Part IV: Revolution
Chapter XVIII: In Which They Gotta Get Back to Hogwarts
London melted underneath them into a green-and-grey grid as the dragon rose higher and higher. Corinna did not even want to consider the Statute of Secrecy nightmare this might cause if Muggles saw the dragon, but her biggest concern right then was not falling off. She dared not move from where she clung to the scales despite the pain and tension in her arms and legs. Although the wind was cool, it did very little to soothe the burns all along her body.
As they moved further away from London proper, the scene changed before them into green and brown lands, sometimes dotted with the occasional small city or town. Nothing compared to the capital, mind, but at least it gave something interesting to look at while panicking.
They were on the back of a near-blind dragon flying across the countryside. How soon was it before they reached the shores? What were they going to do if the dragon decided to descend on the Atlantic?
Corinna wanted to voice her concerns, but the only things that seem to come out of her mouth were incoherent screams and the occasional swear. Hermione and Ron did not seem to be fairing much better, which gave Corinna some reassurances that she was, at least, not alone in her panic.
Time also seemed to be working against them as the sky steadily grew into a shade of indigo. Corinna couldn't tell if the heist had taken that long or if they had simply been on the dragon for the duration. Either way, it seemed impossible for it to already be nightfall.
"Is it my imagination," shouted Ron, "or are we losing height?"
Corinna carefully lifted her head and looked over at the side. She did seem to note more details in the surrounding area. With the sun low in the horizon, she suspected that the dragon must have noticed the flashing light refracting off the surface of the lake. The dragon seemed to fly in a circle as it aimed for one of the lakes.
"I say we jump when it gets low enough!" Harry called back. "Straight into the water before it realizes we're here!"
It was met with reluctance that they agreed to the plan, mostly because no one could come up with anything better.
They all held steady, waiting for Harry's inevitable, "NOW!" to cue them to fall into the lake. Corinna made sure to fall feet first, but the height still sent shocks through her system as she fell through into the reedy lake. It was colder than expected, but it came at a relief for her burns and her sore muscles from their fight and immediate flight afterwards.
The relief was short-lived as she surfaced and realized how far from shore they were. She was not the best swimmer, as her grandfather preferred to focus more on her academic education rather than on silly things such as sport. She still managed to hold her own when trying to paddle to shore, but she imagined she was significantly slowed down by the robes she wore. Although it was one of the smaller lakes they landed in, the shore did not come soon enough as the four of them clambered onto the rocky land, panting and exhausted.
The slippery, muddy grass was the most comfortable thing Corinna had ever laid upon. She wasn't even aware of Harry calling up protection spells, and she wasn't even sure where he had gotten the strength to do that from. Both Ron and Hermione looked as exhausted as she felt.
Hermione managed to sit up and pull out her beaded bag. From there, they changed into dry robes and treated their burns with essence of dittany. She even pulled out a bottle of pumpkin juice for each of them, most likely taken from Shell Cottage. Corinna did not care, greedily drinking to help ease the burning in her throat.
"Well, on the upside," said Ron, breaking their silence, "we got the Horcrux. On the downside-"
"-no sword," Harry supplied with a clenched jaw.
"No sword. That double-crossing little scab."
"Well, we were also planning on crossing him," muttered Corinna, and she coughed to clear her throat again.
Harry pulled the Horcrux out of his pocket. The gold seemed to glow in the ever-fading sunlight.
"At least we can't wear it this time, that'd look a bit weird hanging round our necks," said Ron.
Corinna glanced across the lake to the opposite shore where the dragon was lapping up the water, content to float along in the cool water.
"What'll happen to it, do you think?" asked Hermione. "Will it be all right?"
"You sound like Hagrid," said Ron. "It's a dragon, Hermione, it can look after itself. It's us we need to worry about."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I don't know how to break this to you, but I think they might have noticed we broke into Gringotts."
They all four looked at each other while the tension rose around them, but it was immediately shattered when they all broke into laughter. Corinna did not even notice how much it hurt her throat and chest; once they started, it was neigh impossible to stop. She wasn't sure why they all found it so funny. Maybe being in near-death experiences did that to people. She glanced over when Harry fell back into the grass, his head only a few inches from her hip.
