"And these two are the real Hunters, Sam and Dean Winchester."

Line Break

The two hunters nodding to their introductions were staring at the barman, whose wand hand twitched as though he was about to cast a spell. "We want to help get rid of the asshat, not kill off the only decent people who know about our presence here." Sam even went so far as to raise his hands as the two men immediately stepped away from their luggage and stood on the other side of the sofa. While we've been supporting Harry, Hermione, and Ron since February, things back in America haven't been great either.

Even though Anna moved when the wand was thrown at her, the barman was unnerved by her simple move away from the bags.

"They're telling the truth," Hermione said, pausing as everyone turned to her. She was looking at the two hunters even as she moved to stand with them, Sam smiling gently down at her as she returned it before looking back at the elder of them all. "They could have shot us, but they didn't. Anna could have gone back to her old life, but she stuck by us, even helped us break into Gringotts, and used Sam's name when we got captured and taken to Malfoy Manor and Castiel. Has it helped us just now?"

"I..." The barman merely sagged down in his chair more as they explained why the two hunters knew about the Wizarding World and its war. "There is a lot more than just You-Know-Who killing everyone when he feels like it," the elderly man stated, letting out a breath before turning to face the four Americans.

"Kinda figured that out when they appeared." Dean abruptly stopped talking in response to the bartender's gaze as the elder man got up and moved to examine the girl's portrait, who was by this point quietly fiddling with her lush curls. "Harry, Hermione, and Ron aren't just in the middle of the war; they serve as the faces of the opposition. Just as my brother Albus had previously been."

"Brother? But then that means..." The three teens caught his attention as he nodded gravely and turned to face the group of teenagers, who appeared shocked.

"Aye, that's right, Lass. My name's Aberforth." 'Aberforth' told them, his statement sending a shock through the three wizards, only for the moment to be ruined by the growling rumble of a stomach declaring its hunger, even as Ron gained a pink tinge to his cheeks while they looked for the culprit.

"Sorry, we haven't eaten much today," was his explanation. "Just breakfast before we left."

"I got food." Aberforth seemed to mellow as he looked at the Americans, asking if they too were hungry. Sam looked sceptical, but Dean had to nod before the older man was going to get them something to eat. As soon as they were alone, Sam was looking at the three with an air of urgency as they finally were able to sit down.

"You used Sammy's name?" Anna turned to face Dean, grinning and nodding, and there was a sound of inquiry.

"I couldn't exactly use yours, Dean," was the answer. "You're too noticeable, and it worked. Freaked the hell out of the Death Eaters." There was an unsettling grin on the woman's face as Dean chuckled lightly and shook his head before he remembered something that caused him to lose the smile.

"And Michael?" The Winchester looked between both Castiel and Anna as she shook her head, alongside her brother.

Castiel looked to Anna as she shrugged before he was replying, "He has neither issued an order to capture nor take Anna back to heaven. Which means your… orders will have reached him, Anna."

This statement caused everyone involved to exhale in unison as Aberforth reappeared at that moment carrying a tray of drinks floating behind him and a platter of cheeses and sandwiches that he placed down on a coffee table nearby. After grabbing one, he proceeded to sit down near an old writing desk and observe the humans as they took turns eating sandwiches, with occasional remarks and the sound of crunching filling the room. Castiel and Anna refused to eat one, believing their species would not benefit from the nutrient-rich food.

Before anyone talked, quite some time had passed; they were all either eating, drinking, or observing while Castiel and Anna exchanged hushed words. Aberforth watched them both as it appeared to heat up again, with Anna shaking her head and Castiel nodding and then speaking again till her shoulders eventually sagged and she nodded quietly.

With Ron finally putting down his half-eaten sandwich and sitting back, sleepily, against the sofa, dinner, or what felt like a feast to the teenagers, was finally declared finished as Aberforth finally spoke up, "Right."

