More of Us: "Damn it, can't you keep it down? This isn't a train station."
In the back room of the Hog's Head Pub, Aberforth, who had just finished a day's business and was preparing to rest, was startled by a group of people who had suddenly appeared.
What annoyed Aberforth most was that these uninvited guests were not limited to the few before him. More young people were still emerging from the room Albert had enchanted, holding their wands up warily.
Aberforth's instincts told him that no good could come of this group showing up here. Something major was probably about to happen tonight.
"Sorry, Aberforth. We didn't want to bring so many people at once, but something happened at Hogwarts, so we had to come," Lee Jordan hurried forward to explain, trying to soothe the hot-tempered old man. After all, they had disturbed his life.
"What happened?" Aberforth asked curiously. "I thought you'd brought such a large force to take back Hogwarts."
"Old Bat Snape captured the families of some students who resisted him, intending to use them to force the other students into submission."
Cedric, who was studying Hogwarts Castle with the Marauder's Map, could not hide the disgust on his face as he spoke.
"They're really getting worse with age."
Aberforth's reaction was rather calm. After all, kidnapping relatives to threaten others had always been a favourite Death Eater tactic. They were merely using it in reverse now.
"Neville is here. We need to go, and it's best not to keep everyone else waiting too long." George cut short their brief exchange and walked over to Ariana's portrait.
"Is it just you lot? Where's Anderson?" Aberforth frowned when he failed to spot that familiar figure among the crowd.
"Of course it isn't just us. The Order