ELEVEN A SURPRISE

It wasn't long before Ariana returned with a figure behind her. He was limping beside her and the closer they got, Xander could see that it was Neville. He was beyond ecstatic to see a familiar face, even if it was as bloodied as Neville's. That was no surprise to Xander consider he had witnessed firsthand how much the Carrows enjoyed their cruel and unusual punishments. Neville seemed just as happy to see them as they were to see him. Xander knew they were nowhere near being done with this, but seeing Neville lifted just a little bit of the weight from his shoulders.

"I knew you'd come! I told them all! Harry Potter would never abandon Hogwarts!" Neville exclaimed, "Xander! You found Diana! It's so good to see you both, oh, Merlin."

The frame swings open, revealing the tunnel behind it and Neville steps out with that signature goofy grin on his face despite the aging scratches and blood on his face. Xander can't even begin to imagine what's been happening at Hogwarts while he's been gone. His heart aches for those he left behind.

"Neville," Harry mutters, "You look..."

The smile is not deterred, "Like hell? I reckon. This is nothing, Seamus is worse. You'll see. Hermione, Ron!"

Neville gives them all hugs and Xander revels in the warmth, glad to see his friend's morale has not been harmed by the grim setting amongst them. The boy is such a relief to see, he could hold onto Neville forever.

The boy pulls away from hugging everyone, turning to Aberforth and saying, "Hey, Ab. There might be a couple more people on the way."

Xander didn't even notice the man had returned, watching Ariana return to her place in the portrait. His gaze was distant, focused on his late sister. Neville turned back to the five of them with a smile.

"Well, ready?"

They enter the tunnel and nothing has changed from the few times Xander was in this place. It's dark and they light the way with their wands, no one really bothering with small talk or anything frivolous like that.

Ron is the first to speak, "I don't remember this being on the Marauders' Map."

"What the hell is a Marauders' Map?" Xander asked with a frown, turning to furrow his brow at the redhead who just shrugged.

"Long story," he mumbled.

"That's because it never existed 'till now," Neville began to explain, "The seven secret passages were sealed off before the start of the year. This is the only way in or out now. The grounds are crawling with Death Eaters and Dementors."

Xander shivered at the thought.

"How bad is it, Neville? With Snape as Headmaster?" Hermione questioned next, her voice heavy with concern as they navigated the darkness.

Neville just shrugged, "Hardly ever see 'im. It's the Carrows you've gotta watch out for."

"Those bastards," Xander mumbled, earning a concerned look from Diana, but he just shrugged it off, resorting to letting Neville explain.

"The Carrows?" asked Harry. It never really occurred to Xander that the three of them had absolutely no idea what had been going on at Hogwarts and how different had been. They weren't there for long, but Diana and Xander had still returned to the school for a small period of time -- Xander and Neville had been there the longest out of all of them. The trio had never even stepped foot on the platform this year.

Neville began to explain before Xander could, "Brother and sister. They're in charge of discipline. They like punishment, the Carrows." He pointed to the gash in his face.

"They did that to you?" the blonde girl asked, her voice laced with concern, "Why?"

"Today's Dark Arts lesson had us practicing the Cruciatus Curse on first years. I refused. Hogwarts has changed," the boy remarked with a defeated shrug. He looked around at their disdainful expressions and offered a reassuring grin, "Aw, don't be grim. We're all used to it by now. And the thing is, it helps when people stand up, gives everyone hope. Xander, you escaping to save Diana has been going around as quite the story. People will be glad to see you both alive and well. C'mon, we're almost there."

They reach the end not long after that, heading up the stone steps Xander had walked down before. Before Neville opens the door, he turns back to them and whispers, "Let's have a bit of fun, shall we?" He pushes the door open. "Hey, listen up you lot, I brought you a surprise!"

"Not more of Aberforth's cooking," Xander hears Seamus whine, "I hope. It'd be a surprise if we could digest it."

It's then that people seem to realize that Neville isn't alone. Heads turn to face them before the voices in the room explode. The crowd swallows them as Xander is pulled into hugs mainly from Dean and Seamus, but a few others as well. Everyone is checking on Diana, making sure she's okay, the fellow Hufflepuffs especially. The trio alongside them is getting patted on the back and embraced. In the middle of their darkest times, the celebration is appreciated.

Neville turns to Nigel, a boy Xander remembers from his time in Dumbledore's Army back in his fifth year, "Get the word out to Remus and the others that Harry is back."

The boy nods and heads over to a radio, exclaiming something that must be in code, mentioning something about a lightning strike. Xander chuckles at the lightning being an obvious reference to the scar on Harry's forehead.

Dispersing the crowd, Xander and Diana join in with their friends, watching as Justin reunites with Diana for the first time in what's been months. He can't imagine how the boy must feel right now. His heart aches for the love he left behind as he looks at the way Justin holds her face, caressing her like she's the most fragile thing in the world. He does his best to keep his sunny composure as he turns away from them, letting Seamus pull him into a hug and keep his arm hung around his shoulders. He warms at the touch, having missed the friends he grew closer with during his time with Dumbledore's Army.

Everyone silenced as Nevilles stood beside Harry and his friends, saying, "Okay, okay! Stand down! Let's not kill them before You-Know-Who gets the chance!"

The crowd settles and Xander hears Dean whisper into his ear, "Glad you made it back safe, we were all worried about you."

He smiles at the boy, "Glad to be back."

A steady silence finally settles over the room as they all look towards Harry. It's clear the boy is caught off guard by the attention as he looks fidgety. His dark hair has gotten longer, almost covering the lightning scar on his forehead. Sweat has formed, mixing with the cuts and dried blood on his tan skin. He looks rough, they all do, but the hope in the room is thick. In fact, Xander hasn't felt this hopeful in a long time. He's back in the school he loves, surrounded by people that care about him. Now they've got Harry by their side -- this feels like something they might actually be able to pull off. It's a strange feeling, but not an unwelcome one. It's a feeling that Xander hopes he gets to experience more often.

"Right then, Harry," Neville speaks, sounding excited along with everyone else in the room, "What's the plan?"