There was now night time and there was very quiet at the snowy and foggy streets of Hogsmeade whwre there were hanging Undersirable posters of the twins almost everywhere.
The quartet apparated into Hogsmeade and an alarm suddenly went off and they ran away from the street to hide.
"They're here!"
"Search everywhere!"
"Look down by the stables! You two, come with me."
"Any sign?"
The quartet hid quietly behind a large desk while the Death Eaters searched for them under the same roof as them.
They almost found them when the larm went louder at an another place making them running off to help the others to find them.
"Potters!"
*
After clearing the coast they ran off to an alley where they stopped infront of a locked grind.
A door behind them opened. "In here Potters."
They quickly obliged while Hermione and Ron hesitated before following them down to the cellar.
"Did yoy get a look at him? For a second, I thought it was-" Ron asked Hermione.
"I know. Dumbledore."
They looked around a bit in the dark cellar where they saw a painting of a brunette girl on a wall smiling lightly. Then Hermione walked over to a mirror where a piece was gone and she saw Harry.
"Harry. I can see you in this."
He looked in to the mirror and saw Hermione's hair in it. He walked over to the mirror to see if the fiece of mirror fitted to the other broken one just when the old man came in. "You bloody fools. What were you thinking coming here? Have you any idea how dangerous it is?"
"You're Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother. It's you I've been seeing in here. You're the one who sent Dobby."
"Where have you left him?"
"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. it belonged to-"
"Sirius. Albus told me. He also told me you'd likely be hacked off if you ever found out I had it, but ask yourself, where would you be if I didn't?"
Aberforth put butterbeer and food on a plate which Hermione and Ron gladly accepted. "Do you hear from the others much? From the Order?"
"The Order's finished. You-Know Who's won. Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves."
"We need to get into Hogwarts, tonight. Dumbledore gave us a job to do."
"Did he now? Nice job? Easy?"
"We've been hunting Horcruxes." Bree said now slightly tad irritated.
"We think the last one's in the castle. We'll need help getting in."
"That's not a job my brother's given you. It's a suicide mission. Do yourself a favor boy and girl, go home. live a little longer."
"Dumbledore trusted us to do this."
"What makes you think you can trust him? 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?"
Bree scratched the back of her head, not really wanting to say that she knew that he manupulated them and that she never really liked him much.
"Why should he..?" Harry kept defending.
"Keep secrets? You tell me."
"I trusted him."
"That's a boy's answer. A boy and a girl who goes chasing Horcruxes on the word of a man who wouldn't even tell them where to start. You're lying! Not just to me, that doesnt matter. To yourself as well. That's what a fool does. You don't strike me as a fool, Harry Potter. So I'll ask you again. There must be a reason."
"I must say that I'm offended by your statement." Bree stepped forward and spoke up. "I'm admitting here right now that i really didn't trust your brother's words. But he had often good intentions, and I'm not a stupid girl hunting Horcruxes by a word of a man. i'm hunting them down because I still have hope. And I'm hunting because of the sake of the present wizarding world and the future."
It was quiet for a while before Harry spoke up.
"I'm not intrested about what happened between you and your brother. I don't care that you've given up. I trusted the man I knew. And we need to get into the castle tonight."
Aberforth didn't say anything back and turned to the lady on the painting. "You know what to do."
She nodded and walked away.
"Where have you sent her?"
"You'll see soon enough." He walked away from them and Ron and Hermione came up to his old spot.
"That's your sister Ariana, isn't it? She died very young, didn't she?" Hermione asked.
"My brother sacrificed any things, Ms and Mr. Potter, on his journey to find power, including Ariana. And she was devoted to him. He gave her everything, but time."
"Thank you, Mr. Dumbledore."
He nodded and walked away from them.
"He did save our lives twice. Kept an eye on us in that mirror. That doesn't seem like someone who's given up."
There was a moment of silence before they saw Ariana walking back. "She's coming back."
"Who's that with her?"
They backed away from the portrait which opened itself.
"Neville?"
"Neville! Oh you look-"
"Like hell, I reckon. This is nothing. Seamus is worse. Hey, Ab, we've got a couple more coming through."
*
They followed Neville into the tunnel and creating light with the tip of their wands.
"I don't remember this on the Marauder's Map. Because it never existed until now. The seven secret passages were sealed off before the start of the year. This is the only way in or out now. The ground are crawling with Death Eaters and Dementors."
"How bad is Snape as headmaster?"
