Eden led his apparition into the headmaster's office, and Snape looked up from his desk in a daze. Pen ~ fun ~ Pavilion www.biquge.info portraits of the principals, surprised, and looked at Phoenix.

The furnishings are the same as when Dumbledore was alive, except for an extra bookshelf.

"Excuse me, Professor Snape. Phoenix sat down unceremoniously.

"Why are you here?"

"Let's arrange a decisive battle. "I'll take Harry to Hogwarts in a moment, and we'll see the outcome of the war today." ”

The successive principals sat majestically and listened attentively.

Snape frowned and said, "I just received the news that the Dark Lord is angry. Potter stole an important item, isn't it slow. ”

"No, you'll tell the Dark Lord in a moment. Harry was at Hogwarts trying to get into the Slytherin Chambers, and he was sure to be hurrying with the army. Then, you gather the students in the auditorium. Your mission is done, just wait for me to fulfill my promise. ”

Snape's cheeks flushed with excitement.

"Okay. ”

"Before you go, let me warn you, don't meet him. ”

Phoenix leaves immediately after saying that, and returns to the pig's head bar. In the middle of the game, only five or six minutes later, the bar owner was already upstairs. He wore glasses, and behind the dirty lenses, his blue eyes were bright and sharp.

On the table was a large loaf of bread, a few slices of cheese, and a jar of mead. The two of them gobbled up food and drink.

He was trying to dissuade Harry from going to Hogwarts.

"I know my brother, Potter. He learned secrecy on my mother's lap. Secrets and lies, that's how we grew up, and Albus - he was born like that. ”

The old man's gaze turned to the portrait of a young girl on the mantelpiece. It is the only painting in the room. There are no pictures of Albus Dumbledore or anyone else.

Phoenix suddenly returned, startling them. Eden happily flew into Hermione's arms.

"Aberforth, is your behavior considered a betrayal? Actually jumped him away. Phoenix said annoyedly.

"If you continue to participate, you will only follow in his footsteps!, save your lives!" Aberforth retorted sharply, "How many people are in miserable circumstances under my brother's care, it is better to ignore them in the first place." ”

He didn't open his mouth for a moment, but ate and drank. After a busy day, they haven't eaten yet. The room was silent for a moment, save for the crackling of the fire, the clatter of goblts, and the sound of chewing food.

They had eaten and drunk enough, and Harry and Phoenix were slumped in their chairs,

"Mr. Dumbledore," Hermione said a little timidly, "is this your sister?"

"Yes," Aberforth said stiffly, "read Rita Skeeter, yes, little girl?"

Even in the glow of the red fire, Hermione's face could be seen to be flushed.

"Ephias Dorjee mentioned her to us. Phoenix said he wanted to get Hermione out of the way. While it's uncertain if Dorjee knows Ariana, judging by the obituary Dorjee wrote to Dumbledore, he should be familiar with the Dumbledore family.

"That old fool," Aberforth whispered, taking a long sip of mead, "he thinks my brother radiates sunlight from every pore, well, many people think so, and it seems that you three are no exception. ”

"I didn't think so. Phoenix said with a grin.

"That's because you're one of the same kind of people. Aberforth said disdainfully.

"Can we make small talk another day," Hermione said quickly when she saw Phoenix standing up unconvinced, "We're in a hurry." ”

Aberforth sat motionless in his chair, his eyes like his brother's.

"Well, if you insist on sending you to death, I won't stop you. He cleared his throat, stood up, walked around the small table, and walked towards the portrait of Ariana.

"You know what to do. He said.

The girl smiled slightly, and turned away, not disappearing beside the frame as the usual portrait would, but as if walking along a long tunnel painted behind her. They watched as her slender figure walked farther and farther away, finally engulfed in darkness.

"Uh-what's that-?" Harry wanted to ask.

"There's only one way in now. Aberforth said.

"But—" Hermione said, frowning at Ariana's portrait.

A small white dot appears at the end of the tunnel in the painting, and Ariana walks back towards them, getting closer and bigger. But there was another person beside her, taller than her, who walked with a limp and a face full of excitement. There seemed to be a few cuts on his face, and his clothes were torn out of shape. The two figures grew larger, and at last their heads and shoulders filled the entire portrait.

At this moment, the portrait on the wall opens like a small door, revealing the entrance to a real tunnel. The real Neville Longbottom crawled out of the tunnel, his hair surprisingly long, his face scarred, his robe torn. He roared in ecstasy, jumped off the mantelpiece, and shouted, "I knew you were coming!

"Neville—how is this—how?"

Neville cried out with joy and hugged them tightly. The more Harry looked at Neville, the more he looked terrible: one of his eyes was swollen yellowish-purple, his face was covered in scars, and judging by his messy appearance, he seemed to have been tortured. Still, his scarred face shone with excitement.

"I knew you were coming, I kept telling Seamus it was only a matter of time", he said as he let Hermione go.

"Neville, what's wrong with you?"

"What? this?" Neville shook his head, not caring about his injuries. "Nothing at all, Ron is even worse. You'll see. Shall we go in now?" he said to Aberforth, "No, I guess there are a few more people on their way." ”

"How many more?" Aberforth repeated, as if ominously, "how many more people are there, Longbottom?

"I know, so they'll apparition right into the bar," Neville said, "and remember to let them through when they get there, okay?"

Neville extended his hand to Hermione and helped her climb up the mantelpiece and into the tunnel, followed by Phoenix and Harry, followed by Neville. Eden left alone, not knowing where he went.

On the other side of the cave there is a smooth stone staircase: it looks like the passage has been around for some years. Brass sconces hung from the walls, the earthy floor smoothed by friction, and their shadows intertwined into cracked fans as they went.

"How long has this thing been here?" asked Harry as they departed. "It's not on the map, I thought there were only seven people who had ever been in and out of the school. ”

"They sealed it all up at the beginning of the semester," Neville said. "It's impossible to pass through here anymore, especially with spells at the entrance and Death Eaters and Dementors at the exit. He began to step back, as if he didn't care. "Leave this stuff alone - is that true? You broke into Gringotts, escaped from the dragon, and now everywhere you are, everybody's talking about this, and Terry Bout was beaten up by the Caro siblings because he couldn't help but shout it while eating in the Great Hall!"

"Hehe, that's true. Harry said.