She woke from her vision, still screaming from what she saw. The bright lights from Dumbledore's office blinded her for a moment as woke, leaving her slightly disorientated. Her heart pounding without rest, as her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw Dumbledore, standing in his office, complete as he was before she entered the vision.
"Professor," she panted, holding her heart in grief. "Professor . . . "
"What is it?" he asked curiously, walking over to her. She looked horrified, her eyes wide with terror. "What did you see?"
"I-it was you. It was you, in the Astronomy Tower with . . . w-with Draco Malfoy," Dumbledore's curious expression suddenly left, replaced with one of mundane, as if the news was boring, "and Severus Snape. They . . . t-they . . . Draco . . . he-"
"Yes," said Dumbledore plainly, looking quite unalarmed by the terror he saw in Haidee. "Yes, I am aware."
"Aware?" she gasped, catching her breath in her fright. "Aware of the fact Draco Malfoy bears the Dark Mark, and right now, is conspiring to kill you?"
"Yes," he repeated. "Quite aware."
"What about-"
"Severus?" he added, looking to her, anticipating the last of her sentence.
"Y-yes," she mumbled. "Yes. Y-you trusted him-"
"I still trust him."
"Not after what I'm about to tell you."
"He kills me," Dumbledore said plainly, without a hint of fear or exaggeration. He stated it more of a fact, as if he, too, could see the future. "Yes, I am aware."
Haidee looked at him, completely astounded and disturbed by his coolness of the situation. She had just seen the man before her die, leaving her grief-stricken and startled, yet at the announcement of his death, which, somehow, he seemed to be aware of, Dumbledore remained as calm as ever, almost unsatisfied by the vision Haidee recounted to him.
"I know this may be shocking news, Haidee," said Dumbledore; she couldn't help but think that remark was an understatement, "but I can assure you, it is the way it should be."
"You? Dead? The way it should be?" she stammered, hardly believing her ears. "Professor, you die."
"I see," said Dumbledore with a smile, which Haidee was not sure how he could muster after news of his upcoming death, "that you, just as Harry does, fear the inevitable. However, Haidee, it is inevitable."
"You are not scared?" she whispered.
"No," he said flatly. "After all, to the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure."
"B-but to die at the hands of one that you trust. I-isn't that . . . that's horrible," she recoiled. Even the thought disgusted her.
"Yes, the thought of betrayal is repugnant, but I trust Severus with my life, quite literally, as I am the one who asked him to kill me," Dumbledore explained.
"But-"
"I feel that this needs to be explained. Please, sit." He gestured to his desk, to which he led her and they both sat. "It is simple, really, and after I explain, I am afraid I must ask you to try again, for you see, I already knew all you just told me."
Haidee nodded. "Y-yes, of course."
"Thank you." He looked over his half-moon spectacles toward her. "Draco has been ordered to kill me on behalf of Voldemort, as I am sure you understand, his father is a Death Eater. He is tasked with the job, doomed to fail. As Voldemort knows, Draco cannot defeat me. It is merely slow torture for his parents, to watch him fail and pay the price, in punishment for his father's failure at the Ministry last year.
Severus, who is indeed still working for the Order, yet pretending to work for Voldemort, is who Voldemort plans will kill me once Draco fails to succeed, and that is why, in order to save Draco from Voldemort's wrath and save an old man from humiliation, I have asked Severus to kill me instead."
"Professor Snape is also working for-"
"No, he is merely misleading Voldemort into trusting him through obedience, when he is actually replaying the information back to me."
"O-okay, but . . . " she said nothing. "S-so . . . so it is to save Draco? The one who is plotting your murder?" she whispered in shock.
"I recall once, a few years ago, a time where you also saved Draco from oncoming wrath, however from Mr Fred Weasley, that he quite deserved, in truth. My plan is nothing too dissimilar, except that this time Draco is being saved from wrath he does not deserve, therefore, making my actions less questionable than yours."
"But . . . but me saving Draco did not result in my death," Haidee enforced. "The scenarios cannot be compared."
"I am to die either way, Haidee."
"Yes," she nodded, "death is inevitable-"
"Yes, that is true, but you see, this curse," he said, revealing his burnt arm, "is irreversible. It is merely halted at the moment, but it will continue to spread until I am consumed, which is presumably at the end of this year. At least, this way, with Severus being the one to kill me, his alliance to Voldemort will be unmatched and Severus can continue to do his work for us without any quarrels."
"So-"
"So it is imperative that Severus is the one to kill me, yes."
There was a long moment of silence where neither of them spoke. Haidee sat, consuming the information she had just received, knowing she was sitting before a dead man. She looked at him, observing him as if it were the last time she would even see him and thought of all his power and status; she had never even thought about his death, he seemed so immortal. Perhaps that was why the news was so shocking. It reminded her how mortal everyone was, for if Dumbledore himself could not escape it, no one could.
"Now Haidee, if you would be so kind," Dumbledore said, referring to the jar.
