The Family That Lived

²⁴|ɪᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ɪꜱ ʏᴏᴜ

"Hey look at me, it's Harry. I am still alive love, nothing happened to me."

"I am not still dreaming anymore?" she asked, nervously biting her lips. She got down but still held onto the back of Harry's neck. "It seemed so real."

"I know it did, but it was just a dream."

She nodded and pulled him into a hug. Her eyes were closed and through a small opening between the tent flaps, she saw two very familiar faces. A red-head with her head buried in the chest of a man who was holding her tightly.

She jerked back and asked, "How are they here? What happened?"

Harry chuckled, it warmed Hermione's heart. Somehow it always did whenever he would ruffle his hair or give her a sloppy smile.

"They are alive Mione, they came an hour after you fell asleep. I don't know what happened, they ate and slept. I hugged them Mione and it felt so real, I never thought I would ever see them."

She gave into the contagious smile and grinned, forgetting all about her nightmare. She turned around and looked at the moon. He snaked his arms around her waist and she crossed her hands over them. Her head leaned back to his chest.

After a few moments, he spun her around and tugged a loose strand of the brown hair behind her ear. "Why don't you go back to sleep?"

"Why don't you both, Luna and I will keep guard" Ginny announced from the back. Harry gave a small smile accompanied with a nod.

Ginny had gotten over her childhood crush and now she had started appreciating the bond between the two in front of her right now. Besides, she had a new crush and the questioning of her sexuality to worry about.

She looked over at the innocent blonde next to her and said, "so do you have another story for me today Lunes."

Luna's face lit up as she started narrating about the existence of Blibbering Humdinger.

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Morning came along with the rhythmic sound from the birds around their tent. Remus, Sirius along with Draco and Neville had woken up early to find berries or fruits to eat. Along their trip, sometimes they would be lucky to have a stream next to them and they will catch some fish.

Everybody sat on the table, eating in uncomfortable silence. Harry decided to break it.

"So will you tell us what happened?" Harry asked, scratching the wood of the table with his nails.

"If you are comfortable to do so" Hermione added, smiling at them and getting smiles back.

So all of them told their parts of the story. How Narcissa saved their lives, to the way they escaped. James had obliviated Lucius, so they were sure of the safety.

"I am so sorry you had to go through that" Luna said softly.

"I am so glad you all made it out," Ron said with a warm smile on his face.

The conversation dipped to a serious note again as all the children took turns telling them about their horcruxes.

"We should go to Hogwarts," Lily said.

"Wouldn't that be reckless?" Neville asked.

"No, Lily is right. There are death eaters everywhere looking for you. If you take the fight to Hogwarts, that is the only way we can stand a chance to fight." James said.

"No, there are so many there. We can't endanger them, we don't even know what the last horcrux is" Harry said.

Hermione had been thinking about it a lot and in the back of her mind, she knew the answer. She knew exactly what the last horcrux was. She stared at the scar on Harry's forehead and caught Lily do the same.

They both knew what the other was thinking. However, they both shook their head and broke eye contact.

"Let me write to Dumbledore, we can see what he has to say," Draco said, standing up and heading towards the bunch of paper and ink in the corner of the tent.

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"He approved" Draco exclaimed after reading the reply he had received. "He has a suspicion of the last horcrux and he also says that Hogwarts can provide the best defence. If you go there, Voldemort will follow and we can kill Nagini and destroy the diadem there."

"But how will we enter?" George asked.

"There are death eaters all around Hogwarts, that includes Hogsmeade" Fred continued.

"There is someone who is going to help us," Draco said, his eyes lingering on the letter in his hand.

"This says that Aberforth would" Draco readout.

"Who?" Ron asked.

Draco squinted his eyes and readout, "Aberforth Dumbledore."