"What are we going to do, though?" asked Hermione. "He'll know, won't he? You-Know-Who will know we know about his Horcruxes!"
"Maybe they'll be too scared to tell him?" said Ron with a hopeful look on his face as Hermione leaned against his shoulder. "Maybe they'll cover up what happened?"
"They won't be able to cover up something like this for long," said Hermione as she closed her eyes. "We were spotted by more than just the goblins and Death Eaters."
They all lapsed into silence, the elation they felt earlier suddenly very much gone, leaving dread in its wake. Corinna rubbed at her sore eyes, wanting nothing more than to collapse as well. She glanced over at Harry. His eyes were closed, but he had a pain expression on his face. Thinking he might need more essence of dittany, she reached over and shook his shoulder. "Harry?"
He twisted away from her grasp, and he was muttering under his breath. "Wait, is he..."
"In You-Know-Who's head?" Hermione supplied, her eyes immediately open and moving to be next to Harry. Ron was right behind her. "Probably."
The next few moments were tense as all they could do was wait for Harry to come to. Harry's eyes suddenly opened. He slowly sat up and Corinna leaned over to give him a hand as it seemed every part of him was shaking.
"He knows." Harry swallowed thickly as he scrubbed a hand down his face. "He knows, and he's going to check where the others are, and the last one..." He struggled to his feet, and the others did the same, "is at Hogwarts. I knew it. I knew it!"
"But what did you see?" asked Hermione, exchanging worried glances with Ron. "How do you know?"
"I saw him find out about the cup, I—I was in his head, he's...he's seriously angry, and scared too, he can't understand how we knew, and now he's going to check the others are safe, the ring first. He thinks the Hogwarts one is safest, because Snape's there, because it'll be so hard not to be seen getting in, I think he'll check that one last, but he could still be there within hours-"
"Did you see where in Hogwarts it is?" asked Ron.
"No, he was concentrating on warning Snape, he didn't think about exactly where it is-"
"Wait, wait," cried Hermione as Harry was already grabbing the Invisibility Cloak and Ron was grabbing the Horcrux. "We can't just go, we haven't got a plan, we need to-"
"We need to get going," Harry urged. "Can you imagine what he's going to do once he realizes the ring and the locket are gone? What if he moves the Hogwarts Horcrux, decides it isn't safe enough?"
"But how are we going to get in?"
"I know a way," said Corinna. "We just need to get to Hogsmeade. There's an entrance there that neither Snape nor You-Know-Who know about."
"That's impossible! All the entrances to the school have been blocked off."
"It's not impossible since I went through it."
"We don't have time to argue," said Harry. "Get under the Cloak, Hermione, I want to stick together this time."
"But we don't really fit—"
"It'll be dark, no one's going to notice our feet."
Hermione shook her head but joined their weird circle. It was true that the invisibility cloak really did not fit around them, but it would have to be enough. Harry pulled the Cloak down as far as it would go and turned on the spot.
The familiar crush squeezed them as the darkening shores faded into the dark High Street of Hogsmeade Village. Corinna had never seen the village at night before, only visiting during the day for Hogsmeade Weekends. She couldn't tell if it was due to what was going on or if Hogsmeade was always like this, but it was oddly quiet.
And then there was a scream.
The scream was high and cold. It caused the hairs on her arms to stand on end as the door to the Three Broomsticks was thrown open and a stream of Death Eaters filed out. Corinna went to grab her wand, but Harry stopped her and the other two companions. He gave them each a look that warned not to shoot off spells. They were outnumbered and he was depending on the Cloak to protect them.
A Death Eater waved his wand and the screaming stopped, but it could still be heard in the echo off the surrounding mountains. "Accio Cloak!" one of the Death Eaters shouted. Harry grabbed the edge of the Cloak, but it did not seem to move.
"Not under your wrapper, then, Potter?" He turned to his fellow companions. "Spread out. He's here."
As six of them approached, the four of them attempted to back up into the nearest side street. Corinna could feel the cloak of one of the Death Eaters as they scrambled past their hiding spot. They stood in the darkness, trying not to draw attention to themselves, but it seemed that the Death Eaters were determined to find them. They were shooting off spells left and right in hopes to hit something.
