"You give me one good reason to fight and never walk away, so here I am still holding on."

-Kris Allen (No Boundaries)

The sound of a door opening finally caused me to look up. Seamus was slipping into the room with Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown and the rest of the Gryffindor students who had been a part of the D.A. this year.

"Everyone else should be coming," Seamus said. "I sent out a message to everyone who has a coin. It was just easier that way."

"Yeah, I figured. Luna's coin got the message," I said.

"At least now the members who aren't here are aware of what we're doing and where we are," Seamus shrugged. "Even if they can't get here then at least they know."

I nodded. "The only problem is that I don't think this room is big enough for all those people. I asked it for a hiding place where the Carrows couldn't get in, but-"

"You mean this is it?" Lavender asked as she looked around the room with her nose crinkled. "There's only one hammock. And this bathroom!" She walked over to the bathroom and looked inside. "It's hardly suitable."

I don't know how it happened, exactly. All I know is that I blinked and when I opened my eyes there were enough hammocks for everyone and the bathroom was bigger.

"Oh," Lavender said, looking pleased. "That's much better." Parvati nodded in agreement at her side.

Seamus looked dumbfounded. "I don't believe it," he said, shaking his head.

I shrugged and smiled. "Well, it looks like the room's just going to keep growing as more people show up, so that's that taken care of."

"Does the room supply food?" Parvati asked. "If we're going to be staying in here then we're going to need it."

I looked around after she had finished talking. Nothing was happening and I didn't see any food or a kitchen appearing. "Yeah, we're going to need food," I muttered. No sooner had the words left my mouth than a painting hanging on the other side of the room swung forward. I had barely noticed it since I had gotten here because it was simply a painting of an empty dirt road with grass on both sides. It was nothing that special in addition to being seemingly useless until now. I glanced at Seamus, who shrugged.

"You stay here," I said. "Wait for other people to come. I'll be right back." I walked through the door, which swung shut behind me. I looked over my shoulder before nervously looking ahead. I was in a dirt passageway, lined every so often with lanterns. I guess I had no choice but to follow it. When I reached the end, I didn't see a door, but instead what looked like the back of a canvas painting. I gently pushed on a strip of wood going across the back and it swung forward, revealing another room.

Looking down, I saw the top of a mantle. The painting was hanging over a fireplace. I hopped down and the painting swung closed. Turning, I saw a portrait of a young girl that I didn't recognize.

"Who are you?" a gruff voice asked.

I turned around again to see an old man standing at a door across the room. I recognized him as the owner of the Hog's Head, but there was also something else familiar about him. "I'm Neville Longbottom," I answered. "I just…well, I was in school and I found this passageway…." I trailed off and looked up at the portrait.

"You're hanging out in the Room of Requirement?" the man asked.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"I think I'd know where that passageway led," he answered, moving around the room absentmindedly. "I think the real question is if you know where it led you just now."

"I'm in the Hog's Head. This must be the second floor. I recognize you."

"I recognize you as well. You were in here only once. With that group of kids."

"Dumbledore's Army, yeah."

The man flinched slightly and suddenly it struck me why else he looked familiar. "You look just like—well, never mind."

"I know what you're going to say," the man said, not looking at me. Instead, he was staring just over my head at the portrait of the young girl. "I'm his brother."

"His brother?" I repeated.

He nodded.

"I never knew-,"

"Never knew he had a brother?"

"No, I just never knew you were here the whole time."

"You probably only knew about me from Rita Skeeter's book, correct?"

"I've never read the book," I said, feeling the need to defend myself, "but I've heard people talking about it, yes."

Aberforth didn't move. He simply continued to stare at the portrait on the wall. "That book's a load of rubbish."

"I figured as much," I answered.

"Do you know who she is?" Aberforth suddenly asked, gesturing to the painting.

"No," I answered honestly. I was a little confused as well. I had come here hoping to get food, and now I was sitting in the middle of a Dumbledore family history lesson.

"She was my younger sister."

"I didn't-,"

"Didn't know there was a sister?"

"Yeah, but that's not what I-,"

"It's all right, boy. Hardly anyone knew about her. Then, that book came out and made her look like a freak. It made the whole family look like a bunch of freaks."

"I thought it was a load of rubbish."

"It is, but there are people who believe that dimwit liar of an author. If you can even call her that."

There was a pause. "What's her name?" I asked, going to stand beside him and turning to look at the picture.

"Ariana," he answered quietly. "She died when she was fourteen."

"I'm sorry," I said. I truly was, too. From what I had gathered due to people gossiping and from Aberforth's information, it didn't seem like the Dumbledore's had had an easy life.

Aberforth gave a deep sigh and turned for the door. "I'm guessing you came for food?"

"Yeah," I answered, surprised at the sudden change of subject.

Aberforth nodded. "The room of Requirement doesn't actually supply food, so it just connects to my pub instead. Convenient for whoever's inside. Not so convenient for me."

"Er, sorry," I said, following him through the door and down a flight of stairs.

"Don't be sorry," he said. "Things are that bad up at the school?"

"Yeah," I answered. "I've got the whole D.A. hiding out in the Room of Requirement. We sent messages to the whole group, even the people who graduated, just to let them know. They obviously won't be coming back just yet. They've been doing their own thing. Potterwatch and all that."

"They wouldn't be able to come back here anyway," Aberforth said as he put together packages of food. "People can't Apparate out on the street. The Death Eaters have set up a Caterwauling Charm. It's been a bloody pain in the neck, I'll tell you."

"I didn't even know that," I whispered. "Thanks for letting me know. I'll send them another message now, then." I immediately began sending messages to the members of the D.A. who had already graduated, letting them know that there was a Caterwauling Charm put on Hogsmeade and that they should just ignore Seamus's message from earlier.