Attention was suddenly back upon him as he stood and looked at the gathered group. "We got to think of a way to get all of you out of Hogsmeade. It can't be done at night; you heard the curse they cast. They're on you quicker than Bowtruckles on Doxy eggs. And I don't reckon I'll be able to pass off that light as a patronus for a second time either."

"No."

"Pardon?" Aberforth paused and looked at Dean, who was shaking his head. The hunter's arms were crossed, and he had a stern face as he repeated, "No. We ain't leaving. These three need to get into Hogwarts."

"Don't be stupid, boy."

"We've got to," Harry said, sitting up once more and looking at Aberforth. "We have a job that needs finishing."

Aberforth shook his head. "What you've got to do is get the hell out of here. Get as far away as you can and into the mountains, and you might be able to disappear there. Hell, you might even see Hagrid. He's been hiding in a cave with Grawp ever since they tried to arrest him."

A moment of silence passed through the room before Harry again shook his head and said, "You don't understand. We have to get into the castle. Dumb… Albus wanted us to..."

Harry stopped as Aberforth growled lowly and came back into the light, the firelight making the grimy lenses of his glasses momentarily opaque, a bright, flat white that reminded Harry of the blind eyes of the Acromantula, Aragog.

"My brother wanted a lot of things," Aberforth said, "and people had a habit of getting hurt when they got in the way of his carrying out the newest grand plans. No, you four," he pointed to the stunned-looking Americans, "take these three and take them back home with you."

"No." "You don't understand; we have to." "Dude, didn't you hear us? We got shit going on back home!"

Aberforth hadn't expected three voices to speak up—almost shout—at once and looked to the two adults who hadn't spoken. They were shaking their heads and looking disappointed as Harry continued, "Albus left us a job, and to finish it, we have to get into Hogwarts."

"Did he now? Pleasant job, I hope. Easy? Something you'd expect three unqualified, barely-of-age wizard kids to be able to do without overstretching themselves or running into the most feared hunting duo in history?"

"We're feared?" Sam couldn't help but ask the question, looking at Dean with a raised eyebrow. The elder Winchester shrugged as he returned the look, only to miss the glare from Aberforth while Ron gave a rather grim laugh. Hermione was looking rather strained, however.

"It's not easy, no." Harry felt small for revealing that. "But we-"

"Thought so." Aberforth looked back at the kids and said, "Let it go, boy, before you follow him. Save yourselves, and damn the hero complex you have about you. It'll do you no good."

"But…"

"No buts." Aberforth turned to the window and sighed, knowing that Harry's stubbornness would not be easily swayed. "You don't know my brother like I did, and let me say, he should have been left well enough alone."

"Harry, listen to him," Hermione pleaded, her voice tinged with urgency. "Aberforth knows what he's talking about." Ron nodded in agreement, his expression serious. Harry felt a surge of frustration at their words, but deep down, he knew they were right. Aberforth's warning echoed in his mind, and he couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding that lingered in the air.

Aberforth seemed to decide on something as he turned to face the six before him and then to the painting above the hearth and nodded to the girl within, "You know what to do," realising he had no choice but to abide by their wishes.

With a charming smile, the girl turned and left. Unlike other paintings, though, she stayed inside the artwork and didn't leave. Rather, the gang of travellers saw what appeared to be a road behind her. Aberforth turned to face them all again, and she disappeared down the road, a light skip in her step as her curls bounced behind her and swayed side to side with the motion.

"There's one way to sneak in and out of Hogwarts nowadays, Potter. The old passages were blocked off at the beginning of the year; even The Shrieking Shack is closely watched on both ends," he said to them as he moved away from the hearth.

Both Sam and Dean watched the painting with a small air of curiosity before turning their attention to Aberforth as he spoke, seemingly noticing their gaze, "My sister. Unfortunately, she was attacked. When we were but wee kids. She was set upon by three muggle boys who'd happened upon her using magic, spying through a fucking hole in the fence; as a kid, she couldn't control it at that age. No kid can, but that didn't phase them as they broke through the fence and demanded that she redo it. Suppose it scared them, as when she couldn't do it, they became angry and aggressive. Think they got carried away trying to stop her from doing it again."