"Let's just leave," Hermione whispered urgently. "Disapparate now!"
"No," said Corinna lowly, cutting Ron off when he was about to agree. "We just need to get to the Hogs Head."
"We know you're here, Potter, and there's no getting away! We'll find you!"
"They were ready for us," whispered Harry. "They set up that spell to tell them we'd come. I reckon they've done something to keep us here, trap us—"
"What about dementors?" called another Death Eater. "Let 'em have free rein, they'd find him quick enough!"
"The Dark Lord wants Potter dead by no hand but his—"
"—an' dementors won't kill him! The Dark Lord wants Potter's life, not his soul. He'll be easier to kill if he's been Kissed first!"
They were all in jovial agreement and Corinna wasn't certain what they could do at this point. To repel the dementors would mean having to produce Patronuses, which would certainly give their location away. Hermione made a suggestion to Disapparate and try again, but the cold was already creeping up on them. Dread filled every ounce of Corinna as she felt Harry and Hermione shift against them, but nothing seemed to happen. They weren't able to Disapparate out of there.
Quickly and silently, the moved along the edge of the side street, hardly able to see anything in the sudden darkness. The only thing darker seemed to be the dementors that flew in. There was at least a dozen of them in their dark cloaks and rotting hands. Corinna felt Harry's arm shift, but she caught it. There was a better chance if it were anyone else who summoned theirs. She was glad that Harry lowered his arm as she trained her wand out. She thought of Harry, Ron, and Hermione getting out of this alive as she whispered, "Expecto Patronum!"
She had never needed to summon her Patronus for dementors before, so it came to a relief to her that her familiar dolphin burst forth. It swam gracefully through the air to drive the dementors back.
"What was Potter's Patronus again?" a Death Eater shouted to the others. "A stag? That's a fucking dolphin!"
The stars reappeared as the dementors fled the scene. The Death Eaters were growing louder as they followed after where the dolphin had originated. Now that they could see where they were, she was almost relieved to see that they were in front of the Hog's Head Inn. There was a grinding of bolts and the door creaked open.
"Crouch, in here!" whispered Aberforth urgently.
She did not need to be told twice. She shoved the other three into the pub. Aberforth urged them into the back room that Corinna was all too familiar with. They kept away from the window where they could be seen from the street, finding themselves next to the portrait of the blonde girl who had led Corinna and many students out to safety.
Harry removed the Cloak as Aberforth loudly argued with the Death Eaters that he was the one who sent the Patronus. There were shouts back and forth, but the Death Eaters eventually retreated when Aberforth pointed out how they would have no where to do their sidelining businesses if the Hog's Head shut down.
There was a collective sigh of relief as Ron collapsed into a nearby chair and Harry stuffed his Cloak back into his pocket. Corinna glanced back at the girl and gave her a small smile and a nod.
Aberforth came marching into the back.
"You bloody fools," he said gruffly. "What were you thinking, coming here?"
"Thank you," said Harry. "We can't thank you enough. You saved our lives."
Aberforth turned his attention to Corinna, eying her closely. "Thought you were captured. Everyone figured you were as good as dead."
"Not yet," said Corinna with a shrug.
"I'm sorry," said Harry, studying Aberforth closely. "How do you know each other?"
"I, er, well…" Corinna sighed heavily. "During the few months I was at Hogwarts, I sort of…smuggled students out so that their families could go on the run with them." She waved vaguely. "It's how I knew we should come here to get into the castle."
"Hang on, we'll get back to that," said Harry quickly, but then he pointed an accusatory finger towards Aberforth. "But it's your eye I've been seeing in the mirror. You sent Dobby."
Aberforth nodded and glanced around. "Thought he'd be with you. Where've you left him?"
"With some of Ron's family," said Harry. "Figured it wasn't safe for him to go back to the castle since some Death Eaters saw him."
"Smart," he said. "Though, wish he came with you. I like that elf."
Aberforth bent down to light a fire in the fireplace when Harry blurted out, "You're Aberforth, aren't you? How'd you get this?" He pointed to the mirror on the mantelpiece, something Corinna hadn't noticed.
"Bought it from Dung 'bout a year ago," said Aberforth, not commenting on the first question. "Albus told me what it was. Been trying to keep an eye out for you."
