An Extra Scene for Mary Sue #3: Crystal Hawthorne
A/N: I dedicate this scene to all you nitpickers out there! If you're wondering what happened to Crystal after Voldemort put the Falling Spell on her, and you're asking, "Is she going to fall forever?", here's an added scene. This happens right after Crystal performs Avada Kedavra on Voldemort, approximately 1 o' clock in the morning.
"Dumbledore!"
Dumbledore looked up from where he was working at his desk, his eyes drooping with exhaustion.
"Is something the matter, Severus?"
"Yes - Crystal Hawthorne - Voldemort - Draco Malfoy - I found them up in the Astronomy Tower!"
Without waiting to hear anything more, Dumbledore quickly got up and said to Snape fiercely, "Let's go. Explain on the way."
"I was patrolling the place as usual, when I heard screaming over by the Astronomy Tower," Snape said. "I rushed over to find what the matter was. When I got there, the screaming had stopped. I searched the area, then climbed the stairs up to the top of the tower. For God's sake, will you please slow down, Dumbledore? I'm not as fit you are!" Snape panted.
"I apologize, Severus. Please continue." Dumbledore did not slow down, however; instead went even faster. Snape was now huffing and puffing to catch up.
"When I got to the top, I saw Malfoy, knocked unconscious against the wall. I did not revive him, however. Voldemort was lying on the ground, apparently dead. His wand was on the floor next to him; when I performed Priori Incantatem, it showed me that the last spell the wand did was Rundencia, the -"
"The Falling Spell," Dumbledore said, "I know. Continue."
"Yes, the Falling Spell. I immediately performed the counterspell, and Crystal Hawthorne appeared moments later. She was unconscious, apparently from falling for so long."
"Did you attempt to revive her?" Dumbledore said tightly, still running at full speed towards the Astronomy Tower.
"I did, Albus. There was no response."
"Go on."
"I did Priori Incantatem on her wand as well; the last spell that the wand performed was Avada Kedavra."
Dumbledore looked shocked. "Avada Kedavra? But that takes practice! You cannot do it on command. And I seriously doubt that Ms. Hawthorne was secretly practicing illegal spells in her spare time."
"Albus, Crystal is a very gifted person. If anyone could do Avada Kedavra on command, I believe it would be her."
"So, deducing from what you told me, these are the events that happened tonight. Crystal Hawthorne and Draco Malfoy met in the Astronomy Tower for an unknown reason."
Snape snorted. "For an unknown reason? Come on, Albus. What else do students do in the Astronomy Tower late at night?"
Dumbledore went on, ignoring this comment. "Voldemort was obviously hiding there, waiting for Ms. Hawthorne. I suppose he knocked out Mr. Malfoy to get him out of the way.... Then he tried to convince Ms. Hawthorne to join his side, but she probably resisted, causing him to perform the Falling Spell on her. I imagine she panicked, and thought that he was trying to kill her, and performed Avada Kedavra while she fell, killing Voldemort. She probably became unconscious soon after; a person cannot fall rapidly for long without blacking out."
They had finally reached the tower, and they were silent as they climbed up the long, twisting stairwell. When they reached the top, Snape let out a shout.
"Voldemort! He's gone!"
Snape went around the entire room a few times, unconvinced that Voldemort had disappeared.
"How could he be gone?" he asked over and over. "His Death Eaters probably got called here when they realized that he was dead. The Dark Marks he burned into us would throb whenever he was in mortal danger. They most likely carried his body off," he finally reasoned.
"How do we know that he's dead?" Dumbledore said. "He might still be alive."
"Alive?" Snape said blankly. "Albus, just because he survived the curse once doesn't mean that he can survive it again. Being hit by the Killing Curse twice and surviving would be a sheer miracle."
"We can't rule out the option that he might be alive," Dumbledore said severely. Snape nodded, somewhat reluctantly. He went over to Crystal and began muttering a few spells and jabbing his wand at her in a vain attempt to revive her. Dumbledore bent down next to Draco Malfoy.
"I have a hunch," he muttered to himself. He rolled up Draco's sleeve. There, faint but still clearly visible, was the Dark Mark.
"Just as I thought," he said. "Severus? Come look at this."
Snape bent down to look as well, and inhaled sharply.
"Draco Malfoy, a Death Eater?" he said incredulously. "But he's so young! Is Voldemort recruiting younger members now?"
"Apparently so," Dumbledore said grimly. "This changes my theory somewhat. Perhaps Mr. Malfoy lured Ms. Hawthorne to the Tower, then when Voldemort appeared and Ms. Hawthorne realized that she had been tricked, she knocked Mr. Malfoy unconscious. Then..." Dumbledore's brow creased as he thought. "Then I suppose Voldemort performed the Falling Spell on her before she could knock him out as well to frighten her into coming along with him."
Snape nodded. "That sounds right," he agreed. "However - what about Ms. Hawthorne? I checked her over, and she has no signs of reviving. I...I think she's brain dead, Albus."
Dumbledore sighed heavily. Then he straightened back up and conjured up two stretchers for Draco and Crystal. Snape helped Dumbledore magic them onto the stretchers, and they walked back down the tower towards the infirmary.
"Mr. Malfoy will be put on trial, I presume," Dumbledore said. "And as for Ms. Hawthorne - she will be hailed forever as the Girl who Died but Took Voldemort Along With Her."
Snape nodded solemnly. "That's quite a mouthful, Albus. Let's just call her GWDBTVAWH."
"Gesundheit," Dumbledore replied.