Castiel and Anna both looked murderous as Hermione stared in shock, her eyes huge in the firelight, while Ron looked sick to the stomach. There was a muttered curse from the Winchesters as Aberforth stood tall, just as tall as Albus had been in his pain and anger.

"What they did destroyed her. She was never quite the same again. She utterly refused to use magic, but she couldn't get rid of it. It turned inward, developing into a parasite called an obscurial." At Ron's sharp intake of breath, he broke off briefly to shudder at the memory before continuing, "Most of the time, she was sweet, scared, and harmless, but when she lost control, there was no stopping the destruction that followed. It was a tragedy to witness someone so gentle and kind transform into a force of uncontrollable power." Aberforth's voice cracked with emotion as he recounted the havoc his sister wreaked when the Obscurial within her took over. The Winchesters listened in grim silence, feeling a sense of sorrow for the tragic fate of Aberforth's sister. They knew all too well the destructive power that magic could unleash when left unchecked and the devastating consequences it could have on those who unknowingly harboured such dangerous forces within them. Especially demon magicks.

"Of course, my father went after the bastards who did it." Aberforth went on, "Got himself imprisoned in Azkaban for enforcing his justice." But he never explained to the ministry why he did it. They probably would have permanently locked Ariana in St. Mungo's if they had discovered just what she was. So, we moved. We moved to Godric's Hollow, where we could start fresh and live in peace. We had to keep her safe and quiet, so we said that she was ill and needed to be isolated for her well-being. My mother looked after her and tried her best to keep Ariana calm and happy. Most of the time, it worked.

"I was her favourite." A grubby schoolboy seemed to shine through the tangled beard, wrinkles, and grubby glasses before they disappeared as he sneered. "Not Albus. When he was at home, he was always in his room, counting his stupid rewards, keeping up his correspondence with the 'most notable names of the day' and reading. He didn't want to be bothered by her. Ariana liked me best; I could always get her to eat when she wouldn't do it for our mother. I could get her to calm down when she was about to transform, and when she was calm, she'd help me with the goats."

"But when she was fourteen..." Aberforth had to stop, his eyes glittering with tears as he grabbed a grubby-looking handkerchief and wiped them, tucking it into a pocket in his apron. He didn't need to finish: his guests could guess what had happened as Ron looked down, sadness in his eyes, Harry silently shook his head while Hermione sat silently, tears in her eyes while the group of Americans took a minutes silence of respect. None seemed to notice that Ariana's portrait had appeared and was walking back toward them. She wasn't alone either, a figure limped beside her and growing closer and bigger with every movement.

"Sir," Sam finally spoke up, looking at Aberforth. The Elder looked to the Hunter as he leaned forward, "We want to get into Hogwarts. There's... Something in there that Harry needs to get and destroy. It'll help the fight against... You-Know-Who and may even tip the scales a little bit."

Aberforth frowned as he turned to the side before he nodded and looked up at the portrait then back to Sam and Dean, along with the two angels, stating matter-of-factly, "You do not want to mess with me, Winchester. Three unqualified wizards are bad enough but you do not want to mess with a full grown wizard who's been around a lot longer than you've been hunting. Look after them and their allies."

With that, the portrait seemed to unlock a mechanism within and the entire painting swung open startling them all as a figure stood on the other side of what was now a door. Bedraggled, filthy and skinnier than Harry was used to seeing him, the figure took a look inside, saw the trio as they carefully stepped down the hearth. They took one look around before a huge grin split their face and they rushed toward Harry, enveloping them into a hug.

"HARRY!"

"Neville?"

Can I breath yet?

This chapter took a long time in the making. I did want to make it as perfect as I could but life just took over and it got out aside. I am really really sorry for this.

I'm just glad that it's finally finished.

Hermione Jean Burton