Hey everybody, we've crossed the fifty-review mark which is pretty good. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews Relaxing Pikachu.

High Serpent King – Thanks. And yep, they're both dead.

Bhekie – Yeah, considering he's my favorite character I was kind of surprised too. Then again I kind of had this in the back of my head almost since the story started so it's really not too surprising. For me.

Mmelbear – Yep, I read the new chapter although I'm not sure if I reviewed it or not...I usually do so I probably did, but whatever. Anyway, it was good if I didn't review it. Also, just to tell you I've been meaning to check out "Secrets" but haven't gotten to it yet.

Sclub8 and Ron/Hermione fan – thanks for reviewing

Also, none of you guys worry about left-over plotlines. I left blatantly obvious hints in some earlier chapters so you guys have probably figured out roughly three-quarters of the plotline already, but I was worried that you guys wouldn't notice. Anyway, as I said, most things if not all (I hope all) will be finished and explained.

Also, to change things up some I'm starting things off with none other than our favorite Headmaster.

Chapter 24 – Malfoy

Albus Dumbledore paced back and forth in his office, angry, ashamed, and worried. He glanced over at a magical device he had constructed that had a purpose similar to a muggle security camera – except it was invisible and could move. It was very useful, as a matter of fact. Dumbledore stared through the floating magically suspended screen at a locked and magically sealed room in the Hospital Wing containing none other than Draco Malfoy. Malfoy not only had been Voldemort's Death Eaters and Dementors way in to the otherwise impenetrable school, but he had now readily admitted to it and wanted to fight for Dumbledore. But could Dumbledore forgive him? More importantly, could Harry forgive the person who's responsible for the death of Ron Weasley? And how was the Order going to learn about Voldemort's plan without their spy?

Harry Potter was by the lake, depressed, lonely and sad. Why couldn't he protect anyone around him? Now Ron was dead, Sirius was dead, even Snape was dead. Who's next? Parvati? It would only be so long...Yet Harry knew that he couldn't simply push people away again. But what was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to win?

Harry looked up as he heard the sound of wings make a whoosh sound as Hedwig landed next to him. She was holding, of course, an emergency edition of The Daily Prophet. Harry took it with tears brimming. Hedwig gave an affectionate nip before flying off to the Owlery.

Staring back at him was the face of Ron Weasley. Harry suddenly had an incredible urge to throw The Prophet into the lake, to light it on fire and burn it, to simply kill himself. But he didn't. He read the article.

HEROIC SIXTEEN-YEAR OLD RONALD WEASLEY DIES IN VICIOUS ATTACK ON HOGWARTS

Ronald Weasley, sixteen-years old and best friend of none other than Harry Potter, was the victim of a Death Eater and Dementor attack on Hogwarts in which seventy-six were injured and two died. None other than the presumed-dead Peter Pettigrew – Ron's old rat – killed him with the Unforgivable Curse. You-Know-Who was nowhere in sight. It is believed that the fact that Ronald Weasley was the victim of the attack was no mistake – the Weasleys and Ron in particular have been through quite a lot. In the summer Ron was kidnapped by none other than You-Know-Who, tortured for information (which he heroically refused to give), but was brought back by rescuers. Earlier in the school year Charlie Weasley was attacked in Romania by Death Eaters. Even after that, Ron was again attacked while playing Quidditch for the Gryffindor House Team with a curse that almost killed him.

Harry could finally read no more. He slammed the newspaper down with extraordinary force, surging with anger at Voldemort, who had sent such fear into the whole world that they couldn't say his name, who was responsible for killing Sirius and his family and Ron. Harry stood up with resolution and started to walk back to Hogwarts. He was going to talk to Dumbledore.

Hermione Granger finally woke up in the Hospital Wing in the middle of the night. Blurry vision came to her slowly as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She looked to her left and saw Ginny Weasley sleeping restlessly in a bed, murmuring something under her breath. Hermione struggled to hear curiously, but Ginny's whispers were far too low to make out.

Hermione looked blearily around for Harry and Ron. The last thing she remembered before being knocked unconscious were Harry and Ron's faces. Where were they? Hermione looked around again, finally fully awake. They were nowhere in sight. Well at least that means they're not injured. Still, it was rather odd for them not to be here...and she could use some company.

