Harry knew where to go next. "We need to go to Dumbledore's house," he said.

"What are you talking about?" Ron inquired.

"Harry, Professor's dead," Hermione replied. "Why would we need to go there?"

"I meant, Aberforth's home," Harry clarified.

"Who's he?" she asked.

"Dumbledore's brother," Harry responded. Both looked at him with inquisitiveness. "Yeah, I didn't know he had a brother, let alone any other living family members."

"But he never really talked about his personal life, either," Hermione added.

"True," Harry agreed.

"So what do we have to do to get there?" Ron asked.

"I think I know where to go from here," he answered. Hermione and Ron encouraged him to lead them. They packed up their things and started to walk. They agreed that by using magic, someone was bound to find them, despite the fact that any trace on any of them was gone. They walked for what felt like months but only hours. It went like that for 4 days before Harry's feet touched road. He saw the achingly familiar Hogsmeade High Street: dark shop fronts, and the outline of black mountains beyond the village, and the curve in the road ahead that led off toward Hogwarts, and light spilling from the windows of the Three Broomsticks, and with a lurch in the heart, he remembered, with piercing accuracy, how he had landed here nearly a year before, supporting weak Dumbledore before Ella and Edward had found them and took them straight to the Astronomy Tower, the fight against Snape and the others and most of all, Dumbledore plunging out of the Tower to his death. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement and saw several Death Eaters walking around freely. He grabbed Hermione and Ron's wrists and dragged them into an unfamiliar building. They had no idea where they were, but now he saw, by the stuttering light of a single candle, the furniture of someone's house. All three of them were looking around until Hermione looked at mirror type furniture on the wall.

"Harry? I can see you in this," Hermione said as she turned around and saw Harry hold a piece of mirror in his hand. He went up to her and held up his piece and saw that it fit perfectly together.

"You bloody fools," a voice called out. They all jumped and turned around to face who was talking to them. "What were you thinking coming here? Have you any idea how dangerous it is?"

"You're Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother. It's you who I've been seeing in here," he said, showing him the mirror piece. Harry had pieced it together in a matter of seconds. "You're the one who sent Dobby."

"Where have you left him?"

"He's dead," Harry informed him.

"Sorry to hear it. I liked that elf."

"Who gave that to you? The mirror?" Harry inquired.

"Mundungus Fletcher, about a year ago," he replied.

"Dung had no right. It belonged to—" he started off.

Aberforth interrupted, "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?"

"Did you hear from the others much?" Hermione asked, hoping that this will take the sting out of the questioning. "From the Order?" she clarified.

"The Order's finished. You-Know-Who's won. Whoever says otherwise is fooling themselves," he told them.

"We need to get into Hogwarts, tonight. Your brother gave me a job to do," Harry said, not allowing Aberforth's musings take priority over the mission.

"Did he now? Nice job? Easy?" he asked. They all stayed silent, "No, I reckon not. Piece of advice: My brother's dead. So unless you fancy joining him, I would forget about any job he gave you."

"Professor Dumbledore cared about Harry very much," Hermione said.

"Oh, funny that. Because it was the people my brother cared about that tended to get hurt."

"We've been hunting Horcruxes. We think the last one's inside the castle, but we'll need help getting in," Harry explained briefly.

"That's not a job my brother's given you. It's a suicide mission. Do yourself a favor, boy, go home. Live a little longer," Aberforth said, hoping to dissuade him.

"Dumbledore trusted me to see this through" Harry said, recognizing what Aberforth was trying to do.

"What makes you think you can trust him? What makes 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?" he asked as he motioned to the picture.

"Why should he..." he started off.

"...Keep secrets, you tell me?" Aberforth finished off.

"I trusted him," Harry confessed.

"That's a boy's answer. A boy who goes chasing horcruxes on the word of a man who wouldn't even tell you where to start. You're lying! Not just to me, that doesn't 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'm not interested in 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," Harry kept on.

Aberforth looked at the lady in the picture and said, "You know what to do." The girl nodded and walked away.

"Where have you sent her?" Hermione asked.

"You'll see soon enough," he said curtly.

"That's your sister, Ariana, isn't it? She died very young, didn't she?" Hermione questioned.

"My brother sacrificed many things, Mr. Potter on his journey to find power, including Ariana. And she was devoted to him. He gave her everything but time," Aberforth answered.

"Thank you, Mr. Dumbledore," Hermione said. "He did save our lives twice. Kept an eye on us in that mirror. That doesn't seem like someone who's given up. She's coming back."

"Who's that with her?" Ron asked.

The portrait opened up and all three of them saw who it was, Harry spoke up, "Neville?" all three of them climbed up as Neville moved out of the way for all three of them to get into the alley. Once all four of them were inside, Neville closed the portrait and led them down the alley. "Oh, you look—"

"Like hell, I reckon. This is nothing. Seamus is worse. Hey, Ab, we've got a couple more coming through."

