Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! I've really been putting off writing this chapter because there is only one more chapter after this one. :( But I do have a few ideas for more Bellamione stories plus I do still have the Time-Turner fic that I am writing, so that is a plus! :) Once this story is finished, I will be able to focus more on that story as well as several other stories that I have planned out. But enough of that, I am sure you all are ready to dive into the chapter!

"Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts."

-Virgil's Aeneid

Harry and Aberforth walk down the creaky, splintered wooden stairs into the tavern part of Aberforth's establishment. As they make their way around the corner, the young wizard hears the steady onslaught of rain outside the window. Aberforth must have cast a silencing charm around the room so I could sleep better, Harry muses as he cringes when a loud clap of thunder rattles every window in the place. "I didn't realise that it had been raining," the young man states as he looks out a grimy window closest to the bar.

"Aye, it's been raining since you passed out in the room upstairs," Aberforth replies as he grabs a filthy rag and wipes at a water stain on the counter top. "Didn't want the thunder to wake you, so I made sure to charm the room before it got too bad. The rain's not the worst of it though... bloody fog is so thick, won't be surprised that you could lose your own self out in it."

As Potter continues to stare out the window, he has to agree with the old wizard. The fog outside creates a seemingly solid white wall just outside the filmy window. Harry shudders unconsciously as he wonders what could possible hide in a mist as thick as the one that hugs the Hog's Head.

"Here," Aberforth says gruffly as he slams a smudged glass down in front of the young wizard. The dark brown liquid inside the glass sloshes over the side of the rim as Harry looks at it dubiously. The older wizard shrugs as he continues his feeble attempts to clean the counter. "Thought you might want something to settle your mind a bit. From what you told me upstairs, you need a drink to calm your nerves."

"What is it?" Harry asks as he picks a goat hair out of the murky looking liquid.

"It's Irish stout. Stronger than a butterbeer, but won't put you on your arse like a firewhiskey. Would have gotten you one of them, but you seemed like you would be a bit of a light-weight."

Harry nods as he peeks back into the glass. Once satisfied that there was nothing floating in it, he takes a sip of the drink and grimaces at its bitter taste. "Why are Andy and Tonks coming here?" He asks as he takes another drink.

"They are coming to help you. I guess word got back to some of the others on where you were and they decided to come see you. Didn't ask specifics, but thought you wouldn't mind their help though. I reckoned you might need a bit of extra help since you are by yourself and all."

The young wizard sighs after the older man mentions his current situation. He hated what had happened to everyone so far. It seems that everyone I try to have help me either dies or is a traitor. He thinks as he stares at the glass in front of him. He sits up straight on the stool when he hears the door behind him open.

"Harry!" Tonks exclaims as she rushes to the young man, tripping over the leg of a chair on her way to the bar. Andromeda shakes her head as she watches her daughter.

"Tonks!" Harry jumps off the stool and meets the witch the rest of the way. "I'm so glad to see your allright."

"Same here, Harry," She replies with a smile. "What have you been up to lately? We have been searching for you for so long. After you had left, my mum and I tried to catch up with you, but were thwarted at every path. Snatchers, vampires, werewolves. I'm surprised we haven't found any demons on our search for you."

"We will probably run into demons now that we have found him," Andromeda says softly as she stares at them. "I thought I would never get to see the famous Harry Potter again," the older witch says with a smile as she walks towards her daughter and the wizard. "How have you been? Have you been keeping safe? Being alone out their with our world the way it is now, must not have been easy for you."

Harry smiles as he sees the pang of worry cross Andromeda's face. He may not know the witch as well as he knows her daughter, but at that moment, she made him feel safe and loved just because she had worried for him even though she barely knew him. He walks towards the older witch and gives her a hug as well. "I've been fine, Andy, maybe missed a meal or three, but I have been able to keep safe."
Andromeda looks the young wizard over again and smiles softly, "Well, you look no worse for wear." She stares at him a little longer before she turns towards the window and sighs. "Do you have everything you need? Or do you need to get it from your room?"

"Everything is here," Harry replies as he pats his jacket pocket. "I did learn a thing or two from Hermione before she went to the Dark Side."

"Ah, an undetectable extension charm," Tonks states with a smirk. "Nice. Now we really need to get going before anyone tries to catch up with us."

"Catch up with you? Were you followed?" Harry asks nervously as he dismounts the stool. "Who was following you?"

"No one followed us," Andromeda replies as she continues to look out the window. The rain had stopped when they had entered the tavern and she watches as the remnants of the downpour drip half-heartedly off the roof. "We managed to escape a Snatchers' checkpoint, but it wasn't pretty." She smiles faintly as she remembers the details of the encounter. Blood and viscera drenched the ground as Scabior and his band of thugs breathed their last breaths.

"Well, that's a good thing, right?" Harry asks as he walks towards the door with Nymphadora right behind him. "That means no one really knows where you are and also means they do not know that you are coming here to pick me up."

