Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
A/N: Massive thank you to all for reading reviewing, following and favouring. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :)
Chapter 28
The train had rounded the corner and Hogwarts came into view, in all its glory. Or, what had once been glory. The castle, now coated in thick, dark cloud, had barbed wire stretching over the tops of a newly resurrected 15 foot high fence. Aurors on broomsticks and on land circled an opaque dome that surrounded the castle and its grounds. Few windows were lit, and even those were dim. It seemed that every form of protection, Muggle and Magical, had been placed upon the castle.
I blinked away tears I never knew formed as I turned to face Draco. "It finally seems real doesn't it? The war."
He nodded, cupping my face and kissing me, soft and long. "For luck." he whispered as he pulled away.
I leant into his chest as he wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin atop my head as we watched the castle come closer and closer.
"I have a feeling we're gonna need it."
Wiping my eyes on my sleeve, I stared into the empty teacup at the dregs that lay in its depths. A funny life, it must be, being a teabag. Or rather, the contents of one. I shook my head. Stupid, I chastised myself, teabags and their contents are inanimate.
I leant into Draco's side as he dropped onto the sofa beside me, his arm falling around my shoulders. Catching my eye, he smiled briefly, his eyes rimmed with pink, before staring into the fire. Smiling back, I followed his gaze into the flames and for the fifteenth time in hours, left the sitting room on the third floor of Grimmauld Place, for Hogwarts.
We returned to the compartment as the train rounded the final bend, beginning its journey down the relatively straight line of tracks that lead to Hogsmede station. Ginny and I chatted of what was to come in the remainder of this year as we changed into our robes. The new security, we quickly agreed, would be a hindrance, rather than a help to the day to day routines of students. Nevertheless, it was necessary in order to protect the school from Bellatrix.
"I wonder where she's hiding." Ginny mused as she fastened her cloak.
I shrugged as I slid the compartment door, open allowing the boys admittance. "Somewhere in the dungeons probably; she'd know more about them than she would of the rest of the castle and there are a lot of corridors: who knows what down there?"
"Snape." Draco replied matter-of-factly, sitting down and throwing a chocolate frog to me. "If she was down there, he'd know where before she did."
"Yeah," Blaise agreed.
"Ooh, we're stopping!" Ginny exclaimed leaping up.
I sucked on the head of my chocolate frog as we left the compartment, dragging out belongings behind us. Crookshanks hissed and spat at the Aurors that lined the path towards the carriages.
"Hey." Neville and Luna fell into step beside us, the former looking rather forlorn.
"Trevor's missing again." Luna explained in answer to Ginny's questioning gaze. "His Gran gave him a month before she destroys his Mimbulus Mimbletonia."
"Aw, sorry Neville."
"'S'okay." Neville mumbled. Then with an air of pulling himself together he smiled. "I found him the first time, I can find him the second." They preceded us into the carriage.
An auror sat in the corner of our carriage, staring out the window his hand clenched in his jacket pocket.
We eyed him for a few minutes, taking in his scowl and spitefully gleaming eyes, before we left the topic of Bellatrix and focused instead on Slughorn and Snape and who we thought was the better potions master of the two. Draco and Blaise conversed almost determinedly, perhaps trying to show the Aurors lack of intimidation, for as they debated, the man's jaw clenched more and more.
It was with relief that we exited the carriage upon our arrival at the castle. A vein was throbbing in the Aurors temple by this time and he looked ready to explode.
We were marched into the castle by another set of Aurors. Tonks was among them, but she offered no smile or even a ghost of recognition.
Dumbledore, flanked by McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick and Sprout, and behind them the rest of the staff, stood on the Grand Staircase looking down at the student body in the Auror-lined Entrance Hall, who were staring back at them confusedly, wondering why they were there, and not in the Great Hall.
"Good evening," Dumbledore's voice was grave, reinforcing the gloom that surrounded us. He attempted a smile, but failed. A seventh year Slytherin let out a strangled sob, expressing the fear that had suddenly eclipsed us.
"As I am sure you're aware-" Dumbledore was cut off.
"RIBBIT. RIBBIT."
Trevor hopped into view from the passage that lead to the Hufflepuff common room, his load croaks echoing off the walls.
"RIBBIT. RIBBIT."
"Trevor!" Neville exclaimed, running towards him. This broke the tension slightly and several students laughed.
Their laugher died as Neville froze. Trevor had suddenly began to grow, his body rising quickly, his dark eyes widening to those of a human, his skin crawling up his body and lengthening into mad, untamed curls. Bellatrix Lestrange stood where Trevor once had.
Before anyone could react she had lifted her wand, pointed it at Dumbledore, and spoken rapidly: "I win. Avada Kedavra!"
Dumbledore had fallen, just as the doors to the Entrance Hall burst open, and the largest army of Death Eaters I had ever seen poured into the Hall.
"Move!" Draco hissed, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the Grand staircase amidst the chaos. McGonagall crouched just behind the marble banister, beckoning frantically; tears pouring down her face. Ron, Harry, Ginny and Blaise approached her as we did.
"I know you want to fight." she whispered. "I know how this is going to feel. But you must leave. Dumbledore asked me to ensure that you do. The castle will be safe, I promise."
"But-!" Harry protested.
"Please, Mr. Potter." She held out her arm. "The apparition wards would've been broken."
Harry stared at her for a moment, before taking her arm. Ron slipped his arm through Harry's, Ginny Ron's, Blaise Ginny's, Draco Blaise's and me Draco's.
The noise made our disapperating was lost in the battle. In a second, we stood on the path outside Grimmauld Place.
"Stay safe." McGonagall murmured, before disapperating.
Harry led the way towards the door and pressed the doorbell. Mrs Black's shriek's answered us.
"What are you lot doing here?!" Sirius exclaimed, jumping back from the door in shock.
"Dumbledore's dead." Harry sounded a thousand miles away.
Wordlessly, Sirius drew back and led the way down to the kitchen.
"What on earth?!" Mrs Weasley gasped.
"Draco!" Narcissa cried.
I barely noticed what happened next. It was as though Harry's words had brought the world into focus. Dumbledore was dead. Gone. Weakly, I sunk into a chair and cried. I cried until I was empty of emotion. Apprehension. Grief. Fear. They and more left me, but the tears continued to fall, until finally they stopped.
I withdrew from my memory and returned to my scrutiny of the dregs in my teacup. Tealeaf reading was a load of rubbish, I knew, but that didn't stop me from begging them to shift into the answers to my questions. What were we to do now? Harry, I thought, would want to try and destroy Voldemort, as Dumbledore had begun to teach him to do so, but he had had so few lessons, and from what he told me, didn't know how knowing about Voldemort's past would help.
The clock on the mantelpiece chimed midnight softly. Everyone had gone to bed hours ago, but I had been unable to sleep and had slipped into the kitchen for tea and retreated to the sitting room. Laying the cup on the floor beside me, I curled into Draco's side and pulled the sofa's throw around me, closing my eyes.
Draco gently rested his head atop mine, squeezing my shoulder. As my eyelids dropped and sleep consumed me, I decided that no matter what, I was going to do my utmost to win this war.
I just hoped I didn't lose anyone along the way.
A/N: Please review! :)
