What if things had gone differently the night Dumbledore died? What if someone was taken, someone essential to the story, to the Trio, to Harry? What if the whole fabric of the story went differently?
A/N: Diverts from canon book six from the night Dumbledore dies. AU, obviously.
They had done it! Dumbledore was dead! True, it hadn't been Draco who killed him. Still the old schemer was dead! They cheered Severus Snape as they rushed back down the stairs. Back to the fight. They could hear screams and shouts. Rowle was doing exactly what he'd been ordered to do. Keep the stairway secure. Now it was Greyback's turn again. He'd already bitten two Aurors earlier in the fight to make it to the Astronomy Tower. Now he would, along with Rowle, lead them safely back out of the castle.
They rushed through the door in time to see Gibbons fall over dead from an Avada Kedavra not meant for him. Rowle looked shocked briefly and then resumed fighting. It was no time to grieve. Later, after they were safe, he could mourn his friend. He waved a complex spell and the body was both summoned to him and transfigured into a coin. He refused to leave him behind. His family WOULD have something more than a gravestone and an empty coffin to bury.
He and Greyback started toward the front of the castle. As they went through a narrow corridor, Greyback suddenly stopped and froze as he took a deep breath. "Come on, Greyback! No time to rest, man! We have to get out of here!" Rowle snapped at him. Despite being every bit as tall and broad as him, even Rowle shrank back in fear as Greyback snapped his head around and bared his teeth at him. The werewolf turned back around.
He sniffed again. 'What was that scent, that beautiful, delectable scent?' his nose led him to an alcove. He looked down at two terrified teenage girls. One was blond, the other was brunette. He picked up the blond by the throat and sniffed. 'No, not her.' He tossed her off to one side carelessly. He zeroed in on the brunette. She was shaking like crazy as she aimed her wand at his throat. He chuckled as he easily caught her by the neck.
He buried his face against her shoulder. 'Caramel!' Sweet, sweet caramel filled his senses. He fell against the wall and likely would have gone to his knees. As a sense of peace filled him, he realized what had happened. 'Damned if he hadn't found his mate! Right in the middle of a damned fight, he'd found her!' He silenced her, disillusioned her and threw her over his shoulder. She struggled wildly but couldn't escape from him. Damned if he was leaving here without her!
He rushed on ahead. As they burst out of the corridor into the main hall, curses came flying at him. He cast a shield spell over her and growled as he took a swipe at the nearest attacker. He heard a long agonized scream from the man whose face he'd nearly ripped off. He didn't care as he charged, snarling fiercely, at more of them. The Aurors, faced with a rampaging Fenrir Greyback, broke ranks and scattered. Even the girl tossed over his shoulder wasn't slowing Greyback down. He was still very much a formidable opponent. That gave Rowle and company a chance to make a run for it.
Yaxley smiled at the sight as he ran. The Dark Lord had been right to send Greyback with them. He was keeping the heat off of them as the Order and Aurors attempted to apprehend him. It was a right good thing that werewolves were practically indestructible as multiple curses were rebounding right off of the wolf! He wondered who the unfortunate little girl was that Greyback had grabbed. That was the only thing the wolf hadn't been cleared to do. He knew it was a girl because she'd screamed right before he silenced her.
Right now he had more to worry about though. Draco hadn't killed the Headmaster. Snape had and he'd blown his cover in doing so! The Dark Lord wouldn't be pleased about that. But then again, with Dumbledore dead, Snape could now rejoin their own ranks. There was no longer any need for him to spy. Of course, that left the Order but they didn't have their leader now. It would take them awhile to recover from losing Dumbledore.
He cursed as Rowle, who had been running steadily, suddenly let loose a flame of fire at the Groundskeeper's hut. The half giant, Hagrid, had come out and was trying to fight them. From behind him, he could hear someone yelling at Snape. He turned and it was a teenager wearing glasses. He recognized Harry Potter from the newspapers.
"Go, Yaxley! Take Draco and Rowle and go! I'll grab Greyback and follow! Go!" Snape ordered. Yaxley nodded as he grabbed the arms of both Rowle and the Malfoy brat and Disapparated.
"Greyback! Come, it's time to go!" Snape ordered. The wolf fell back, still carrying the girl, and nodded as he vanished. Snape faced off with Potter. The brat tried to use his own spell against him. "Who do you think invented that curse, Potter? I AM the Half-Blood Prince!" As the boy stared at him in openmouthed shock, Snape vanished as well.
Harry jumped up and ran back to the school. Even though he'd witnessed the Avada Kedavra, he was still hoping it hadn't actually hit the Headmaster. Dumbledore had already been so weak by the time they came back to the school. Plus he'd lost his wand when Draco disarmed him. He reached the bottom of the tower and there he was. Albus Dumbledore. Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Killed by the very Potions teacher he'd trusted for so long.
