𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 | √

⎡94⎦

I took my wand out from my bag and threw in Bellatrix's wand. It was getting dark now, and everything seemed much calmer. I grabbed Hermione's hand in one and Harry's in another, and we apparated to Hogsmeade: dark shop fronts, and the outline of black mountains beyond the village, and the curve in the road ahead that led off toward Hogwarts, and light spilling from the windows of the Three Broomsticks. But when we appeared, sirens immediately went off. We glanced at each other before dashing off into an alley. There was a big commotion.

"Right here. Come on!" I heard as we escaped to a cloth covered bench.

"Search everywhere!"

"Go, move!"

I could hear people approaching, opening the cloths covering the other tables. The sirens went on again, and I could hear the sound of their retreating footsteps.

"Faster!"

We got up from our hiding place and ran to another alley but were stopped by a large gate. A door to one of the shops opened.

"In here, Potter!" a man whisper-yelled from a glance he looked like Dumbledore? Harry glanced at us before rushing into the store. We followed the man downstairs quickly.

"Did you get a look at him?" Hermione asked me. "For a second I thought that was..."

"I know. Dumbledore!" I replied. We walked around the room slowly. There was a moving picture on the wall of a young girl, no older than 14, with blond hair and eyes that sparkled like Dumbledore's once did. Did Dumbledore have a sister? I looked at the wall some more and saw a mirror where a triangle shape of it was cut, just like the shape of Harry's mirror in his sock. In the mirror was Harry's face.

"Harry? I can see you in this," I said, glancing back at him. He was looking in his Mirror shard. The door opened again.

"Bloody fools, what are you thinking coming here? Have you any idea how dangerous it is?" The man stood there, with a long gray beard and hair. He looked like Dumbledore, but without that kind sense of humor that Dumbledore once had.

"You're Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother. It's you who I've been seeing in here," said Harry, pointing to his mirror shard. "You're the one who sent Dobby."

"Why've you left him?" Aberforth asked walking over to the window.

"He's dead."

"Sorry to hear it. I liked that elf."

"Who gave that to you? The mirror?"

"Mundungus Fletcher, about a year ago."

"Dung had no right selling that to you. It belongs to..."

"Sirius... Albus told me." Aberforth approached Harry. He also told me you'd likely be hacked off, if you ever found that I had it, but ask yourself: Where would you be if I didn't?"

After their mini staring contest, Aberforth went to get us food. I hadn't realized I was ravishingly hungry until the food was set on the table. I dove the bread and grabbed a butterbeer, taking it all at once.

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

"The Order has finished. You-Know-Who has won. Anyone who says otherwise is killing themselves."

"We need to get into Hogwarts, tonight," Harry said, still standing where he was 5 minutes ago. "Dumbledore gave us a job to do."

"Did he now?" Aberforth asked. "Nice job? Easy?"

"We've been hunting Horcruxes. We think the last one's inside the castle. But we'll need your help getting in." Harry explained.

"The job my brother has given you is a suicide mission. Do yourself a favor, boy. Go home!" Aberforth said. "Live a little longer."