Rather than an alarm clock or light shining in through her bedroom window, Sarah was awoken by a giant throwing a tantrum.
"WANT FOOD!" Grawp shouted, stomping his feet so that Sarah's cot bounced on the the cavern floor. "FOOD!!!"
"Alrigh' Grawpy, calm down," Hagrid shouted. "We'll get yeh some food."
The others were still dazed by the rude awakening. Elena had jumped out of bed and was now flailing her wand around, unable to see through the curtain of messy hair still covering her face. Barnaby had fallen out of his cot and sat on the ground spinning his head wildly, apparently confused as to why everyone was suddenly so much taller than him. Merula just grumbled and put her pillow over her head.
"Does anyone mind runnin' down teh the village and grabbin' us some grub?" asked Hagrid. "I don' wanna leave Grawp alone. Aberforth down at the Hog's Head should be willin' teh help us."
"Yeah, I'll do it," said Sarah groggily, pushing off her blanket and pulling her hair into a ponytail.
"Yeh'll need to be careful walkin' through Hogsmeade," said Hagrid. "There'll be nearly as many Death Eaters there as in Knocturn Alley these days."
Barnaby recovered from his stupor and sprang to his feet. "I'll go with you."
"I'll go as well," said Elena at once. She gave an anxious glance at the cranky giant. Grawp was moaning softly as if moments away from death.
"You can't all go!" Merula whined. "Someone with a wand and the ability to walk needs to defend me, in case the giant goes wild."
"He won' do nothin' like tha'," Hagrid insisted, but Barnaby gave Merula a resigned look.
"Okay, I can stay."
"You go with Sarah, Barnaby," said Hagrid quickly. "Ol' Abeforth would prefer to deal with people he knows. Elena can help me catch some rats fer Grawpy teh snack on."
"Lovely," said Elena through a grimace.
So, Sarah placed a disillusionment charm on herself and Barnaby, and the two of them departed. It was so early, they could just see the edge of the orange sunrise behind them. Below them, the valley was shrouded in fog, and there was a slight chill in the air as they began their descent.
It was a difficult journey to the village. There was less a pathway down the mountain and more a succession of jagged and slippery rocks they had to navigate. The process was made more difficult by the disillusionment charm; it was easier to misstep when you couldn't see exactly where your feet landed.
"I wish I had a broom," Sarah muttered, after slipping for the fifth time. Her left ankle throbbed in protest.
"Or a hippogriff," Barnaby agreed.
"Remember when you first introduced me to Featherfur?"
"Yeah. He misses you, you know. When I first got here and found him, he kept looking past me, waiting for you to turn up. I was a little hurt he wanted to see you more than me, to be honest."
She grinned. "He's a good judge of character."
"No, it's just that you were always spoiling him, sneaking him extra treats." He shook his head, grinning. "And I thought I was a softy."
"I think he's the reason I'm here," she said. "Merula and I had been fighting dementors, and I chose the first time you and I rode him together as my happy memory. Right after that, we had to flee Ottery St. Catchpole, and the forest was the first place that popped into my head."
"Then I take back everything I said. I'm gonna slip a few extra treats for that."
Sarah chuckled, then gasped as something bumped her elbow. She jumped violently and would have slipped down the side of the mountain, had Barnaby not grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.
"Sorry, that was me," he said. "I didn't realize you were that close."
"It's okay," she said, still breathing heavy due to the scare.
"Here." He ran his hand down her arm and held her hand. "Now we can keep track of each other."
Sarah was glad her face was invisible.
The rest of the journey proved uneventful, but Barnaby didn't let go of her hand as they walked through the village. Despite Hagrid's warnings, there was no sign of any Death Eaters at this time of morning. The Main Street was deserted and nearly all the shops were closed up. They found the pub with no trouble, and Sarah was able to open the locked door with a simple Alohomora.
The Hog's Head was as dingy and dark as Sarah remembered it, but it was also completely empty.
"Abeforth's probably still asleep," she muttered.
"Should we call him? Or just wait?"
Sarah didn't like the idea of waiting; the longer they stayed here the more likely it was that they'd be discovered, or that Grawp would go on a rampage.
"Um, excuse me, Mr. Dumbledore?" she called, "Sorry to bother you this early, but we really need your help. Uh, Mr. Dumbledore? Aberforth?"
"Oi, what's this mad goat doing down here?!" Barnaby yelled.
They didn't have to wait long.
"Get out of my pub whoever you are, and leave the bleeding goat alone! I ought to--"
Aberforth appeared on the staircase that led to his living quarters, wrapping a dressing gown around himself. He stopped, peering around the pub with narrowed eyes.
"Who's there? Where are you?"
"It's Barnaby Lee."
"And Sarah Spellman."
Abeforth finished tying his robe, then pulled his wand out from under his night cap.
"That supposed to mean anything to me?"
"Oh come on, you don't remember the students that were always coming here when they weren't allowed?"
"Lots of students do that."
"We formed an illegal organization in this pub, and held regular meetings about murder and revenge?"
"That doesn't narrow it down as much as you'd think."
