm going to see this through."

Aberforth looked to Aurora, "And you? You don't seem to have much hope."

"I do. I just don't have blind hope," she quietly said. 

"You've seen quite a lot for a young girl, too much. I know that look you have in your eyes, I see it in myself everyday."

"And what look is that?"

"The overwhelming feeling of loneliness."

She blinked away a few tears, "I'm not alone."

"You've lost a lot..." Aberforth trailed off as he glanced to Augustus and Celestina, "and you're seemingly hyperaware that you're about to lose more."

She looked into her empty cup, "have you got any more of this?"

"Eat," Hermione said. 

"I'm not hungry."

"That's not up for discussion," Hermione quipped back, pushing a plate in front of Aurora. 

Harry spoke up, "we lost a close friend. Zoya. She was our best friend, she got us through this hunt for the Horcruxes and so much more. We can't stop now. We can't give up hope. Her death cannot be for nothing. I need to get into the castle. Tonight."

After several seconds of silence and Aurora taking a timid bite of food, Aberforth looked to the painting of the girl, "You know what to do..."

The girl smiled, turning and walking away. 

"Where've you sent her?" Celestina asked. 

"You'll see soon enough."