A clearly exhausted Madame Pomfrey suddenly hovered into view.

"Here...take this..."

"Thank you." Hermione drank the potion serenely – luckily it didn't taste too bad as she had fairly common injuries – and put the bottle down.

"May I leave then?"

"Yes...it in fact might be better if you will...it will be a horrible sight here in the morning..."

Hermione shivered involuntarily and got up fast. Never had she seen the usually joyous Madame Pomfrey so forlorn before. She walked fast-paced to the Hospital Wing exit before noticing Professor McGonagall at the door.

"Professor? Am I supposed to go to the Gryffindor dormitories, then?"

The Professor nodded wearily, but then her head suddenly snapped up, as if suddenly just realizing that she was talking to Hermione Granger. Which she just had.

Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley's girlfriend. The girl McGonagall would've been almost certain would've been Ron's future spouse.

McGonagall gulped audibly as Hermione was exiting and Hermione noticed and turned around.

"Professor? Is there anything wrong?"

McGonagall cleared her throat with resolve. She had to know.

"Miss Granger, there were seventy-six injuries last night...and two fatalities."

McGonagall's favorite student's eyes widened in absolute horror and the usually calm girl suddenly steadied herself against the wall.

"Professor, tell me who died."

"Severus Snape and Ronald Weasley."

Ginny suddenly screamed.

Harry stood before the gargoyle, thinking what the password could be. It often seems to be some kind of candy, but it almost seemed that Dumbledore could've exhausted all the kinds. Of course, there were always muggle candies...

"Hershey's? Crunch? Aero? Fudgeeo? Oreo? Willy Wonka?"

The gargoyle suddenly sprung into action as Harry guessed the right password. Harry wondered why Dumbledore didn't just tell Harry the password anyway, as whenever Harry needed him he always had to guess.

Harry stepped onto the moving staircase and calmly waited for it to rise to the passageway that led to Dumbledore's office. He swept through the hallway and opened the doors without asking. Dumbledore glanced up but didn't seem surprised.

"Harry."

"Professor Dumbledore, I need to know what's going on in the Order."

"Harry..."

Harry's anger rose, but he kept it under control. Barely.

"You said last year you weren't going to keep me in the dark. My best friend – as good as a brother – just died before my eyes. Your spy just got killed. Everyone at Hogwarts just got injured. And the Death Eaters got in here somehow, now what's going on?"

Dumbledore sighed heavily.

"I'm afraid I don't know Harry. You've heard the reports of the Auror-kidnapping sixteen-year old boy?"

Harry nodded.

"The fact is we have no idea who he could be, but we do know that we need those Aurors. Also, it's very likely that Voldemort had suspected Severus's duplicity for quite some time – Severus has been unable to tell us any plans of Voldemort's for quite some time now."

"Well then what are we going to do?"

"First, we need to deal with the matter of Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore gestured to a suspended screen in the office that Harry hadn't seen before. Harry looked at the screen and saw none other than Draco Malfoy sitting in a room that was obviously magically sealed. Malfoy wasn't sleeping, and looked like he hadn't in a long time – he was pacing back and forth around the room at a blistering pace, muttering inaudible things under his breath.

"Mr. Malfoy has readily admitted to being the way that the Death Eaters got into Hogwarts, and now says he wishes to work for me in any way he can."

"What?" Harry raged, seething uncontrollably. "You can't believe him!"

"What's his motive for lying? Harry, we didn't have any evidence that he had let them in other than suspicions – if he didn't admit to it then we would have had no way of proving he was the way they got in here."

"But he's Malfoy! His dad's a Death Eater! Why would he want to work for us?"

"You can not judge a person by their parentage, Harry. He has seen that Voldemort's way is wrong."

"I can't forgive him. He killed Ron."

An impenetrable silence filled the room, as Harry and Dumbledore faced each other quietly. Even the portraits were quiet, and nothing made a movement.

"I'm afraid you'll have to at least work with him now Harry. You see, I have taken Mr. Malfoy up on his offer. He is now going to work for the Order."