The Key (A Draco Malfoy Love Story)

Chapter 47: Back to Hogwarts.

Amelia's P.O.V

Something was questioning me about the Albus Dumbledore we idolize so much, what did Aberforth mean when he said he sacrificed his own sister. And on his journey for power? Dumbledore didn't seem like a power hungry person to me. At all actually. Maybe something happened when he was younger, because he was one hundred and fifty odd when he died. We've all done something we regret, maybe he wanted power when he was young. Who knows? But we can't be worrying about that now, I've been racking my brain to remember what shape that Horcrux was, I only saw it for a second and only remember the colour a decoration. I need to know what the item is though, otherwise we're basically screwed. We just need to hope Snape doesn't know we're here right now, because he'll call Voldemort and tell him that we're here. Then Voldemort will come and we'll all die! Well, probably not all die but we could get hurt. And Voldemort wants Harry dead, but he'll have to get through me first.

"Neville!" We all exclaimed, smiles growing on our faces. There in the doorway stood Neville, yet he didn't look like himself. His clothes were ratted and ripped, his skin specked with dirt, and most shockingly, the side of his head was all blooded up, with one deep wound there. But despite all of this, that contagious smile was still on his face. I swear, that boy can grin through anything.

"Well, you look..." Harry trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Like hell I bet.This is like a papercut compared to Seamus." Neville finished with a laugh.

"Oh I don't even care, I'm just happy you're here!" I said, hugging him tightly, which he returned, chuckling at me.

"Well someone's pleased to see me." He observed after I had released my grip on him.

"Believe me, I am. We've basically been on our own the last six months. And it's good to see a familiar face." I replied, standing back next to Harry, pulling the sleeves of my jumped down so that they covered half of my hands. It was colder than it looked, since there was snow in Hogsmeade, and I wished I put a coat on. I was used to the cold, so it didn''t really bother me that much, but I prefered warm weather, it's much more happy. Why I thought about the emotions of the weather at that time, I don't know, I guess it  just took my mind away from what was to happen in the very near future. Which was good, for the moment. Neville then crouched down on the passage floor and turned to Aberforth, who had just returned into the room once more.

"Hey, Ab, a few more are coming through." He told the man who merely nodded.

"Are we gonna stay here all night? There are some people that'll be happy to see you." Neville encouraged, waving us into the cave like underground passage. Harry jumped up first, giving me a hand up next, we shuffled forward about a meter so that Ron and Hermione could also leg up, almost hitting their heads on the rough, rock roof. We all followed Neville through the tiny, narrow tunnel,, lighting up our wands to prevent injury, from either knocking into something, hitting the top of. our heads, or tripping over. Which is something I would do, I haven't slept in a while, don't blame me.

The tunnel itself was dark and damp and cold, not as cold as Hogsmeade, but still rather cold. It was the type of cold when I was little I amused myself by making my breath look like that of a dragon's, this was because my cell used to get freezing in the winter nights. The walls, they were rough and sharp, the colour of coal, the blinding white light emitting from the tips of our wands bouncing off the shine on the black stone around us.

"This was never on the Marauders Map, Neville." Ron stated, looking all around him.

"That's because this one never existed until this year. The seven secret passages in Hogwarts were  blocked before the school term started. This is the only way in or out now." Neville explained, turning over his shoulder occasionally to look at the four of us before continuing.