Author's note: Thank you to everyone that has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story. So very sorry for taking so long to post another chapter. Life has kind of taken over at the moment. I do not own anything in the wonderful Potterverse created by JK Rowling. Wish I did lol. Without further ado: the next chapter.

Harry clawed at his ears not being able to bear hearing Hermione's screams upstairs in the ball room of Malfoy Manor. What was he to do? There was no light in the dungeon he was currently locked in. He turned quickly thinking he heard a noise in the darkness.

"Hello. Is anyone there?" He watched as four dirty, disheveled, and very welcome faces emerged.

"Harry, is that you?" asked the voice of none other than Luna Lovegood.

"Luna! Dean! And Mr. Ollivander! I'm so happy you're ok." He also took notice of the goblin sulking behind his fellow Hogwarts classmates and the wand maker.

"I've got to help Hermione. Bellatrix has her upstairs." Harry pulled out the mirror fragment from his sock. Glancing at it he once again saw who believed was Dumbledore. "Please, help us."

"That's an odd place for such a thing Harry Potter." Luna looked at him quizzically and then jumped when they all heard a loud pop.

"Dobby?! What are you doing here?" Harry rushed forward. He cringed as heard yet another scream torn from Hermione's lungs.

"Dobby is here to rescue Harry Potter and his friends of course."

"Dobby, you can apparate in and out of here?"

"Yes, Dobby is an elf."

"Dobby, I need you take Dean, Luna, Mr. Ollivander, and Griphook to safety."

"Dobby is happy to help. Meet me at the top of the stairs in 10 seconds." Dobby grabbed ahold of Luna and Dean's hands, who in turn grabbed Mr. Ollivander and Griphook's hands, and they disappeared.

Harry moved to the side of the stairs as Wormtail made his way down to check on the prisoners. Wormtail opened the dungeon door, wand at the ready, and couldn't see anyone. Before Harry could make a move, Wormtail was stunned from behind and collapsed on his face.

Harry stepped over Wormtail and saw Dobby at the top of the stairs. He raced up the stairs and paused at the top. He saw Bellatrix sitting on top of Hermione as she carved something in her arm. Hermione had tears streaming down her face as screamed and whimpered in pain.

Harry saw Draco standing close by with their wands in his hands. He charged at Draco and grabbed the wands. Draco didn't put up much of a fight. Harry and Dobby fired stunning spells at anyone that tried to stop them from getting to Hermione.

"Stop if you want your little mudblood to live!" Shouted Bellatrix drawing everyone's attention in the room. She stood holding Hermione in front of her with a dagger to her throat.

Harry screamed as Bellatrix laughed. Suddenly they both heard a squeaking sound and looked up. Dobby sat atop the chandelier directly above Bellatrix and Hermione. He was unscrewing the bolt that held the chandelier in place.

Harry raced forward to catch Hermione just as Bellatrix shoved her away trying to dodge the falling chandelier. Dobby appeared next to Harry and Hermione ready to apparate away when Narcissa Malfoy aimed her wand at them. Dobby snapped his little elf finger and disarmed her.

"You dare take a witches wand? You dare defy your masters?" Bellatrix screamed in surprise.

"Dobby has no master. Dobby is a free elf! Dobby is here to save Harry Potter and his friends!" Dobby grabbed onto Harry and Hermione and began to apparate out of the room. Too quickly, Bellatrix threw her dagger, and watched as it disappeared along with them.

Harry opened his eyes and saw that he was on the shore of a beach. He noticed his clothes were wet, and he was holding tightly to an injured Hermione.

"Hermione, it's going to be ok. You're going to be ok." She tightened her grip on him and buried her face into his chest.

Harry turned to try and figure out where they were, and see if everyone else was there and unhurt. He saw Luna approaching Dobby who had his back to Harry. Dobby turned and Harry could see Bellatrix's dagger sticking out of his chest.

"Dobby!" Harry didn't dare let go of Hermione in her injured state. Dobby collapsed and was caught in Luna's arms. Luna cradled him as if he were a baby. He looked over at Harry and smiled.

"Such a beautiful place it is, to be with friends. Dobby is happy to be with his friend, Harry Potter." Dobby breathed his last breath, and his tiny hand slipped from Luna's grasp.

Harry yelled out in grief as tears welled up in his eyes. Hermione sobbed into his chest. Luna placed to fingers over Dobby's eyes, and lowered his eyelids.

"There. Now it looks as if he could be sleeping."

"I want to bury him. With no magic. He deserves a proper burial." Harry helped Hermione stand up as he noticed others coming down from a cottage on the hill.

"Harry! Is everyone alright?" shouted Bill Weasley. Fleur Weasley was next to him, as was Dean.

"Bill! Hermione is injured, and Dobby is dead. What is this place?"

Bill pulled one of Hermione's arms over his shoulder and helped her begin her way to the cottage, allowing Harry to lift Dobby from Luna's arms.

"This is Shell Cottage. It belongs to our Aunt, and is sort of a safe house for the Order now. Let's get everyone inside and we can exchange stories, and get everyone settled and taken care of." Bill led the way up the beach.