"Hardly ever see him. It's the Carrows you need to watch out for."
"Carrows?"
"Yeah. Brother and sister. In charge of discipline. They like punishment, the Carrows."
"They did that to you? Why?"
"Today's Dark Arts lessons had us practicing the Cruciatus Curse. On first years. I refused. Hogwarts has changed."
"You're really brave you know. Standing up against Death Eaters. All of you who did."
"Thank you, Bree. By the way, someone has often been aksing us if we've been hearing anything from you. If you wanted to know."
"Oh." Bree's face flushed red and her heart rate went up.
Yes, she has been thinking about Fred.
Although, whenever she did, she always happened to imagine the worst. But she had alot of things in her mind making her not having time always thinking about him but did often.
She wondered if he and his family were safe, and how he felt about not hearing about his brother and girlfriend at all for 9 months.
"Let's have a bit of fun, shall we?" Neville said when they came to an another painting which he opened up. "Hey, listen up, you lot. Brought a surprise. Or surprises."
"Not more of Aberforth's cooking, i hope. Be asurprise if we can digest it." Seamus said.
Neville raied and sunk down his eyebrows and stepped out of the way revealing the twins behind him.
"Blimey." Seamus said standing up and applauding.
The rest of the others gasped and looked happy, standing up and applauding too. "Harry! Bree!"
"Finally!"
"Yeah!"
They climbed down to the others and hugging their friends and smiling at the others.
"Get the word out to Remus and the others that Harry and Bree's back." Harry told Nigel who nodded and ran off. "Okay, okay. Let's not kill them before You-Know-Who..."
"River, D.A. calling. Do you read? Lightnings has struck, I repeat, lightnings has struck."
"What's the plan, Harry and Bree?"
There was asilence where everyone were smiling hopefully at the twins who were looking at them back awkwardly.
"O-okay." Bree started. "There's something we need to find. Something hidden here in the castle. And it may help us defeat You-Know-Who."
"Right. What is it?"
"We don't know." Harry answered.
"Where is it?"
"We don't know that either. I realize it's not much to go on."
"That's nothing to go on." Seamus said.
"We think it has something to do with Ravenclaw. Um, it'll be small, easily concealed. Anyone any ideas?"
No one except for Luna said anything. "There's Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem."
"Oh bloody hell. Here we go."
"Lost diadem of Ravenclaw. Hasn't abyone heard of it? It's quite famous."
"Yes, but Luna, it's lost, for centuries now. There isn't a person alive today who's seen it." Cho said.
"Excuse me. Can someone tell me what a diadem is?" Ron asked.
"It's a sort of crown. You know, like a tiara."
Suddenly they heard running footsteps behind the crowd revealing Ginny who looked only at Harry right then. "Harry."
"Hi there." He answered awkwardly.
"Six months she hasn't seen me and it's like i'm Frankie First year. I'm her brother."
"Got lots of those. There's only one Harry."
"Shut up, Seamus."
Bree snickered. "Good one, Seamus."
"What is it, Ginny?"
"Snape knows. He knows that Harry and Bree was spotted in Hogsmeade."
Everyone turned to look at the twins and Bree's smile fell. "Bad one, Snape."
**
Bree and Harry decided to disguise themselves with the students who were marching down in sync to the Great Hall while Amycus Carrow watching.
In the Great Hall, the students stood on a row splitted in four parts where Snape walked up to the front through and the Carrow's behind him.
"Many of you are surely wondering why I have summoned you at this hour. It's come to my attention that earlier this evening, Ambree and Harry Potter was sighted in Hogsmeade."
That got the students attention alright whispering to each other.
"Now." He said loudly. "Should anyone, student or staff, attempt to aid Mr and Ms. Potter, they will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their transgression. Furthermore. Any person found to have knowledge of these events, who fails to come forward, will be treated as equally guilty. Now then.."
He started to walk forward slowly a bit. "..if anyone here has any knoledge of Mr and Ms. Potter's movements this evening, I invite them to step forward... now."
Absolutely no one moved and they all avoided Snape's eyes.
It was quiet for a while. Until the twins both stepped forward from different crowds making everyone gasp and surprising Snape himself.
"It seems, despite your exhaustive defensife strategies, you still have a bit of security problem, headmaster." Everyone left of the order stepped inside the Great Hall behind the twins. "And I'm afraid it's still quite extensive."