"Don't remember this on the Marauder's Map," Ron mentioned.

"That's because it never existed till now. The seven passages were sealed off before the start of the year. This is the only way in or out now. The grounds are crawling with Death Eaters and Dementors," Neville explained.

"What about the Cullens?" Harry questioned.

"They're forbidden on Hogwarts grounds but they live just outside of the borders," he answered.

"But how?" Hermione inquired.

"Snape is allied with the Volturi and they're keeping guard. The only vampires we see are the guards for the Volturi, but some of us still manage to find a way to see them and talk with them," Neville responded.

"How are they?" Harry asked.

"They're okay for now. They did say that if we saw you before they did, they said things are going as well as it should be," he informed them.

"What do you think that means?" Ron probed.

"I don't know but we will find out soon enough," Harry replied.

"How bad is Snape as headmaster?" Hermione asked.

"Hardly ever see him. It's the Carrows you need to watch out for," Neville answered.

"Carrows?" Harry spoke up.

"Yeah. Brother and Sister. In charge of discipline. They like punishment, the Carrows," he said.

"They did that to you? Why?" probed Hermione.

"Today's Dark Arts lessons had us practicing the Cruciatus Curse. On first-years. I refused. Hogwarts has changed. Let's have a bit of fun, shall we?" he asked as they arrived to the other side of the alley. He turned to the people that were in the room, "Hey, listen up, you lot. Brought you a surprise."

"Not more of Aberforth's cooking, I hope. Be a surprise if we can digest it," Seamus spoke up. When Neville moved out of the way, everyone was surprised to see Harry there with Ron and Hermione, he said, "Blimey." All four of them climbed down the ladder. Seamus moved out of the way, so that the trio could reunite with everyone.

He pulled someone aside and said, "Get the word out to Remus and the others that Harry's back," he looked over and intervened, "Okay, let's not kill before You-Know-Who." Everyone pulled back and gave them space. "What's the plan, Harry?"

"Okay. There's something we need to find. Something hidden here in the castle. And it may help us defeat You-Know-Who," he explained.

"Right. What is it?" Neville asked.

"We don't know."

"Where is it?"

"We don't know that either. I realize it's not much to go on," Harry responded.

"There's nothing to go on," Seamus clarified.

"I think it has something to do with Ravenclaw. Um, it'll be small, easily concealed. Anyone, any ideas?" Harry asked.

"Well, there's Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem" Luna answered.

"Oh bloody hell, here we go," Ron said under his breath.

"Lost diadem of Ravenclaw? Hasn't anyone heard of it? It's quite famous," Luna said but no one backed her up.

"Yes, but Luna, it's lost, for centuries now. There isn't a person alive today who's seen it," Cho responded.

"Excuse me," Ron spoke up, "Can someone tell me what a bloody diadem is?"

"It's sort of a crown. You know, like a tiara," Cho answered.

"Harry!" a voice called out. Everyone moved out of the way to reveal Ginny.

"Hi there," Harry said, thrilled at being able to see the love of his life in front of him. He wished he could just collect her in his arms and kiss him but not in front of everyone and definitely not in the middle of trying to find a horcrux.

"Six months she hadn't see me, it's like I'm a Frankie First Year. I'm her brother..." Ron complained.

Seamus leaned in and said, "She's got lots of them, but there's only one Harry."

"Shut up Seamus."

"What is it, Ginny?" Neville questioned.

"Snape knows. He knows that Harry was spotted in Hogsmeade," Ginny explained. "Also, the Cullens said that all things are in place now."

Harry was about to speak up but as soon as those words came out of her mouth, an announcement came up, "All students must come to the Golden Hall for an assembly now."

All of the students left the room to their own respective dorms to gather their robes leaving the trio alone. They looked at each other and they all had the same question running through their minds… what had happened since they had left. Unbeknownst to all of the students, the remaining people of the Order arrived in the private room. There was no time to rejoicing, instead all of them made plans as to what to do. Harry suggested that he march with everyone else as the rest of the group figure out a way to get the Cullens and their allies into Hogwarts.

Group by group, all lead respectively by their house leader, they all marched to the Golden Hall. By hiding his face, Harry managed to join the Gryffindor group from prying eyes. Once they got there, everyone stood quietly as they waited for Snape to appear. In a few moments, they heard footsteps but no one dared to look at who they belonged to. They knew that it belonged to Snape since everyone was already there.

Snape stood there for a couple of moments as if he was trying to gather his thoughts. "Many of you are surely wondering why I have summoned you at this hour," he spoke up. "It's come to my attention that earlier this evening Harry Potter was spotted in Hogsmeade," he explained. The students started to murmur about what they just heard. "Now, should anyone, student or staff, attempt to aid Mr. Potter, they will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their transgression. Futhermore, any person found to have knowledge of these events, who fails to come forward will be treated as equally guilty. Now then, if anyone here knows any knowledge of Mr. Potter's movements this evening, I invite them to step forward... now," he said as he walked in front of a group of students. No one spoke up.