"Hopefully, it means that," The older witch says as she turns away from the window and looks at Harry and her daughter. "Our magic still could have been traced by anyone who was following us before our encounter with the Snatchers. But I seriously doubt whoever it was has caught up this quickly." She walks closer to the pair and ushers them gently out the door. "Go on out, I will meet you outside shortly. I want to speak with Aberforth before we leave."

Harry and Nymphadora walk through the front door as the witch started regaling the wizard with stories of their adventures. As the older witch turns to face the barkeep, her demeanour changes and she rolls her eyes. "Now that he is outside... you do realise that Our Lord wished for the boy to die last night. Our trip here was absolutely unnecessary."

"Now, look here, Andromeda..." Aberforth starts, but is cut off from continuing by a Langlock curse.

"I really do not have time to here your drivel, old man," the witch replies as she moves closer to the counter. "It is I that you should not fear. He is very disappointed in your performance. Ms. Lovegood tells us that she nearly had him within his own dream realm, but you had barged in and severed her connection to him. Why did you do that? The poor girl is now locked in her own mind and Severus and Narcissa may not be able to break the spell! "

A muffled response comes from the wizard as he tries to unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth. Sighing, Andromeda releases the curse and urges the man to speak.

"I didn't think it was very sporting," Aberforth replies as he takes a deep breath and rubs the back of his neck. "The boy ought to have a bit of a fighting chance, right? It's not like he can win against us, so let him have a bit of hope before dashing his brains out, yeah?"

"Crucio!" Andromeda screams out after she glanced out the window and noticed that her daughter and Harry had passed the silencing wards she had created. "You old fool," she sneers as she walks behind the bar to stare at the wizard convulsing on the floor. "I am going to make this perfectly clear so that even you can understand. This boy had bested Our Lord when he was merely an infant. Not that this was any fault of the Dark Lord, the child had been protected by his mother by a strong spell that lasted even after her death. Your dear brother tried to make everyone think that Lily's love is what protected him, but I remember the bounce-back shields she would create when we were in Hogwarts together. Even though it was his mother's spell that had saved him, Our Lord inadvertently placed another spell onto the child."

"What spell?" Aberforth sputters as the after-effects of the Cruiciatus Curse slowly dissipate.

"That is none of your business," Andromeda states as she glances out the window. Where are they? She wonders as her brow furrows in concentration.

"Damn crazy witch," the old wizard mutters to himself as he tries to stand up. "The whole lot of them... completely mad. Should've listened to Albus."

"I'm not the one who is mad, you senile old goat!" Andromeda rages as she spins around to face Albus's younger brother again. "Do not speak of my family in front of me as if I am nothing! If you believe your dearly departed brother was right, maybe you should join him!" She slashes her wand upward causing the wizard to fall to the floor dead. "I love this new spell Bella created," Andromeda mutters with a smile as she walks towards the door to meet up with her daughter.

"What's taking Andy so long?" Harry asks as he stares at the deserted streets of Hogsmeade.

"Mum's probably just talking to Aberforth to see if there is any news from the Order. We haven't had much contact with them recently." Tonks says as she glances down the foggy street towards Hogwarts. "You heard what happen to Hogwarts?"

"I can't believe that it was Professor McGonagall," Harry says in disgust. "She loved the school! Why would she set fire to the only place she has ever really known?"

"You never really know a person until they snap, Harry," Tonks said with a shrug. "She must have had proper reasoning behind it. But then again, she was stressed the last time we had seen her."

"No amount of stress would cause her to do such a thing," the young wizard states as he turns to look at the witch beside him. "I have known her for nearly seven years of my life. She has always seemed calm and collected. She was never a person who would allow rage to overcome her judgement."

"You can't say that Harry," Tonks responds as she returns his gaze. "You only knew Minerva in a school setting. She was your professor. Not your friend or confidante. She would not allow a student to see how she truly felt."

"But..."

"Are you two ready to leave?" Andromeda asks as she comes up behind the pair in the street.

"Oi, mum! You gave me a fright!" Tonks cries as she places a hand on her chest to steady her racing heart.

"Sorry, dear, but we really must get a move on," the older woman states as she glances at the ever darkening sky above them. "I do not trust this weather. It's too dark of a day to be out in the open like this and who knows when the rain will start back up."

"Aww, don't leave so soon," a voice calls from within the thick fog. "We had just arrived. It isn't proper for the host to leave the guests so soon."

"Who's there?" Harry demands as he raises his wand toward the location of the unknown voice. The-Boy-Who-Lived feels every nerve ending in his body alight with fear as he tries vainly to recognise the voice in the mist. "Come on out and show yourself!"

A maniacal laugh echoes from behind Honeyduke's. "I think he believes he is in charge." Another laugh penetrates the thick murky air. "I think we need to show him who is really in charge!"

Andromeda steps in front of the young wizard, blocking him from any frontal attack. "Bellatrix!" She shouts in the direction of the candy shop. "Come out and face us properly! Or do you not want to have a proper reunion with your estranged sister?"

Silence greets the middle Black sister as she stands and waits in the enveloping cloud. Suddenly, the fog swirls around the trio swiftly then begins to dispel. As their view clears around them, the group realises that the are surrounded by Death-Eaters on every side.

