Note that I do have permission from I am Gryffindor to take over this FanFic.
The night air was chilled and the sky above Hogwarts casted a grim shadow on the school. Deatheaters had invaded the school, causing havoc however they pleased. Fires were started all around and smoke filled the air, mingling with the dark clouds above.
At the top of the Astronamy Tower a very weary Harry Potter watched Headmaster Dumbledore from just below on the stairs, as he was disarmed by Draco Malfoy. Harry was still clutching the broomstick he had arived on just moments before, coming from the surch for a Horcrux. Draco had a small bunch of Deatheaters behind him. Harry was torn between intervening and rushing to find Professor Snape as he was instructed, but as he was about to call out he was silenced by Potions teacher himself.
"You don't have to do this." Said the Headmaster calmly to the boy that Voldemort had chosen be his assassin. Knowing full well that his own chosen killer would soon arrive.
"You don't understand. I was chosen to do this." Spat Draco. The boy's eyes started to glisten with a years worth of painful tears as he forcefully yanked his sleeve back, revieling the twisting form of the Dark Mark that was etched onto his skin.
Harry, while watching from the stairwell with Snape, heard every word uttered from Draco. Harry was, to say the least, completely shocked. He had been watchful of Draco all year, knowing that something was going on. Most people thought Harry to be blinded by years of hatred and that is why he watched Draco almost hawk-like. But truthfully, that hate had been nearly forgotten that year. Harry realized how differently Draco had been behaving and was genuinely concerned about him.
In past years Harry had thought he and Draco to be oposites, rivals, enemies of on of the highest orders. To never have anything in common. But seeing Draco now, eyes tear-stained and face pailer than normal, Harry thought that maybe they did have something in common after all. Harry pushed past Snape using the broomstick just as he heard Bellatrix try to encourage Draco to murder Dumbledore.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Shouted Harry, wand drawn as he fired the spell, throwing the broomstick to the ground. Every Deatheater behind Draco fell to the floor once the ability to move was taken from them. Harry then jumped between Franco's wand and Dumbledore.
"Draco stop!" Harry let the use of Draco's first name sink in for a small amount of time. "Draco, I have been in and am in a position so similar to yours. I was chosen by someone else to play this role as the Boy Who Lived, I didn't choose. Nobody asked me how I felt. So I've played the part, acted as a puppet for this world. I have lost so many people I loved, so many people. You don't have to be like me. I understand how it feels right now. Draco please, just choose another path."
"You don't understand, Potter!" Terror and rage mixing with something else in Draco's voice. "Out situations are nothing alike. Tonight someone is the hero and the other is the villain. You don't understand, you just don't!" Tears that had been forced back had now slid down Draco's pale face.
Draco still had his wand pointed directly at Harry's heart. In one move he could kill him and Dumbledore and the Wizarding World would fall. But he didn't. Draco stood there, wand poised for the kill, with his heart and head heavy from a years worth of pain. But his mission could not be ignored. Draco was still ever so slightly holding on to what he had been taught all his life. Draco took a shuttering breath and gripped his wand tighter, trying to will himself to go through with the task of evil he he had been given to preform.
Wand swiftly replaced into Harry's pocket, he outstretched his hand to Draco. Harry's voice was soft and worrisome as he spoke.
"Draco, please. I know I rejected your friendship the first day we came to this school, and I really don't deserve it. But please let me help you. Please, allow me to fix this. I've messed up so much, I don't want to mess this up too. Draco, please!"
This is what tipped Draco over the edge.
In one move, Draco dropped his wand and grabbed tightly onto Harry's hand with his own. Draco noticed for a fleeting moment the warmth of Harry's calused hands. Harry pulled Draco away from the pile of petrified Deatheaters, accidentally pulling him closer to himself as he did. Draco finally fully let the stored tears fall. Everything had suddenly changed and he let his icy mask completely melt away.
That's when Professor Snape, who had been somewhat forgotten, rushed up the Astronamy Tower stairs. He rushed over to the petrified Deatheaters and swiftly undid the curse Harry had put on them. He helped a stumbling Bellatrix to her feet as she caught on to what was going on around her. As she saw Dumbledore still alive and Harry and Draco still very close together, hands still clutched together, Bellatrix suddenly turned into a fury column of rage and hatred with frizzy black hair.
"Potter?! Draco?! What are you-" But the mad woman was cut off by Snape harshly shoving her asidr. His wand raised to Dumbledore. Harry and Draco watched in horror as they watched the two exchanged words. Slowly Dumbledore, with that twinkle in his eyes ever prominent, mouthed for the two boys to run. Harry and Draco did as they were told. The two rushed over to the forgotten broomstick still laying on the floor. Harry repeated the familiar phrase "Up!" as the broomstick swiftly raided to his hand. Harry mounted the broom, extending his hand to a still very shaken Draco. Draco once again felt the warmth of Harry's hand as he helped him onto the broomstick.