Harry stepped forward and all of the students gasped that he was willing to confront Snape. "It seems despite your exhaustive defensive strategies," the Order of the Phoenix with Ella and Edward chose that moment to open the doors and step into the Golden Hall, "you still have a bit of a security problem, Headmaster. And I'm afraid it's quite extensive," Harry looked back and saw them, briefly smiled at them as they to him. He turned around and spoke back to Snape, How dare you stand where he stood! Tell them how it happened that night. How you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him. Tell them," he challenged. Snape drew his wand at him and McGonagall walked in front of him, using her body to protect him, drawing her own wand. The students moved out of the way. The Order of Phoenix as well as Ella and Edward drew defensive stances, ready for anything. McGonagall was waiting for Snape to make the first move but she didn't want to wait any longer and made the first attack. She continued to attack him, not giving him a chance to fight back. Ella and Edward flitted towards Harry protecting him. Snape found a moment and disapparated immediately.

"Coward!" McGonagall called out. With a wave of her hand, the lanterns in the room lit up and the students cheered.

"Harry," a voice called out.

McGonagall saw Harry sit down suddenly, "Potter?" Ella sat next to him, holding his arm. Edward was standing closely. The students were puzzled as they heard a rumbling sound, trying to figure out what was going on. One of the girls screamed, shortly thereafter a second girl screamed. Harry walked over to see a young girl on the floor in the corner with her hands over her ears. A third girl screamed and Harry walked over to that direction.

Voldemort spoke up, "I know that many of you will want to fight. Some of you may even think that to fight is wise. But this is folly. Give me Harry Potter. Do this and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded. You have one hour," many of the students found it difficult to handle hearing his voice as did some of the staff but they all managed to not allow his voice instill fear into their beings. Ella and Edward were standing near McGonagall trying to assess what was happening as Voldemort was talking.

Pansy spoke up, "What are you waiting for? Someone grab him." Ginny was the first one to stand in front of Harry, then Hermione. Others were joining them protecting Harry from the students who are part of the Slytherin House. McGonagall, Ella and Edward were smiling, thrilled to see that the students were joining together to fight.

In a distance, Filch was calling out, "Students out of bed! Students out of bed! Students out of bed! Students in the corridor."

"They are supposed to be out of bed you blithering idiot," McGonagall told him as she gave Ella a sharp look when she heard Ella trying to stifle her laughter.
Filch stood there quiet, "Oh… sorry Ma'am."
"As it happens, Mr. Filch, your arrival is most opportune," she said as she approached him, Ella and Edward following her. "If you would, I would like you, please to lead Miss Parkinson and the rest of the Slytherin House from the hall."

"Exactly where is it I'll be leading them to, ma'am?" Filch asked.

"The dungeons would do," she responded. The rest of the students cheered at hearing the response.

"Right," he said and motioned for them to follow him, "Come on. Come on."

Harry walked over to McGonagall, she spoke up, "I presume you have a reason for returning, Potter," he nodded. "What is it you need?"
"Time, professor," he answered and then added, "As much as you can get me."

She nodded, "Do what you have to do. I'll secure the castle," she said. Just as he was about to leave, she said, "Potter... it's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Professor," he said and then turned to Neville, "Hold the fort, Neville." Then he turned to Ella and Edward who was already there beside him. The other students were scattered, helping out with whatever they could do.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ella and Edward were running up the stairs against the flow of students coming down. Ron spoke up, "Harry, Hermione and I have been thinking. It doesn't matter if we find a Horcrux."

Harry turned around and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Unless we can destroy it," Hermione clarified.

"So we were thinking…" Ron started off.

"Ron was thinking," Hermione intervened "It was Ron's idea. It's brilliant."

"You destroyed Tom Riddle's diary with a basilisk fang, right? Me and Hermione know where we might find one," Ron spoke up.

"Actually, either one of you don't have to do anything," Ella spoke up. All three of them looked at her, confused. Ella looked over to Edward as he opened a package in front of her. She picked up whatever it was in the bag and showed it to the three of them.

"You have the basilisk fangs," Ron said.

"Three of them," Hermione said.

"We came prepared, knowing that you would come back to Hogwarts to find the last horcrux before dealing with You-Know-Who," she explained.

"Okay," Harry spoke up. "Okay, but take this," he said as he gave them the map.

"What for?" Hermione asked.

"I need both of you to help defend Hogwarts as I try to search the horcrux," he said.

"But, we're better together," Hermione said.

"Harry's right," Ella said. "You-Know-Who will expect the three of you together but he won't think of the three of you apart, fighting for each other and for Hogwarts."

"But Harry will be alone," Ron commented.

"No, he won't," Ella replied. "He has Edward and I."

"Now do you understand why I gave you the map?" he asked. "That way you can find me when after all this is over."

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked.

"Ravenclaw Common Room. Gotta start somewhere," Harry responded.