The Potions Master's Daughter (Book Six)

Chapter 35

Once outside Neville and I apparated to Hog's Head and Neville greeted the man, "Hi Aberforth."

"Good to see you again boy, I'm glad you're alright there Jessica."

"How do you know who I am?"

"I keep up with the main leaders of the Order and resistance. It's fruitless of course, you-know-who has already won but of course my brother always thought he could do the impossible. I'm sure you're in deep in some scheme of his."

I was taken aback y how bluntly the man spoke but I appreciated it, "I am in deeper than you could ever imagine. It'll all be worth it when we win. You're wrong, this is very possible."

"Well i do hope you're correct. I've heard loads about you Jessica. There are people that think you might be the most powerful witch or wizard since my brother himself. How correct they are I am not sure, judging by the likes of people they came from, but still you are growing into quite the celebrity."

"I am not sure I would discredit such rumors so easily," I spoke raising an eyebrow, "I suppose we'll just have to see later down the line won't we?"

"That we will."

"Come on," interrupted Neville grabbing my arm and pulling me through the portrait, "They're all waiting for you to come back."

Once I walked into the Room of Requirement I was taken aback by the transformation it had made. There were multicolored hammocks stringed from wall to wall all over the place. THe banners of Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor hung proudly along the back wall. There had to be something like 20 people in the room, all gathered around three figures.

"Jessica!" Ron exclaimed turning to me.

Immediately I was surrounded by kids asking if I was alright and what had happened. I briefly answered their questions, giving away as little as I could as possible.

"Well now she's back. Now we can start doing something," Michael Corner shouted, "It's time you lot finally tell us what you're doing here."

"Well now that Jessica is here to protect all of you, there's something the three of us have to do," Harry stammered.

"We don't need protecting," Lavender Brown told him in her nasally voice, "We've been practicing protecting ourselves. I didn't come along with all these kids to sit here and wait while you three went off and do something. I'm here to help, so you might as well tell us how we can help."

I leaned over to harry, Ron and Hermione and whispered, "Let them help look for it. They don't need to know what it is for real."

Harry nodded and then spoke up to the room, "WE are looking for something. It's got something to do with Rowena Ravenclaw."

Just as whispers broke out the portrait opened again and Dean walked into the room, "Dean!" yelled Seamus engulfing him ina  hug.

"What are you doing here. Aren't you staying with Ron's Aunt Muriel?" Hermione asked.

Dean held up a Galleon, "Neville told me you lot were here so I figured I'd come and help throw Snape and the Carrows out."

"That's not what we are here for," Harry stuttered looking around the room as everyone gazed back at him wiht inquiring faces, "WE just need the thing and then we will leave."

"Leave?" echoed Neville, "No that can't be."

Harry looked a bit disoriented by this point, and the fact that the portrait opened again and Fred, George, and Lee Jordan walked through it seemed to do nothing to ease his worries.