The Boy Who

Twenty-Three

Entering Battle of Hogwarts time - prepare for longer chapters!

Fleur, with Hermione's helped, healed up my deep wound. It was painful to move certain ways, but the pain wasn't unbearable. However, for my own good, they decided that I'd take time to rest until the pain is completely gone. Harry made a deal to give Griphook the sword of Gryffindor if he helped them get into Bellatrix's vault. He was sure there was a horcrux there after how paranoid she was behaving when she thought we'd gotten inside. They forced me to stay, and there was no arguing about it. Ollivander told Harry that he believed the Deathly Hallows story, making Harry a firm believer that Voldemort was after it.

I was left alone at the cottage. Bill, Fleur, and everyone in the house left to Bill's aunt's house. The Weasley's were targets now that it was made aware that Ron was with Harry, not sick in bed. Their Aunt Muriel's home was covered in a protection spell, so all the Weasley's were there. Harry, Ron, and Hermione left to go to Bellatrix's vault, leaving me completely alone in the cottage. I ate the left overs of the food and while cleaning around, a paper entered through a window.

'Juniper,

I'm not sure how this paper works, but I hope it finds you somehow. I hope you're okay. I've been going crazy not knowing where you are or how your wound is. I'm terrified. Things are getting more and more intense and I feel completely helpless. I wish I could've saved you from the torture. I wish this would all stop. I miss your touch desperately. I miss you. Stay alive. Never forget that I love you.. I truly do, Juniper Reynolds.

Draco Malfoy.'

I looked at the paper, remembering that the journal and pen were left in the tent. I sighed, folding the paper and placing it in my pocket. About an hour later, Hermione appeared in the room with bruises and burn marks all over her.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"We're all fine. Let's go, the guys are waiting. We have to go to Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts?"

She nodded, "Harry had a vision of.. you know. He told Snape, there's a horcrux there, somewhere."

I took in a deep breath, taking her hand as we apparated back to the guys by a river somewhere. Harry and Ron were in the same condition as Hermione was. I noticed the sword was gone and they explained a bit more about what happened. We all left to Hogsmeade in the Invisibility Cloak. Death Eaters were swarming the area and it was obvious they knew we were here. Dementors swarmed the sky and the atmosphere grew cold quickly. Desperate, Harry sent out his patronus to get the dementors away. We heard someone's voice call for us to enter as the Death Eaters noticed the patronus. We ran inside, going upstairs to a room with a painting of a blonde girl.

We walked to the window, listening to the man lie to the Death Eaters, explaining that the patronus was his. Once he entered, Harry immediately recognized him as the man he'd been seeing in his mirror. The man identified himself as Aberforth Dumbledore, the younger brother of our beloved, late professor. He and Harry conversated for some time as I examined the room. Aberforth explained the dark truth about Dumbledore, and how he was involved in the death of their sister, Ariana, the blonde girl in the painting.

Eventually, Harry was able to somehow get the younger Dumbledore to help us. He told Ariana to go, and she walked down the long path in her painting. After a few seconds, she returned with someone and the painting opened to reveal a tunnel. We were surprised to see Neville Longbottom standing before us. His face lit up, excited to see we were back. He led us to Hogwarts, into a strange, unknown room where other students were waiting.

Time passed and more people appeared in the Room of Requirement we were hidden in. Ginny, the Order of the Phoenix, Fred and George, Cho, Dean, and more were ready to fight. Harry left with Luna who had an idea on where the horcrux could be. George walked to me, giving me a tight hug. The pressure on my stomach caused me to wince and he jumped back.