"O-oh, yes," she stammered, staring at it for a moment, fearing what truth it would uncover next. But that was not what scared her the most. Taking the powder multiple times in a row is a very delicate thing. She could not say what would happen one she did it. The last time she took a double dose, she was in a similar scenario, where Dumbledore had asked her to repeat taking the powder as her first vision was unsatisfactory. It caused an instant convulsion of pain, and she had never done it since. She wasn't sure if, once she did it again, it would have the safe effect on her, or maybe a slightly different one, or maybe non at all. Either way, she was not excited to find out - but Dumbledore asked her, and she was there to help, so she did as she was asked, as she always did.
Consuming the powder, she stiffened as her vision changed to the sight of the seventh floor of Hogwarts, across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy where the Room of Requirement stood. The smell of sherry filled her nostrils as a door appeared. It was the door to the Come and Go Room, one Haidee was very well aware of, but it did not open. It just stood there, unmoved, untouched, for what seemed like hours, until it opened slightly, only wide enough for a thin body to slither out from it.
It was Draco Malfoy. He seemed to be up to a lot of damage this year. He seemed very secretive, looking both ways before exiting the room to ensure no one saw him.
It was a quick vision, probably the quickest she had ever had. When she opened her eyes, the smell of the sherry disappeared and Dumbledore looked to her. She looked up, surprised at how simple that seemed to be. She knew that taking the powder multiple times in a row was not something she had experimented greatly with, but it was as if it gave her no adverse reaction at all.
Warily, looking around as if it were too good to be true, Haidee looked up.
"I am glad to see that there were no repercussions fallen upon you, this time," he said and Haidee nodded.
"Yes . . . yes it was quite short, wasn't it?"
"The shortest I have seen," he replied.
"All I saw was the door to the Room on Requirement, the smell of sherry in the air. After staring at it for what felt like hours, Draco left the room very sneakily, looking both ways before exiting to ensure he was alone. He hadn't opened the door wide enough for me to see inside, but . . . but whatever it was, it seemed suspicious. Considering what we know," she replied and Dumbledore nodded.
"Yes, it seems Draco is in a bit of a troublesome mood," said Dumbledore and Haidee nodded.
"My thoughts exactly." She looked down, thinking her vision was not very helpful. "I, ugh, I hope it was helpful."
Dumbledore smiled at her response. "As usual, you have been. Thank you."
Haidee, although trying with all her might, had not heard the last few words Dumbledore had said. Her ears had started pounding with the sound of her heartbeat, which was accelerating at an alarming rate. Then, her chest tensed. Her palms became sweaty. Her knees felt as if they were going to collapse on her at any moment, and they had. The next thing she knew, before she could even register what was happening, she had collapsed to the floor, struggling to breathe, clawing at her heart as if she were reaching inside of her herself, begging it to slow down at fear it would explode at any moment.
Her body was wreaked with numbness, she hadn't felt Dumbledore swarm over her, holding her convulsing body still with his hands. She couldn't see through her pain, but Dumbledore waved his hand over her as he muttered a spell, sending her thrashing body into a state of calmness. She laid on the floor, her body recuperating from the attack, panting and gasping for air as Dumbledore, too, steadied himself. He stood from his kneeling position over her and helped her from the ground.
"I see," he said firmly, "that multiple dosages in a short timeframe still is effecting you so."
Haidee, who barely had enough air in her lungs to answer, replied: "Yes, it seems so." She was returning to normal, Dumbledore smiled at her.
"Thank you for indulging me, anyhow."
"Ugh, yes, you're welcome," she stammered, her mind overcome with emotion, fighting the urges to plea with Dumbledore to find another way. His content with death confused her, but she was young and had her whole life ahead of her whereas Dumbledore had lived a fulfilling life already, and she could understand how death was viewed differently between the two of them. Although she didn't understand his acceptance, she respected it.
"Since the becoming of my death is now recognised by both of us, I would like to speak about what happens afterwards."
"Afterwards?"
"Yes. Life will continue after I pass and there are some things you need to know before I do. For instance, I have been preparing Harry with what he needs to know for battling Voldemort after my death, not that he knows about that," Dumbledore said. "It will be his job to complete the tasks of destroying Voldemort's Horcruxes and I hope that once I am gone, you will refer to him and guide him as you have been guiding me, to help him find them.
Apart from that, I trust you understand, just as always, that you can not tell anyone about what you saw today. No one must know, especially Harry, about Severus and what I have asked of him. There will be a certain time where what you know now, and what I presume you will know soon, will become known to Harry. Now, however, is not it."
"I understand. N-no one must know," she repeated, nodding as Dumbledore stared at her seriously, the tone he spoke in shared none of his residual calmness. He was speaking firmly, yet kindly, assuring her that her secret-keeping was of utmost importance. Once she nodded, he smiled.
"I don't doubt that this is safe with you, Haidee," Dumbledore said, perhaps realising his firmness scared her into believing she wasn't trustworthy. "You have not let me down once, even at your toughest moments and for that, I trust you with my life."
"With your life?" she asked, astonished, feeling an overwhelming feeling of pride.
"No, perhaps I was wrong." Dumbledore smiled. "I trust you with the fate of the war."
When she arrived home, the shop and the loft were empty. She thought nothing of it, considering it was past the shops closing time which probably meant the twins were out getting dinner from this new muggle shop they found just outside of Diagon Alley.