Sighing, Sarah waved her wand in a circle around herself and Barnaby, and the charm faded away.
If anything, the barman just glared at them with more suspicion. "What have you done with my goat?"
"Nothing," said Barnaby quickly. "I just said that to get you to come down. Have you really got one in here?"
"No! Mind your own business."
"Look, Hagrid sent us," said Sarah. "We could use some help."
"Oh ho!" Aberforth moved to stand behind his bar, placing his hands on it and leaning over at them. "I heard about his little escapade yesterday. Don't tell me you two actually attended that ridiculous party!"
"It wasn't really by choice," Sarah muttered, and the barman threw back his head and laughed.
"I told Hagrid it was a dumb idea. I told him no one was gonna come rescue him after he'd pissed off the Death Eaters. The Order's finished. You-Know-Who's won. And now, of course, he comes crawling to me for help."
"The Order isn't finished," said Sarah. "We're still fighting. You're still here."
"The Order is finished," he repeated. "I don't know who you are, but you best be forgetting the Order and keep your head down. You might just survive to live as long as me."
He glared at Sarah. His eyes were so like his brother's, sparkly blue and penetrating, but Sarah had never seen the Headmaster's make such a severe expression.
"So, are you going to help us or not?" she asked. "Hagrid needs a bit of food to last him a few days while he's in hiding. He thought you'd be willing to help."
Aberforth sniffed. "And how exactly are you meaning to pay for all that food?"
"Ummm..."
"Would you consider accepting an I.O.U?" asked Barnaby.
The barman sneered at him. "Now I remember you."
"Please, Mr. Dumbledore," said Sarah. "Your brother would have--"
"Don't talk about my brother!" Aberforth shouted. Sarah took a step back, shocked. The old man sighed. "Alright, I'll throw something together for you, just to get you out of my hair. Tell Hagrid I'll add it to his withstanding tab."
He opened the door to his kitchen and disappeared. They waited, listening to the angry mumbles of the wizard and the distinct bleating of a goat.
"We've also got a giant with us, so make sure there's enough for him," called Barnaby.
"Piss off!"
When Abeforth returned, he slid a small pouch across the bar for Sarah to grab.
"There. That should keep you fed for a day or two. And that's all you're getting."
Sarah held up the pouch, about the size of a small book. "Um...."
"Undetectable extension charm," said Abeforth. "Now get out of my pub, and make sure no one sees you."
"Thank you, Sir," said Sarah. "We'll make sure to pay you back, once the Order and Harry Potter have finished off You-Know-Who."
Aberforth scoffed.
She tucked the pouch in her robes, then disillusioned herself and Barnaby once more, before hurrying from the pub.
There still wasn't a soul outside, though a few of the lights had turned on in the shops and cottages.
"That went well," whispered Barnaby, as they made their way back toward the mountain.
"I suppose. Though I admit I'm disappointed in Aberforth. His fellow Order members have fought and died, even his own brother, for this cause, and he's given up just because the Death Eaters have the upper hand."
"I don't know, he did give us some food," said Barnaby. "So maybe he hasn't completely given up."
"Yeah, maybe."
The trek up the mountain proved more strenuous than going down. Their progress was slow, and it was late morning by the time they'd made their way up to the cavern.
Pip, I think I'm ready. Do you still want to help me?
Yes, of course we do! Where are you?
London. Meet me next to the jeweler's in Diagon Alley.
We can't. Not right now. Merula's been injured. She's still too weak to travel.
What?!
Jacob invaded her mind with such force that she stumbled backward. Her mind had gone blank, but now she saw a clear image of the mountain side.
Where is she? Have you left her alone?
Of course not. She's perfectly safe.
With whom?
...I'd rather not say.
She could feel Jacob's frustration. Give me a minute, I'm coming.
No, Jacob wait!
She shook her head, then realized that Barnaby was holding her shoulders.
"Hey, Sarah? Sarah?" he was saying.
"I'm alright," she said. If she stared hard, she could just make out his outline standing right in front of her. It wasn't difficult to imagine his concerned expression. "It was Jacob talking to me. We need to hurry."
They scurried the last few meters up and into the cave. Grawp was giggling happily as Elena summoned rat after rat and flicked it towards him. He caught them in his mouth with a sickening crunch.
Fang bounded over and jumped up to lick Barnaby's ears, then sniffed curiously at Sarah's pocket.
"About time," said Merula, "What, did you stop for a--"
Crack!
Elena ducked for cover behind a stalagmite and Grawp gave an angry growl as Jacob materialized in the midst of them.
"Jacob?" said Merula breathlessly, her wand raised.
"Jacob Spellman?" asked Hagrid.
Jacob looked around, from Merula on her cot, to Hagrid and Grawp in the corner, to Elena peering out from behind the stalagmite. He couldn't see Sarah and Barnaby, but he called out through gritted teeth, "Pip!"
Sarah took an involuntary step backward, tripping over Fang, who'd taken cover behind them at the loud noise. Fang yelped and ran over to Hagrid.
Jacob stared at the Sarah had fallen. "Is shite like this gonna happen every time I leave you alone for five minutes?"