It wasn't until now, with the fight over, that people started checking to make sure they were all ok. Three students found a fourth in hysterics. All four dreaded what they had to tell Harry. Even though it WASN'T his fault, they just knew he'd find some reason to blame himself. There wasn't a lot they could do right now. They ran to find Harry. He was outside, kneeling beside someone. Hagrid was standing behind him. They were both crying. Ginny walked forward. She gasped in horror. It was Professor Dumbledore!
She hated to be the bearer of more bad news but Harry needed to know. It was about one of his best friends after all. She made Harry sit down and take a deep breath. Ron, Neville and Luna stood in a semicircle around them. Everyone was in the Great Hall. Harry looked up and around. He frowned as he looked back at Ginny. "Ginny, where is-?" Ginny began crying as she shook her head.
Pretty soon, everyone was standing there, silently crying. Dumbledore had been very much loved by the Order and much of the Wizarding population. The Wizarding world had just suffered a great loss. The Aurors rounded everyone up and headed them back into the school. They sent a message to the Ministry of Magic, letting them know what the situation was.
Outside the gates of a manor in the heart of Wiltshire, there were five pops. Yaxley looked around at his group of three, now expanded to five. He and the Death Eaters started toward the gate. He looked back as he realized Greyback wasn't following them. He'd actually turned to go in the other direction. "Fenrir, come with us. The Dark Lord will want to reward you."
Greyback turned toward him. "No need, Yaxley. I already have my reward, right here." He patted the girl he had tossed over his shoulder.
"Greyback, you weren't supposed to take anyone from the school. He'll want to see if that student is going to cause more trouble for us." Yaxley told him. Greyback just looked at him.
"Not my problem, Yaxley. I did what I was supposed to do. The Ministry wants to kick up a fuss over her, fine. It's clearly on me, not the Dark Lord. Let him know our contract is over." He started the other way again.
"Greyback, wait! What does that mean? You'll not fight anymore? Just come in. Talk to him." Yaxley requested.
Greyback sighed. He was anxious to get his little mate back to his camp. He pulled the girl off of his shoulder and carried her bridal style as he nodded. He reluctantly followed them through the gates. They walked up the long driveway. Each of the men were stealing glances at the disillusioned girl, trying to figure out if they knew her.
Once inside, they walked up the stairs to the drawing room. There the Dark Lord, the Malfoys and the Lestranges awaited them. They could all tell Greyback was carrying a girl. The disillusion spell prevented them from seeing who she was though. On seeing the surprised expression on the Dark Lord's face, Yaxley stepped forward. "My lord, Dumbledore is dead."
"Well done, Draco." The Dark Lord rasped. Draco visibly gulped as he stared helplessly at his parents.
"It wasn't Draco who killed him, my lord. It was Snape." At this announcement, two separate reactions happened. One unnoticed, the other loud and clear.
Narcissa Malfoy breathed a sigh of relief and silently mouthed 'Thank you' to Severus Snape.
Bellatrix Lestrange cackled as she clapped her hands. "Oh, good on you, Snape! You ARE still with us! Good on you!"
The Dark Lord stared silently at Draco. "He couldn't kill him. Hmmm. Any other time, I would have to punish you, Draco, for your failure. But today I'm too pleased. Thank your lucky stars that Snape showed up. Snape, I'm sorry to lose my spy but I'm very pleased to welcome you back to our ranks."
Snape bowed his head. "I'm pleased to be back, my lord. It was very tiring teaching all of those dunderheads all of these years."
The Dark Lord tipped his head. "I don't see Gibbons. What of him?" Rowle sucked in a deep breath. 'This one was on him.' He stepped forward.
"Forgive me, my lord. I was aiming for Lupin. He dodged and my spell struck Gibbons, killing him." With that, he removed a coin from his pocket. "I refused to leave him behind. I brought him back for his family, my lord."
"Good man, Rowle. Please take him to his family. They will need time to grieve before the war." The Dark Lord said. Rowle bowed his head as he left.
"Yaxley, I'm very pleased with the report so far. It sounds like everything went according to plan. However, I see a small matter that wasn't discussed. Care to enlighten me?" he motioned at Greyback. Yaxley sucked in his breath. 'Yeah, this was the part he'd been dreading.'
"My lord-" He started, only to be interrupted by the wolf.
"My lord. This girl is nothing to you. If there's any trouble, it will all be on me! I claimed her, on my own, as my reward for my part of tonight's mission. I will be taking her to my camp. I have fulfilled my contract with you. If you have any further need of my services, just send me a note." Greyback told him firmly.
"May I at least see who it is, Greyback? So I can congratulate you on a job well done?" the Dark Lord asked.
Greyback took the spell off of the girl and turned her toward the crowd of people. She let out a muffled sob as she realized she was surrounded by Death Eaters and the Dark Lord himself. Everyone gasped, most in surprise. At least two in horror. Then there was laughter and clapping from Snape and Bellatrix Lestrange. Voldemort turned to them. Bellatrix nodded at Snape.
"My lord. You owe Greyback a very huge reward. He just turned this war very much in your favor! That girl in his arms is Hermione Granger. Best friend of Harry Potter, one third of the 'Golden Trio' and widely acknowledged as 'the brightest witch of her age." Snape said slowly.