"The silver doe!" Ron said excitedly. "Was that you too?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Someone sent a doe Patronus to us!"
"Mine's a goat," said Aberforth. "Though now I have to claim a dolphin, don't I?"
"Better than trying to explain the stag," said Corinna, giving Harry a look, but he still seemed transfixed by the mirror.
Silence enveloped the odd group, until Ron's stomach rumbled and he complained of hunger. Corinna did not even realize how hungry she was until Aberforth came back with a large loaf of bread, some cheese, and a jug of mead. They all dug in, the only sounds coming from clanking goblets and chewing. Corinna couldn't even bring herself to care how grimy the dishes were.
Once they had their fill, Ron and Harry sat lopsided in their chairs. Hermione also sat, but she was curiously looking at the books on the shelf. Aberforth broke into an explanation on how to get them out of there, explaining how they couldn't go by night because of the curfew.
"We're not leaving," said Harry, sitting up a bit straighter when Aberforth glared over at him. "We need to get into Hogwarts."
"Don't be stupid, boy! You need to get as far from here as you can."
"You don't understand. There isn't much time. We've got to get into the castle. Dumbledore—I mean, your brother—wanted us—"
"Albus wanted a lot of things," said Aberforth as he stared at the firelight. He leaned heavily against the mantlepiece, looking as old as he was. It was easy to think of Dumbledore as younger than he was as he seemed to give off an odd childish air, but he had his moments when he was wise. Aberforth seemed to have none of these qualities, instead simply being old and bitter. "People had a habit of getting hurt while he was carrying out his grand plans. You get away from this school, Potter, and out of the country if you can. Forget my brother and his clever schemes. He's gone where none of this can hurt him, and you don't owe him anything."
"You don't understand—"
"Oh, don't I? You don't think I understood my own brother? Think you knew Albus better than I did?"
"I didn't mean that. It's…he left me a job."
"Did he now? Nice job, I hope? Pleasant? Easy? Sort of thing you'd expect an unqualified wizard kid to be able to do without overstretching themselves?"
Ron gave a laugh, and Hermione looked torn. Corinna, who had joined the party late, merely focused on her half-drunk goblet of mead. This argument between Aberforth and Harry felt reminiscent of the one she had with Uncle Ted, and she was glad she wasn't involved in this one besides being a bystander.
"It's not easy, no. But I've got to—"
"'Got to'? Why 'got to'? He's dead, isn't he? Let it go, boy, before you follow him! Save yourself!"
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"I—"
"We don't actually need his help," said Corinna coldly when Harry seemed to flounder for an answer. "We just have to march through that portrait and we'll be—"
"Will you now?" asked Aberforth. "You think that's all it takes?"
Corinna and Aberforth stared at each other, Harry and the others completely forgotten in that moment.
Knowing full well it was a trick question, she still answered with a firm, "Yes."
"Too bad she only listens to me," said Aberforth. "I'm only trying to save your hides here. Get out while you still can. He wants Potter too much, so you might as well leave the country. All of you, since he knows you've been helping him."
"I can't leave," said Harry. "I've got a job—"
"Give it to someone else!"
"I can't. It's got to be me, Dumbledore explained it all—"
"Did he now? And did he tell you everything, was he honest with you?"
Silence followed Aberforth's question. They all knew the real answer to that question, but none of them—especially Harry—were willing to voice it out loud.
"I knew my brother, Potter. He learned secrecy at our mother's knee. Secrets and lies, that's how we grew up, and Albus…he was a natural."
He glanced at the portrait of the girl, and Corinna's heart tightened. She went through that tunnel numerous times and she did not even think to ask how the girl and Aberforth knew each other. She felt selfish and guilty at the lack of awareness on her part.
"Mr. Dumbledore?" said Hermione, her voice hesitant, especially when Aberforth did not look her way. "Is that your sister? Ariana?"
"Yes. Been reading Rita Skeeter, have you, missy?"
Hermione glanced away, her face growing red.
"Elphias Doge mentioned her to us," said Harry, rather quickly.
"That old berk." Aberforth took a swig of his mead. "Thought the sun shone out of my brother's arse, he did. Well, so did plenty of people, you four included, by the looks of it."