Draco placed his hands around Harry's waist reflexively, remembering when he used to have to fly with his mother on a broomstick when he was younger because she was not a fan of other magical transportation. Harry felt Malfoy push closer to him and felt a small amount of heat settling on his face, Draco was trying to fight his own blush. Swiftly Harry pushed off of the floor and the two sped into the air among the clouds.
Once up there, Harry glanced back to the Astronamy Tower. He saw a blinding flash of green light, and watched as Snape killed the man who had completely orchestrated his own death. Though Harry did not know that. Bellatrix's shrill laughter filled the air as Dumbledores lifeless figure plummeted from the tower to the ground below. A burst of darkness shot from the tower as the clouds started to contort into the shape of the Dark Mark.
A choked scream of pain left Harry's mouth as he watched with Draco. Harry's vision swam as he was plagued with loss.
"No, no, no." Harry muttered as the broomstick started to slowly serve.
Draco, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder, tried calling to him back to reality from the darkness Harry was surely falling into.
"Potter."
No response. The broomstick swirve.
"Potter!" Draco called more franticly.
Still no response as the broomstick started to plummet out of the air.
"Harry!" Draco finally yelled. Clutching tight to his shoulders as they fell out of the sky. Harry, in a dazed motion, woke from his trance. Realized what was happening. And gripped the brooms handle to stop their plummeting descent.
"Thanks, Draco." Harry whispered when they stopped falling, not looking him in the eyes. And for a moment, all was silent. But that moment was broken when Draco spotted something below. Draco pointed it out to Harry, who's face swiftly contorted in rage as he saw Hagrid's hut go up in flames.
"NO!" Harry yelled into the night, beginning a more controlled downward spiral toward the flaming hut. Harry, who flung hexes at many Deatheaters as he and Draco sped by, reached the giants house almost as fast as lightning crossed the sky. With the help of Draco and 'Aguamenti' he was able to put out the fire. Handing control over to Draco once they were about four feet from the ground, to Draco's shock and horror, Harry jumped of the moving broomstick and landed on his feet. Only teetering for half a millisecond before he marched to the man he had landed several meters in front of. Severus Snape was shocked at Harry, who then proceeded to fire Unforgivables at him; each blocked by Snape. Snape continued to act as smug as ever.
"Fight back you coward!" Yelled Harry, fueled with rage.
Then Snape proceeded to insult Harry's father, which fueled Harry's rage even more. Snape tried to tell the Deatheaters to retreat, but Harry tried to fire another curse at him. But Harry was cut off when a blinding pain hit him. He listened as Snape told off the Deatheaters about hide they were supposed to leave 'the boy' for the Dark Lord.
Harry rose from the place he had fallen, he saw that Snape had marched the Deatheaters to the front gates. Harry sprinted to the man that was the center of his hatred at the moment, not thinking or caring about the risk of his own life.
"Sectomse-" Harry shouted the Half-Blood Prince's curse, but was cut of yet again by Snapes defence.
"You dare use my own spell against me, Potter?!" Snarled Snape. Harry was hit by a curse of Snape's and sent flying backward. "My spell of my own creation? For I am the Half-Blood Prince!"
Harry went for his wand that was on the ground in front of him, but Snape sent a curse at him and the wand flew backward; out of Harry's reach.
"Then kill me then, you coward!" Harry yelled, voice dipped in rage and thrown at Snape.
Snape's expression changed from a Sneer to rage exceedingly fast.
"Don't. Call. Me. A. COWARD!"
Harry fell back as the pain hit him like a whip of fire to iced flesh. Harry's body weighed under the torture of the man untill it suddenly stopped.
Draco flew on the broomstick directly toward Snape, trailed by a very agrivated looking Buckbeak the Hippogriff. Buckbeak, who saw Harry writhing on the grass, quickly diverted his gaze from Draco to Snape. Eyes looking murderous, the Hippogriff speed it's large wings and dove into a high-speed chase after Snape. This drove the rest of the Deatheaters to retreat as well.
When Harry got to his feet he almost immidaintly fell backwards to what would surely be hard ground and even more pain. But the pain never came as a strong pair of pale arms caught him. Draco layed Harry onto the grass and keeled beside him. Harry tried to sit up but was crushed in a smothering embrace from Draco.
"Don't ever do something so idiotic ever again!" Whispered Draco.
As Harry pulled away he smirked.
"No promises."
Then Harry's vision started to swim. He heard Draco calling his name as suddenly everything became black.