She strolled upstairs after quickly reorganising some things around in the store, seeing some things out of place when she entered. The death of Dumbledore was still warping her mind, she was unable to think of anything else. How was she meant to act, to feel, when she knew the death of someone she respected, who everyone respected so much, was upcoming. She knew she had to deal with those confusing feelings alone, as she was not allowed to speak with anyone about it, so when she went back into the loft, she did what she usually did when she had things on her mind that she could not express; she studied.
Taking down her potion books, she began to read them as if she had not reread them hundreds of times before and continued to annotate. It was much harder to study when she had nothing to study for. No upcoming tests and no homework where she would be learning new information, she was stuck relearning what she already knew, which was not much of a distraction.
Putting the potion book away, she then referred herself to one of the new books she had bought for her room. One of which, she found particularly interesting. It was a common healing book, one she was sure to come in handy when living with Fred and George, and decided to read that instead, in hopes that she might learn something new.
It was nice to learn something different, and rightly so, it had consumed most of her thoughts for a small amount of time until she heard the door of her bedroom open and in rushed Fred and George.
Haidee looked up from her book at the sound. "Wow. You're breathtaking," gasped George as he looked at her, making her furrow her eyebrows in suspicion. It had been hours since she had returned home and they hadn't returned at all during that time, along with the odd, complimentary introduction from George, she sat up in mistrust.
"What have you done?" she asked, looking exhausted as she put down her book, but her tone was hinting with amusement. Fred smirked at her response.
"We need your help."
She smiled, unsure if this meant she was fixing one of their pranks that backfired, as she had done many times, or joining in one they already planned but either way, for the first time since she had heard the news, her mind was not overtaken with the thought of Dumbledore's death. With a cheeky smile, she rolled off the bed and held onto Fred's outstretched hand as they led to her the scene of the crime.
It was merely days before Christmas when Fred, George and Haidee returned to The Burrow. They were asked to spend the few days before Christmas there by Mrs Weasley, who Haidee expected was just excited to have everyone back home again.
Haidee was greeted with hugs and kisses as if Mrs Weasley hadn't seen her in years. She did not mind as she got crushed by Mrs Weasley's hugs, they were very familiar and she watched as Fred and George dodged their similar welcome, zooming past their mother, placing a quick kiss on her forehead as they passed, heading upstairs towards their old room.
"How have you been, Mrs Weasley?" Haidee asked with a kind smile. It had been hard to forget all the terrible things she had recently learnt, but she knew that if her time at The Burrow couldn't cheer her up, she was not sure many things would.
"It's been so much quieter without those two," she huffed, watching them disappear up the staircase, but Haidee secretly knew she missed their mayhem.
"Yes, and my life has become a lot more hectic," Haidee chuckled.
Although it was days beforehand, Mrs Weasley was already preparing food for the event, which Haidee was glad to help with. Haidee missed how the two of them would chat as they worked; Mrs Weasley was eager to make up for lost time as she chatted about multiple things, mostly about who would be coming to Christmas and whatnot and Haidee gladly listened as they cooked.
She hadn't noticed it had been hours since they arrived already, the two of them chatting kept Haidee pleasantly distracted, so much so she hadn't realised Fred sitting at the kitchen table behind them, watching her.
"Okay, well, I think this had been going on long enough. I'm going to steal my girlfriend back before you consume her and I don't see her for the rest of the holidays-"
"Oh, shut up, you!" scolded Mrs Weasley, turning around to smack Fred's arm as he moved to guide Haidee away with a cheeky grin on his lips, jolting to the side to avoid his Mrs Weasley's predictable attack.
"Fred, I'm almost done here-"
"Oh, it all right, dear. I mean it's not like you live together or anything!" she said, her sentence getting louder, to the point of a scream as she directed her scolding to Fred, who was laughing as he led Haidee out of the kitchen and into the meadows before The Burrow.
"She is right, you know," Haidee smiled. "I see you much more often than I see her. I saw you a few hours ago."
"Yes, I know I saw you a few hours ago, but it's not a few hours ago anymore, is it?" Fred said before suddenly collapsing to the ground in the middle of the meadow, resting his hands behind his head.
Haidee looked down at Fred, still standing, as his eyes glazed over the sky. Then, he looked to her, honouring her beauty in the cold, dazzling sunlight and patted the spot beside him. "Join me."
With a quaint smile, she did as she was told, however much more gracefully than Fred had. Gently placing herself on the ground, she laid down beside him, staring into the blue sky, feeling the warmth of Fred beside her writhe through her.
The chilly winter air was crisp, but the sunlight was warm enough to keep her fingers and nose from becoming numb. The two of them just sat in a moment of uncharacteristic peacefulness, staring at the clouded sky, both of their minds wandering in the presence of each other.
Haidee was still finding ways to compose the feelings inside her, the sudden realisation that death is a probable possibility in the war was shaking, for death had never seemed so real.
Maybe Fred also had some things boggling his mind, things he also could not speak about. Perhaps that was why he led her out into the tranquil field where the two of them could spend their time thinking, together, so that although they could not speak to each other, they knew they were not alone.