Harry looked away from Aberforth, looking conflicted. Despite the orange firelight, he seemed colorless. He met Corinna's eye a moment before glancing away, back into the dancing flames.
"Professor Dumbledore cared about Harry, very much," said Hermione in a low voice.
"Did he now? Funny thing, how many of the people my brother cared about very much ended up in a worse state than if he'd left 'em well alone."
"What do you mean?"
"Never you mind."
Corinna's mouth went dry as she looked back up at the portrait of Ariana. She gave a slight nod and she turned her attention back to Aberforth. "Are you talking about your sister?" she asked softly.
Aberforth turned away from the fire and glared right at Corinna. She did her best not to shirk away from the intense, electric-blue. "When my sister was six years old, she was attacked, set up, by three Muggle boys. They'd seen her doing magic, spying through the back garden hedge: she was a kid, she couldn't control it, no witch or wizard can at that age. What they saw scared them, I expect. They forced their way through the hedge, and when she couldn't show them the trick, they got a bit carried away trying to stop the little freak doing it."
Corinna blinked at Aberforth, not quite expecting what came from his lips. The rest of them sat there, looking sick and tense. She immediately regretted poking this bear.
"It destroyed her, what they did: she was never right again. She wouldn't use magic, but she couldn't get rid of it; it turned inward and drove her mad, it exploded out of her when she couldn't control it, and at times she was strange and dangerous. But mostly she was sweet and scared and harmless.
"And my father went after the bastards that did it and attacked them. And they locked him up in Azkaban for it. He never said why he'd done it, because if the Ministry had known what Ariana had become, she'd have been locked up in St. Mungo's for good. They'd have seen her as a serious threat to the International Statute of Secrecy, unbalanced like she was, with magic exploding out of her at moments when she couldn't keep it in any longer.
"We had to keep her safe and quiet. We moved house, put it about she was ill, and my mother looked after her, and tried to keep her calm and happy.
"I was her favorite. Not Albus, he was always up in his bedroom when he was home, reading his books and counting his prizes, keeping up with his correspondence with 'the most notable magical names of the day.' He didn't want to be bothered with her. She liked me best. I could get her to eat when she wouldn't do it for my mother, I could get her to calm down when she was in one of her rages, and when she was quiet, she used to help me feed the goats.
"Then, when she was fourteen…See, I wasn't there. If I'd been there, I could have calmed her down. She had one of her rages, and my mother wasn't as young as she was, and…it was an accident. Ariana couldn't control it. But my mother was killed.
"So that put paid to Albus's trip round the world with little Doge. The pair of 'em came home for my mother's funeral and then Doge went off on his own, and Albus settled down as head of the family. Ha!
"I'd have looked after her, I told him so, I didn't care about school, I'd have stayed home and done it. He told me I had to finish my education and he'd take over from my mother. Bit of a comedown for Mr. Brilliant, there's no prizes for looking after your half-mad sister, stopping her blowing up the house every other day. But he did all right for a few weeks…till he came.
"Grindelwald. And at last, my brother had an equal to talk to, someone just as bright and talented as he was. And looking after Ariana took a backseat then, while they were hatching all their plans for a new Wizarding order, and looking for Hallows, and whatever else it was they were so interested in. Grand plans for the benefit of all Wizardkind, and if one young girl got neglected, what did that matter, when Albus was working for the greater good?
"But after a few weeks of it, I'd had enough, I had. It was nearly time for me to go back to Hogwarts, so I told 'em, both of 'em, face-to-face, like I am to you now. I told him, you'd better give it up now. You can't move her, she's in no fit state, you can't take her with you, wherever it is you're planning to go, when you're making your clever speeches, trying to whip yourselves up a following. He didn't like that. Grindelwald didn't like that at all. He got angry. He told me what a stupid little boy I was, trying to stand in the way of him and my brilliant brother…Didn't I understand, my poor sister wouldn't have to be hidden once they'd changed the world, and led the wizards out of hiding, and taught the Muggles their place?
"And there was an argument…and I pulled out my wand, and he pulled out his, and I had the Cruciatus Curse used on me by my brother's best friend—and Albus was trying to stop him, and then all three of us were dueling, and the flashing lights and the bangs set her off, she couldn't stand it…and I think she wanted to help, but she didn't really know what she was doing, and I don't know which of us did it, it could have been any of us—and she was dead.
