the four teenagers made their way up to Hogsmeade until they approached Honeydukes.

"there! right there!" a Death Eater yelled.

Harry grabbed onto y/n as the four of them vanished. breaking into a sprint, y/n led them into a thick brush.

"we know you're here, Potter," another death eater called out.

"perhaps you need some convincing."

a large dementor flew by, chills running down y/n's spine. harry lifted his wand. "are you stupid? no, you'll give us away," y/n scolded.

"expecto patronum!" harry yelled anyway.

"down there!" a death eater shouted.

y/n felt a hand grip her shoulder.

"in here, potter."

-

the four teens followed the man down a rickety old staircase. the floating dust particles made y/n cough as they entered what seemed to be his living space.

y/n began looking around when she noticed harry looking back at her in the mirror. "harry? i can see you," y/n said.

"you bloody fools! what were you thinking coming here? do you have any idea how dangerous-"

harry cut the man off. "you're aberforth. dumbledore's brother. it's you i've been seeing, it's you who sent dobby."

y/n bit her lip as she remembered leepy. he would have been so happy to help if he was still with them right now.

"where've you left him?" aberforth asked.

"we don't know. he disappeared after..." harry stopped talking, glancing at y/n.

"after my friend died." y/n finished for him, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"how'd you come by it?" harry quickly changed the subject back to the mirror.

"mundungus fletcher. 'bout a year ago," aberforth said.

"dung had no right selling you that. it belonged to-"

"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 you'd be if i didn't."

harry didn't answer.

"right, then. reckon you're hungry. let's get you fed, then think of the best way to get you out of here." aberforth said.

-

harry, hermione, and ron sat with aberforth asking questions. y/n sat on the old, lumpy couch; rubbing her eyes. letting out a deep breath, she sat straight up from her hunched position.

y/n looked over at harry when he said, "i need to get into the castle tonight."

aberforth looked at the pretty painting sitting above the fireplace. "you know what to do." the girl smiled, turning around and walking.

"where'd you send her?" y/n broke her silence, standing up.

"you'll see soon enough."

"that's ariana, isn't it? your sister. she's beautiful." y/n said.

"she'll always be beautiful," alberforth sent her a small smile.

"she died very young, didn't she?" hermione asked. silence flooded the room for a moment.

"my brother sacrificed many things, mr potter, in his journey to find power, including her. she was devoted to him- he gave her everything, but time."

"mr dumbledore, thank you," hermione said.

"did save our lives twice. kept an eye on us in that mirror. that doesn't seem like someone who's given up, does it?" hermione explained to ron as aberforth left.

"she's coming back- but look. someone's with her," y/n pointed towards the painting.

"who's that with her? bloody hell-" ron cut himself off.

the painting swung open to reveal the familiar face of neville longbottom.

y/n immediately ran over to him. he matured much more since the last time she saw him and got taller. "neville," she whimpered, hugging him tightly.

"hi, y/n," the boy grinned, hugging her back.

"neville... you look..." harry trailed off.

"like hell? i reckon. this is nothing, seamus is worse. you'll see."

neville lead the four down a long passage way. y/n was extremely happy to be back with her best friend, she didn't leave his side the entire way. she didn't focus on what neville was saying, just the putred smell in the way.

finally, they approached a door. "let's have some fun, shall we?" neville pushed the door open.

"hey, listen up, you lot! i've brought you a surprise!" neville announced.

"not more of aberforth's cooking, i hope. be a surprise if we digested it," seamus complained.

y/n's eyes readjusted to the light. they were in the room of requirement, back on hogwarts grounds.

neville grabbed y/n's hand, blushing slightly as he helped her down. y/n immediately gave dean and luna hugs. "where's ginny?" she asked.

"i think she's doing something. she'll be back soon," luna nodded.

harry regrouped everyone and explained they were searching for a horcrux in the castle.

"what is it?" neville asked.

"don't know."

"where is it?"

"don't know that either."

"i realize that's not much to go on."

"that's nothing to go on." seamus said, causing y/n to crack a smile. she missed her friends deeply, and she couldn't help but miss draco.

cho and luna explained it could be rowena ravenclaw's lost diadem. suddenly, footsteps stopped dead in their tracks.

"harry," ginny said.

"hey there," harry smiled.

ron frownes as ginny paid no attention to him, but instead ran up to y/n.

"i missed you so much," ginny whispered into her ear.

"i missed you too, gin. how's mum and dad? or the twins? or bill and charlie?"

"we'll catch up later," ginny told her.

"snape knows. he knows harry was spotted in hogsmeade," ginny turned to neville.