As the door opened, Bree felt the heated gaze on her back and her hart beat so fast you'd think that she ran from Hogsmeade up to the castle but didn't dare meeting his eyes quite yet because it would be so overwhelming.
"How dare you stand where he stood? Tell them how it happened that night." Harry then raised his voice and shouted at Snape. "Tell them how you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him. Tell them."
Snape took out his wand and pointed it at the twins and saying nothing.
Pure instinct Harry steps infront of Bree concealing her while she looked surprised and McGonagall stepped infront of them herself making everyone gasp.
Snape hesitated but pointed his wand at her.
She shot the first spell which he deflected. She shot again which he once again deflected over and over again not firing a spell towards her at all.
He knocked the Carrows out behind him before flying out of the window.
"Coward!"
The twins threw their robes off and McGonagall lit up the room while all the students cheered which didn't last long because the room started to spin.
"Harry, Ambree."
"Potters?" McGonagall asked worriedly.
The room went darker and a student sat in a corner screaming and cluthcing her ears.
Padma Patil also clutched her ears and started screaming until a voice spoke quietly but loudly.
Harry being on edge right now held onto Bree's hand tighlty dragging her with him just in case.
"I know that many of you will want to fight.
Some of you mey even think that to fight is wise.
But it is folly.
Give me Ambree and Harry Potter.
Do this and none shall be harmed.
Give me Ambree and Harry Potter and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched.
Give me Ambree and Harry Potter and you will be rewarded.
You have one hour."
The room lit up again and it was pin drop silent, some students backing away and then Pansy Parkinson spoke up. "What are you waiting for? Someone grab them."
Ginny quickly went to step infront of Harry while Hermione closest to Bree stepped infront of her. The DA went and stood infront of them to and the younger Order members.
Fredbacked and stood next to Bree who looked oddly calm and held her hand, interwining their fingers together.
She squeezed his hand and smiled up at him before leaning on his arm.
"Students out of bed. Students out of bed! Students in the corridor!" Filch shouted while running in with Mrs. Norris.
"They're supposed to be out of bed, you blithering idiot."
"Oh. Sorry ma'am.
"As it happens Mr. Filch, your arrival is most opportune. If you would, I would like you, please to lead Miss Parkinson and the rest of Slytherin House from the hall."
"Exactly where is it I'll be leading them to?"
"The dungeous would do."
The students applauded while Harry started to go towards McGonagall.
"Just outside the hall, wait there." Bree sais to Fred who nodded and walked away and Bree following her brother.
"I presume you have a reason for returning. What do you need?"
"Time, professor. As musch as you can get us."
"Do what you hve to do. I'll secure the castle. Potters. It's good to see you."
"It's good to see you too, Professor." They said in unison. "Hold the fort, Neville."
And then they ran off. "Harry. Go before me towards the tower. I need to do something."
Harry looked confused and uneasy. But he did see the happiness in her eyes which he hadn't seen in a very long time and slowly nodded. "You have to promise to come and find me."
"I promise."
Then he ran off towards the stairs where the painting people and students were running away.
Bree turned around only to suddenly being kissed by someone.
Fred.
they have only kissed once before but she did recognize the owner of the lips.
They pulled away and gave each other a bright smile.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too."
"Where were you and the others? What did you do? None of us heard anything from you in nine months."
Bree sighed and pressed her forhead against his. "I'll tell you all that when this chaos is over. We couldn't reach you, it would expose our location and if it got into wrong hands..." She trailed off.
"I get it. You're here now."
"Yeah. But as much as I want this reunion to be longer, I have a mission to finish so I'm sorry but i gotta go. But you need to have this. Use it when you most need it, but it can only be used one time. Then it won't work." Bree gave him the time turner and ran off upstairs.
"Harry! Hermione and I have been thinking. It doesn't matter if we find a Horcrux."
"What do you mean?"
"Unless we can destroy it."
"So we were thinking-"
"Ron was. It was Ron's idea. Completely brilliant."
"You destroyed Tom Riddle's diary with a basilisk fang, right?"
He nodded.
"Me and Hermione know where we might find one."
"Okay." He gave them the Marauder's map. "Okay but take this. That way you can find me when you get back."
"Where are you going?"
"Ravenclaw common room. Gotta start somewhere." He ran off upstairs while the other two went downstairs.
Bree spotted Harry running up and ran up to catch up with him and Luna behind were also trying to catch up with the both of them. "Bree! Harry!"
________________________________