The two of them walked the rest of the way to the infirmary in silence.
A/N: I dedicate this scene to all you nitpickers out there! If you're wondering what happened to Crystal after Voldemort put the Falling Spell on her, and you're asking, "Is she going to fall forever?", here's an added scene. This happens right after Crystal performs Avada Kedavra on Voldemort, approximately 1 o' clock in the morning.
"Dumbledore!"
Dumbledore looked up from where he was working at his desk, his eyes drooping with exhaustion.
"Is something the matter, Severus?"
"Yes - Crystal Hawthorne - Voldemort - Draco Malfoy - I found them up in the Astronomy Tower!"
Without waiting to hear anything more, Dumbledore quickly got up and said to Snape fiercely, "Let's go. Explain on the way."
"I was patrolling the place as usual, when I heard screaming over by the Astronomy Tower," Snape said. "I rushed over to find what the matter was. When I got there, the screaming had stopped. I searched the area, then climbed the stairs up to the top of the tower. For God's sake, will you please slow down, Dumbledore? I'm not as fit you are!" Snape panted.
"I apologize, Severus. Please continue." Dumbledore did not slow down, however; instead went even faster. Snape was now huffing and puffing to catch up.
"When I got to the top, I saw Malfoy, knocked unconscious against the wall. I did not revive him, however. Voldemort was lying on the ground, apparently dead. His wand was on the floor next to him; when I performed Priori Incantatem, it showed me that the last spell the wand did was Rundencia, the -"
"The Falling Spell," Dumbledore said, "I know. Continue."
"Yes, the Falling Spell. I immediately performed the counterspell, and Crystal Hawthorne appeared moments later. She was unconscious, apparently from falling for so long."
"Did you attempt to revive her?" Dumbledore said tightly, still running at full speed towards the Astronomy Tower.
"I did, Albus. There was no response."
"Go on."
"I did Priori Incantatem on her wand as well; the last spell that the wand performed was Avada Kedavra."
Dumbledore looked shocked. "Avada Kedavra? But that takes practice! You cannot do it on command. And I seriously doubt that Ms. Hawthorne was secretly practicing illegal spells in her spare time."
"Albus, Crystal is a very gifted person. If anyone could do Avada Kedavra on command, I believe it would be her."
"So, deducing from what you told me, these are the events that happened tonight. Crystal Hawthorne and Draco Malfoy met in the Astronomy Tower for an unknown reason."
Snape snorted. "For an unknown reason? Come on, Albus. What else do students do in the Astronomy Tower late at night?"
Dumbledore went on, ignoring this comment. "Voldemort was obviously hiding there, waiting for Ms. Hawthorne. I suppose he knocked out Mr. Malfoy to get him out of the way.... Then he tried to convince Ms. Hawthorne to join his side, but she probably resisted, causing him to perform the Falling Spell on her. I imagine she panicked, and thought that he was trying to kill her, and performed Avada Kedavra while she fell, killing Voldemort. She probably became unconscious soon after; a person cannot fall rapidly for long without blacking out."
They had finally reached the tower, and they were silent as they climbed up the long, twisting stairwell. When they reached the top, Snape let out a shout.
"Voldemort! He's gone!"
Snape went around the entire room a few times, unconvinced that Voldemort had disappeared.
"How could he be gone?" he asked over and over. "His Death Eaters probably got called here when they realized that he was dead. The Dark Marks he burned into us would throb whenever he was in mortal danger. They most likely carried his body off," he finally reasoned.
"How do we know that he's dead?" Dumbledore said. "He might still be alive."
"Alive?" Snape said blankly. "Albus, just because he survived the curse once doesn't mean that he can survive it again. Being hit by the Killing Curse twice and surviving would be a sheer miracle."
"We can't rule out the option that he might be alive," Dumbledore said severely. Snape nodded, somewhat reluctantly. He went over to Crystal and began muttering a few spells and jabbing his wand at her in a vain attempt to revive her. Dumbledore bent down next to Draco Malfoy.
"I have a hunch," he muttered to himself. He rolled up Draco's sleeve. There, faint but still clearly visible, was the Dark Mark.
"Just as I thought," he said. "Severus? Come look at this."
Snape bent down to look as well, and inhaled sharply.
"Draco Malfoy, a Death Eater?" he said incredulously. "But he's so young! Is Voldemort recruiting younger members now?"
"Apparently so," Dumbledore said grimly. "This changes my theory somewhat. Perhaps Mr. Malfoy lured Ms. Hawthorne to the Tower, then when Voldemort appeared and Ms. Hawthorne realized that she had been tricked, she knocked Mr. Malfoy unconscious. Then..." Dumbledore's brow creased as he thought. "Then I suppose Voldemort performed the Falling Spell on her before she could knock him out as well to frighten her into coming along with him."
Snape nodded. "That sounds right," he agreed. "However - what about Ms. Hawthorne? I checked her over, and she has no signs of reviving. I...I think she's brain dead, Albus."
Dumbledore sighed heavily. Then he straightened back up and conjured up two stretchers for Draco and Crystal. Snape helped Dumbledore magic them onto the stretchers, and they walked back down the tower towards the infirmary.
"Mr. Malfoy will be put on trial, I presume," Dumbledore said. "And as for Ms. Hawthorne - she will be hailed forever as the Girl who Died but Took Voldemort Along With Her."
Snape nodded solemnly. "That's quite a mouthful, Albus. Let's just call her GWDBTVAWH."
"Gesundheit," Dumbledore replied.
The two of them walked the rest of the way to the infirmary in silence.