Corinna stared in horror as Aberforth collapsed into the nearest chair. He was so pale at this point, she doubted there was any blood left in his body. He was shaking badly and his eyes were practically white from his tears reflected the fire. She felt like she was sick, and wished she hadn't pushed Aberforth the way that they did. She glanced back at the portrait of the girl, looking as solemn as she always did, but there wasn't any hope in her eyes.
"I'm so…I'm so sorry," said Hermione, so softly that her voice barely carried through the silent room.
"Gone…gone forever." He sniffled loudly and wiped his nose against his sleeve. "'Course, Grindelwald scarpered. He had a bit of a track record already, back in his own country, and he didn't want Ariana set to his account too. And Albus was free, wasn't he? Free of the burden of his sister, free to become the greatest wizard of the—"
"He was never free."
Corinna turned sharply to look over at Harry, his jaw set with determination. Even Aberforth seemed taken aback, still seeming to be lost in his own story.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Never. The night that your brother died, he drank a potion that drove him out of his mind. He started screaming, pleading with someone who wasn't there. 'Don't hurt them, please…hurt me instead.'"
Ron, Hermione, and Corinna were openly staring at Harry. He had never talked about the night him and Dumbledore went out on their mission. All he would ever say was how the Horcrux was fake and that Dumbledore was weakened for absolutely no reason. There were other things that they were able to infer, but Corinna knew for a fact that Harry was never going to divulge to many details from that night.
"He thought he was back there with you and Grindelwald, I know he did. He thought he was watching Grindelwald hurting you and Ariana…. It was torture to him, if you'd seen him then, you wouldn't say he was free."
Corinna turned her attention back to Aberforth. He moved to the edge of his seat, his hands clasped against his chin as he shifted his gaze to look over at Harry. "How can you be sure, Potter, that my brother wasn't more interested in the greater good than in you? How can you be sure you aren't dispensable, just like my little sister?"
"I don't believe it," said Hermione fiercely. "Dumbledore loved Harry."
"Why didn't he tell him to hide, then? Why didn't he say to him, 'Take care of yourself, here's how to survive?'"
"Because," said Harry quickly, "sometimes you've got to think about more than your own safety! Sometimes you've got to think about the greater good! This is war!"
"You're seventeen, boy!"
"I'm of age, and I'm going to keep fighting even if you've given up?"
"Who says I've given up?"
"'The Order of the Phoenix is finished. You-Know-Who's won, it's over and anyone who's pretending different's kidding themselves.'"
"I don't say I like it, but it's the truth!"
"No, it isn't. Your brother knew how to finish You-Know-Who and he passed the knowledge on to me. I'm going to keep going until I succeed—or I die. Don't think I don't know how this might end. I've known it for years."
Corinna turned back to Harry, openly staring at him. Had he really expect to die at the end this entire time?
"We need to get into Hogwarts. If you can't help us, we'll wait till daybreak, leave you in peace, and try to find a way in ourselves."
Aberforth and Harry seem to have their own staring contest, the tension and nerves permeating the air likes waves. Finally, at least, Aberforth looked away from Harry and up at the portrait of Ariana Dumbledore. He gave a subtle nod, one that she reciprocated. The portrait swung open, revealing the tunnel that Corinna knew all too well.
"This is the only way in and out of the castle," said Corinna when it seemed that Aberforth had no more words for them.
Harry stood up from the chair and walked over to Aberforth, who went back to staring at the fire. "I don't know how to thank you. You've saved our lives twice."
"Look after 'em, then," said Aberforth. "I might not be able to save 'em a third time."
Corinna walked over to the mouth of the tunnel, looking over Aberforth one last time. Hermione and Ron looked dazed as they joined her and Harry. "Are you sure you're ready to go back there? It's not the same school you left."
"We don't have much of a choice, do we?" asked Ron, sounding much more confident than he looked.
"That's the spirit," said Corinna. With that vote of confidence, she led the group down the tunnel and away from their last bit of safety. There was a chorus of Lumos while their wand tips lit up and the portrait closed behind them.