Mr. Ollivander and Griphook were each given a room to rest and re-gain their strength. Fleur busied herself making sure everyone had something to eat and drink to help replenish their strength.

Harry stayed by Hermione's side as Fleur cleaned, and attempted to heal what he now saw was the word Mudblood carved into her left forearm. Since it was done with magic, it would heal, but leave a scar forever visible on her arm.

Harry then made his way out to a little hill next to the cottage. With only a shovel, and no magic, he dug a small grave in the sand. Hermione carried the body of the tiny elf wrapped in a white sheet, and handed him over to Harry. He carefully lowered him into the hole. The only magic used was a wand to inscribe Here lies Dobby: A free elf on a stone marker.

Hermione moved over to be close to Harry, and slipped her hand into his. She leaned close to his ear and asked, "What do we do now?"

"I want to speak to Mr. Ollivander and Griphook. We have some plans to make. Did you see how agitated Bellatrix got when she thought we had been in her vault at Gringotts?"

"You think there may be a Horcrux hidden in her vault?"

"I do. Let's go." Harry led her back into the cottage by the hand.

Harry and Hermione climbed onto the shore of lake they just landed in after jumping off the back of a dragon. Their plan had worked…for the most part. They were able to impersonate Bellatrix using polyjuice potion and one of her hairs that had landed on Hermione's coat, and gain access to her vault.

They had to jump on the back of a dragon to escape after retrieving Hufflepuff's cup from the vault. When Harry landed in the lake, he was bombarded by images of Voldemort's rage. Voldemort knew Harry was hunting horcruxes, and was set to check the rest. He saw a fleeting image of Rowena Ravenclaw wearing a tiara, and Hogwarts.

"Hermione, he knows. He's angry. I think there's one in Hogwarts. We have to go to Hogwarts."

Hermione nodded her understanding as she shivered and dug in her beaded bag for dry clothes for the both of them.

They clasped hands and apparated directly into Hogsmeade. Instantly a wailing alarm sounded in the village. They began to see snatchers appearing in the streets.

"Harry, we have to get off the streets!"

Harry grabbed her hand and began pulling her down an alley way. Suddenly a hand reached out and pulled them into a dark building. When Harry looked up he swore he saw Dumbledore.

"Quickly, this way stupid boy." said the stranger.

"Hermione, did you see…"

"Yes, Harry. But it can't be."

The two teenagers followed the stranger down to the basement of the establishment they were pulled into.

"What the bloody hell were you two thinking coming here? They've got a caterwauling charm in place. It alerted the snatchers the second you apparated in."

"You're Dumbledore's brother. You're Aberforth. Aren't you? You're the one I've been seeing in the mirror?" Harry disregarded Aberforth's words.

"Yes." He gathered a tray of food items and butterbeer for the two hungry teens. He could tell they hadn't had a proper meal in quite some time.

"You sent Dobby to save us from Malfoy Manor, didn't you?"

"Yes. Where is the elf? I haven't seen him since."

"Bellatrix killed him when he was getting us out." Harry turned as a single tear rolled down his cheek. Hermione walked over and slid her hand into his, offering a little comfort.

"Mr. Dumbledore, we need to get into Hogwarts. Do you know a way in?" Hermione was eager to get to the task at hand.

"Yes, but you're bloody fools for still blindly following my brother's instructions. Using children to do his dirty work." He waved to a girl in a painting on the wall, and she walked out of her picture.

Moments later they saw the girl returning, and it looked like someone was following her. Suddenly the frame of the painting swung forward, revealing a tunnel in the wall, and one smiling Neville Longbottom. He was a sight for sore eyes, even with the bruises and minor cuts on his face.

"Was wondering when you lot would show up. Come to save the day?"

Neville reached down and gave Hermione a hand up into the tunnel. Harry climbed in after. "Neville, I didn't know this tunnel was here."

"Wasn't before. Old Aberforth's been helping us with food and medical supplies when we need it. Hogwart's has changed. Snape's headmaster now. Gotta watch out for the Carrow's. Brother and sister pair that like to punish. Gave me this for refusing to use the cruciatus curse on a first year." He pointed out a nasty bruise on his cheek bone.

They reached the end of the tunnel and the portrait swung open. Below them they could see row upon row of students. They had pallets and hammocks made up in the Room of Requirement.

"Hey you mangy lot! Look who I've found roaming around Hogsmeade." Neville moved out of the way to reveal Harry and Hermione. A collective gasp was heard from everyone. Then they all began clapping and whooping and hollering. They were overjoyed to see their "leader" return.

They made their way down the ladder and were encircled by their friends and classmates. When things quieted down a bit, there was a break in the circle of friends. In ran Ginny Weasley gasping at the sight of Harry. Harry felt a mix of emotions. He felt that old romantic feeling, which was very fleeting, and was quickly replaced with a feeling of guilt about moving on and hurting her.

Hermione moved forward to place her hand in Harry's just as another head of red hair came running around the corner. None other than Ronald Weasley. He kept popping up when things were getting dicey.