Don't Leave Me || Fred Weasley (Book Two)

Fourteen

Faye’s POV:

After yet another hard goodbye, George and I apparated into Hogsmeade, right outside the back door of the Hogshead. We knew about Caterwauling charm thanks to Luna, so the second our feet landed in the snow outside the small tavern a high-pitched scream rang out throughout the village. The door to our right immediately opened and out came an elderly man who at first I mistook for Dumbledore himself. 

“In, c’mon now, in!” He hurried us, his voice hushed as the streets now filled with search parties to find the intruders. We piled into the Hogshead and Aberforth quickly shut the door behind us. The windows were all covered so no one could see the light coming from inside, even though the only light source was a small candle in the center of a table to our right. Aberforth turned to a painting of a young girl on the wall and nodded to her. Suddenly she turned around and walked down a long dirt path, soon disappearing from sight. 

“Thank you for doing this.” George nodded to him and Aberforth shrugged, looking somewhat stressed. Maybe he worried the search parties would come knocking on his door soon. 

“I want to do my part any way I can,” He sighed. “My brother... Well… I think he made somewhat of a mess of things. I don’t want to go down that road though” He glanced at the empty portrait on the wall again, only this time his eyes were sad. I wonder what happened between him and his brother. 

Suddenly the girl in the portrait returned, and she brought someone with her now. The painting opened outward to reveal a secret tunnel and none other than Neville Longbottom. George and I smiled up at him, but I was struck with anger when I saw the cuts and bruises on his face. Hogwarts truly has changed for the worse. 

“C’mon you lot, best get movin before the search parties tear you to shreds” Neville joked, giving George and I a hand and helping us into the secret passage. I turned to Aberforth and smiled. 

“Thank you again” I nodded, speaking up for the first time. He pressed his lips together in recognition, and I took that as my sign to follow Neville and George through the passage. 

On the way there Neville told us all about the treatment of the students and professors at Hogwarts. He mentioned how he refused to use the cruciatus curse on some young students and that resulted in his fresh black eye. My blood boiled, and I could tell George was fuming as well, especially because Dawn was now mixed up in all of this as well. 

“Dawn will be in her bedroom waiting for Snape. He likes to take his sweet time with punishing professors. He makes em wait days sometimes, and that alone is enough torture. Sometimes he doesn’t even come to punish them, he’ll send one of the death eaters to do his dirty work. The man either doesn’t care enough to show his face or isn’t brave enough to do it himself. Either way, he’s a coward in my eyes” Neville grit his teeth. 

“At least that means we have time. It’s only about eight o’clock right now. Luna told us about Dawn’s punishment only two hours ago. She will be okay George” I nodded, grabbing his shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. He just kept his gaze forward, a stone cold expression on his face. If anyone laid a hand on Dawn, I’d hate to see what George would do to them. 

We came to the end of the passage and another portrait opened up into the room of requirement. It looked different from the last time I was here for Dumbledore’s Army. Now there were canopies hung from the ceiling, and students lounging about everywhere. Some began crowding around the entrance to the hidden passageway, and as we stepped down I started to recognize some people. I saw Luna through the crowd and immediately pulled her in for a hug, glad she was okay and made it here safely. I turned around to see George hugging Ginny, and once they pulled apart I hugged her as well.