"I thought you said you weren't followed, Andy," Harry says as he spins around to try and find a way to escape.

"I thought we weren't," Andromeda states as she stares in front of her where her sister is standing.

"Hello, Andromeda," Bellatrix says with a smirk. "How is this for a proper family reunion?"

"Could be better, Bella," the woman quips as she grips her wand tightly.

Clicking her tongue against her teeth, the oldest sister shakes her head. "Manners, dear sister. Spending time in the mud has caused you to act more rashly. You do not need your wand around me." The dark witch cackles softly causing Harry to cringe in fear.

Andromeda smirks as she stares at her older sister. I wish I was that fearless, Harry thinks to himself as he watches the battle of wills between the two siblings. He glances behind him and watches as Tonks stares at her aunt with an expression that the wizard could not place.

As he tries to divine the look, Harry is shaken out of his thoughts by Andromeda's voice. "You can never be too prepared can you, dear sister?" He turns back to the two women as he watches in horror as they hug each other. What in Merlin's name is going on? He thinks as his brain valiantly tries to process this new information, but to no avail.

Suddenly, wand tip presses harshly into the base of his neck. "Don't move, Potter," Tonks sneers as she clamps her hand down on his shoulder. "Lower you wand!"

"What's going on?" He stammers as he complies to the command.

"Typical Harry," a new voice states from behind Honeyduke's. "He could never understand that every time he turned around, he was walking into a trap."

"I was wondering if you were here," Andromeda says to the hidden figure.

"Of course I am." A cloaked figure moves from behind the building and out into an opening in the circle of Death-Eaters. "I would not miss this for the world." The figure lowers their hood, causing Harry to gasp.

"I should have known it was you!" he yells as he tries to struggle away from Tonks. Hermione smirks as her cool gaze settles on the wizard. "Why are you doing this? What have you done to Tonks and her mum?"

Hermione laughs as she and Bellatrix move closer to Harry. "Why are you doing this?" she mimics sarcastically as she brandishes her wand and settles the tip of it against the young man's chest. "Because I can, Potter." He winces as he feels a burning sensation in his chest. "As for Andromeda and Dora," she continues with a shrug as the wizard tries to pull away from the pain. "I haven't done a thing to them. They are fully cognizant. Did you honestly think that a member of the House of Black would truly betray her family? A family is a very powerful unit, Potter. They stick by each other through thick and thin."

"But look what you did to your family!" he shouts as she removes her wand. "The Order was like family to you and look how you turned your back on them!"

"Did you really think I was treated like family?" the young witch questions. "I was pushed into babysitting you and Ronald while all the time you were given all the accolades. I was walked over by everyone, including Albus... Did you know he threatened me?" She walks towards Bellatrix and Andromeda. "He would have killed me if I didn't play nice with you and the Weasel. So I waited until the time was right to strike."

"You won't get away with this!" Harry cries as he tries to struggle away from Nymphadora. "The rest of the Order will make sure you and the rest of your ilk will spend the rest of your life in Azkaban!"

Hermione stares at the wizard quizzically for a moment before chuckling darkly. "Oh, I don't think we will have to worry about the rest of the Order of the Phoenix coming to attempt to save the day." She wraps her arms around Bellatrix's waist and smiles lovingly at the older witch. "Bella, dear, why don't you tell our esteemed guest what happened to the rest of the Order?"

The eldest Black sister smiles darkly at Harry causing him to cringe. "Death happened to them."

Harry stares at the women in front of him in shock. "I-i don't believe you," he stammers out as he tries to make himself believe his on statement. "You could have never have defeated Kingsley, Mad Eye, Lupin or the Weasleys without a fight."

"It was quite easy, actually," Tonks states from behind him. "People tend to let down their guard when they trust you."

"Liars!" Harry screams as tears build in his eyes. "You can never win!" He takes a deep breath before continuing, "Where's your precious master? Where is he? This isn't over until we fight each other! Is he really this much of a coward that he hides away from destiny?"

Bellatrix starts to move towards the young wizard. Her wand trained on him, but Hermione reaches for her arm and calms the witch. "It's okay, my love. He is an idiot. Besides, you know you can not use your wand to kill him." The younger witch reaches into her handbag and retrieves the sword of Godric Gryffindor. "You do know what this sword is capable of, don't you Harry?"

The wizard looks at her questioningly for a few seconds before ice-cold realisation hits him. "Ah yes... I see that you finally understand why Albus allowed you, a mere child, run about for all these years. You had to often wonder why you as a mere student was allowed into the clutches of danger while the Order of the Phoenix, who are all battle-tested adults, were kept in the dark."

"I'm a Horcrux," he whispers as his face turns paler.

"Not only are you a Horcrux," Bellatrix replies with a cackle, "You are an offering! A lamb brought to slaughter! You were never meant to be a hero! You were just bait for a bigger prize!"

"Dumbledore wanted me to die?" Potter asks. His voice barely over a whisper.

Hermione walks slowly towards him, the sword ready in her right hand. "To that daft old man, you were a means to an end. But now..." She raises the sword over her head. "You are just a loose end that is about to be corrected."