Chapter 4:

Explanations

"You're Aberforth Dumbledore? As in related to Albus Dumbledore?!" sputtered Ginny, completely dumbstruck, "You're his brother?!"

"Why, yes my dear girl, I am indead, and as I was saying, I'm quite glad you two dropped by, I was getting very lonesome in here all by myself. I'll be very greatful for your company," smiled the old man happily, then his smile faltered, "Although I'm sure you would rather not be in this prison. Quite alright though, easily understandable, I would rather be somewhere else myself."

Ginny opened her mouth to say something, then realized that she had nothing to say. However, Mnemosynie smiled and whispered so the old man wouldn't hear, "He's been in here for a long time, without any company, he's probably gotten into the habit of talking to himself."

It was true, he was muttering to himself and shaking his head.

However, Ginny soon found her voice and began talking again, "Um, Mr.-er- Dumbledore?"

"Hm? Oh, young lady, please, call me Aberforth!" he said, his smile back on his face.

"Er, yes, um, Aberforth, sir, I was just wondering, why,...why you worked as a bartender, while..."

"While my brother was receiving international recognition for his work?" completed Aberforth.Ginny nodded quietly, hoping she had not offended him.

"Because, I never really had Albus's flare for the things he does, you know, "alchemy," "ten uses of dragon's blood," and all that! No, I was better as a spy, especially during the first and second wars. I was Albus's eyes and ears in the magical underworld, why else did I open up a place as dodgy as the Hog's Head? I opened it to attract people whose priorities were questionable and those who were on the other side of the law. I kept tabs on known Dark agents and found more of them. I found those who would become spies for our cause with a little prodding. Do you know Mundungus Fletcher? He was a find of mine," answered Aberforth, proudly.

"Oh, so is it because you're a spy that they locked you up, or is it because you're related to Albus Dumbledore and they thought you might be as powerful as he was?" asked Mnemosynie.

"No, I don't think they know I'm a spy or who my brother is," answered Aberforth Dumbledore.

"Then why are they keeping you prisoner in your own bar?" asked Ginny.

"So that I don't warn the Order of the Pheonix when the remaining Death Eaters carry out there plan, I'm guessing they also locked up Tom and Ollivander for that reason as well."

"You know their plan?" asked Mnemosynie, eagerly.

Aberforth nodded sadly, "Not that it does any good, they'll probably leave us here until their plan is carried out."

"What is their plan?" asked Ginny.

"Well, you know Harry Potter killed You-Know-Who a few days ago, its just like at the end of the first war, Death Eaters wanting revenge. They want revenge against Harry Potter."

"But nobody knows where he is!" interrupted Ginny.

"They don't need to know that, you don't need to physically hurt some one to cause pain, the Death Eaters are, instead, aiming for creating emotional wounds, which hurt more. They wanted to do it before, but You-Know-Who wouldn't let them. Now he's gone, so there's nothing to stop them."

"But what are they planning?" asked Mnemosynie.

Aberforth looked very serious, his smile gone, his eyes dark, "They plan to destroy Harry Potter and You-Know-Who's first home."

"Which is?" asked Ginny impatiently.

"They're planning to destroy Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," said Aberforth.

Harry could still not sleep. Maybe it was knowing the fact that Bellatrix and Rudolphus Lestrange were in the same building as him. Suddenly, overcome with restlessness, Harry stood up, and began collecting his wand and his Invisibility Cloak, which he draped over himself before leaving his suite.

Due to his ride in the elevator earlier in the day, Harry knew exactly where the Lestanges' suite was. He opened the door with a simple "Alohomora." The Lestranges were asleep. However, they still wore their disguises as Barry and Diana Smith.

With a quick inspection of the living room, he found nothing but their wands, which further confirmed his suspicions. Moving on to the bedroom, he placed a spell on the slumbering couple so they would not wake if he made any loud noises. He found nothing in the bedroom, but when he was about to leave, he spied a piece of parchment on the nightstand. Not just a piece of parchment, it turned out, it was a letter:

To B.L. and R.L.

It is of no consequence that you have not found H.P. yet. Instead, I will be coming to you to brief you on the second part of your task, I am overjoyed to announce that I have found the B.o.F., which shall make things much easier.

Until next we meet
L.M.

Harry stared at the letter, his brain decoding the message. The letter was to Bellatrix and Rudolphus Lestrange (B.L and R.L), from Lucius Malfoy (L.M.) (obvious). Bellatrix and her husband had been assigned a task, the first part of which was to locate him, Harry Potter (H.P.), and the second was to be revealed when Malfoy arrived. He was also bringing the B.o.F. What in the name of Merlin was that?!

"What are you cooking Lucius Malfoy?" muttered Harry, "What are you cooking?"

"Are you completely senile?" erupted Ginny, springing up to pace the floor again, "Destroying Hogwarts? That's impossible!"

"It is quite unbelievable," conceded Mnemosynie calmly, "Do you have reasons to back up your theory?"

"Yes, but the story I have to tell is a very long one, " answered Aberforth reluctantly.

"We aren't going anywhere," smiled Mnemosynie.

"Of all right," he grumbled, "The story starts hundreds of years ago-"

"What does something that happened centuries past have to do with anything?" interrupted Ginny, sliding down opposite the old man.

"If you would be so kind as to keep quiet, then perhaps I'll tell you," growled Aberforth, shutting Ginny up, "Ahem. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, hundreds of years ago, there lived four witches and wizards of great renown, for they were the four greatest witches or wizards of their time. There names, of course, were Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin. Their wish was to keep their own vast knowledge from being forgotten, so, they created a school for teaching witchcraft and wizardry, the first of its kind.

"Now, the Founders did not just wave their wands and Hogwarts appeared, no! They created every brick, piece of glass, and statue, and coated it with their magic and their essence. In doing so, they also created a bond between themselves and the school, a bond that reached past their magic and their essence and into their very souls. However, this bond was also a curse, neither could live without the other!"

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"It means, my dear girl," answered Aberforth, "That if the Founders died, Hogwarts would cease to exist."

Ginny stared at him in shocked silence, "What? But, that's impossible, the Founders have been dead for centuries, but Hogwarts is still standing!"

Mnemosynie was staring at Aberforth, brow furrowed, thinking.

"But that's it, my dear, the founders never died," answered Aberforth.

"How is that possible?"

"Its possible," whispered Mnemosynie, looking at Aberforth for conformation of her theory, "because the Founders made horcruxes."

A/N:

Mnemosynie is pronounced: (Nem-AW-sin-ee)
Rhymes with: (hem-law-win-see)

The name comes from Greek Mythology!

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