"You know," Aberforth said thoughtfully, "are you sure what you're doing is going to be worth it?"

"No, I'm not sure. Half the time I have no idea what I'm doing anyway," I said, smiling as I remembered Harry's speech at the first D.A. meeting. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I need to try."

"You're going to keep fighting until the very end, aren't you?" Aberforth sighed.

"Of course," I answered.

"Why? I thought things were bad at Hogwarts. Things are certainly bad here."

"They are bad, but that's why we're doing this." I paused. "I never used to be this way," I said with a small laugh, looking down at the worn floorboards. "When I was younger, I was afraid of everything, from detentions to Professor Snape to my very own shadow. I couldn't stand up to anyone. People have said I've changed, but I never really thought I did until now."

"Why the change?" Aberforth asked.

"I'm not sure," I answered. "Seamus said Luna, my girlfriend, helped the change along. Maybe she did. She was taken away by Death Eaters in December. I don't even know if she's alive. I've been miserable ever since, but I also felt like I was fighting harder so that this would be over and she could come back. She almost became a huge part of the reason why I was fighting. She wouldn't have wanted me to give up, either. You know, you probably saw her in here that same day I was here. You know, with the D.A."

"Was she the one sitting next to you? Blonde hair? Huge eyes?"

I nodded. "That's her."

"Yeah, I know who she is. I caught her out back more than once trying to feed my goats."

I laughed. "I never knew she did that. Yeah, she likes animals. Loves them, really." I looked down again and sighed as my stomach twisted. I missed her so much it hurt. "Lately, though, I've been worried that if I ever see her again, she's going to think I've changed too and I'm not going to be the same guy she flew in love with."

"Flew in love with?"

"Sorry, it was a habit. Luna thought saying 'falling in love' sounded dangerous. She thought flying sounded safer."

"Oh," Aberforth said. "So why wouldn't you be the same guy she fell-sorry, flew-in love with? Because you've changed?"

I nodded. "Yeah, we've been apart for so long. What if she doesn't like me anymore?"

"Well, it sounds like you've changed for the better, first of all, so it's not a change that she'll dislike. Unless she likes cowards."

"We started dating when I was a coward," I muttered.

Aberforth didn't seem to know how to answer this. "You could always give her that speech you gave me. You know, how you were fighting for her. Don't girls love that stuff?"

"Luna's not like other girls."

"I figured," Aberforth answered. "Anyway, I guess you can only wait until you see her again. If you see her again, that is. You are aware that she might not come back, aren't you?"

I nodded. "I know." And it was true. I did know she might not come back. That was one bad thing about positive thinking. When you tried to think that things would turn out okay, it was that much worse when they didn't.

"Things don't always turn out okay in the end," Aberforth said. "Especially in war. People you love get killed."

I knew he was thinking about his sister then. I nodded as I thought about the conversation we had just had. I must have been losing it. I had just had somewhat of a heart to heart with the owner of the Hog's Head, who just so happened to be my dead headmaster's brother. It had felt good to get it off my chest, though, and I knew that I couldn't tell any of that to Seamus. At least Aberforth hadn't laughed at me.

"Want a drink before you head back?" Aberforth asked, pulling out two glasses.

I shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

As Aberforth poured two glasses of butterbeer, I felt my coin grow warm against my chest. I pulled it out, thinking it was a reply from one of the D.A. members I had just sent a message to, but when I started reading it, my heart stopped. It was from Luna. She was okay! And so was Dean!

"What's wrong with you, boy?" Aberforth asked.

I looked up and blinked at him. "What?"

"You look like you're about to collapse. I'm going to have to ask you to not do that in the middle of my pub. It's going to involve a lot of trouble getting you to St. Mungo's now that everywhere is basically under Death Eater scrutiny."

"I'm not—I'll be fine," I managed to breathe out. "It's Luna. She just sent me a message and she's alive!"

"Well that is happy news," Aberforth said. He picked up his glass and tilted it towards me. I held up my own and tapped it against his. "Now she just needs to get back to you."

"Exactly," I answered, grinning.

"I haven't heard good news in a while," Aberforth sighed.

"It sure seems that way," I answered, sighing as well. "I mean, I still don't know where she is, but I know she's alive and that she's okay. And just maybe I'm this much closer to seeing her again."

"I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you," Aberforth said, finishing off his drink.

"Why not?" I asked.

"You never know. Those Death Eaters…they're everywhere. They know what they're doing. Luna might be fine now, but in the next second she could be dead." He paled. "Just like my sister."

I was silent as I stared at him, trying to not feel horrified. "Listen, Ab, maybe have a point, but all I know is that I just found out that Luna's alive when I didn't know for months what had happened to her. She was always telling me to think positive and that's just what I intend on doing. I think we all need to do that at a time like this, don't you agree?"

Aberforth didn't answer. Instead, he gathered up the food he had packed and held it out to me. "This should be enough for a week. If and when you need more, you know where to find me."

"Thanks, Ab," I said. "I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it," he answered gruffly. "Now get on back to your friends before they start eating the walls."

I half smiled and headed up the stairs before climbing back into the passageway behind Ariana's portrait. I felt like taking a leaf out of Luna's book and skipping all the way back. The rest of the world could have been and might have been crumbling down around me at that moment, but I wouldn't have noticed because Luna was okay and that was the only thought filling my mind.

A/N: Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! I appreciate the reviews I've been getting so far :)

I wasn't sure about the whole conversation between Aberforth and Neville. I was almost nervous to keep it in, but in the end I decided to leave it, so hopefully it wasn't too out of place.